1: And when Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in
Hebron, his hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.
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2: And Saul's son had two men that were captains of bands: the
name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons
of Rimmon a Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin: (for Beeroth also
was reckoned to Benjamin: |
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3:
And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and were sojourners there
until this day.) |
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4: And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was lame of his feet.
He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of
Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as
she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was
Mephibosheth. |
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5: And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah,
went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ish-bosheth,
who lay on a bed at noon. |
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6: And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though
they would have fetched wheat; and they smote him under the fifth rib:
and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. |
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7: For when they came into the house, he lay on his bed in his
bedchamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took
his head, and gat them away through the plain all night. |
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8: And they brought the head of Ish-bosheth unto David to Hebron,
and said to the king, Behold the head of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul
thine enemy, which sought thy life; and the LORD hath avenged my lord
the king this day of Saul, and of his seed. |
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9: And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of
Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the LORD liveth, who hath
redeemed my soul out of all adversity, |
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10: When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to
have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag,
who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings: |
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11: How much more, when wicked men have slain a
righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not
therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you
away from the earth? |
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12: And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and
cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in
Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth, and buried it in the
sepulchre of Abner in Hebron. |