2 Samuel 4 When Jebosthe son of Saul, heard that Abenner, son of Ner, was dead at Chebron, his hands were enfeebled, and all the men of Israel were dismayed.

Thomson⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ When Jebosthe son of Saul, heard that Abenner, son of Ner, was dead at Chebron, his hands were enfeebled, and all the men of Israel were dismayed. ² Now Jebosthe, son of Saul, had two captains of bands. The name of the one was Baana, and the name of the other Rechab. They were sons of Remmon, the Berothite, of the children of Benjamin, for Beroth had been assigned to the Benjaminites, ³ and the Berothites had fled to Gothaim, and have continued to sojourn there even to this day. ⁴ And Jonathan, son of Saul, had a son, who was lame in both his feet. He was five years old when the news of Saul and of his son Jonathan came from Jezrael, and his nurse took him up and fled, and as she was hasting to carry him off, he happened to fall, and became lame, so he was called Memphibosthe. ⁵ And the sons of Remmon, the Berothite, Rechab, and Baana, set out, and came in the heat of the clay to the house of Jebosthe, while he was sleeping on his couch at noon. ⁶ Now behold the door keeper of his house had been cleaning wheat, and being drowsy, had fallen asleep. So Rechab and Baana, the brothers, escaped notice, and went into the house, while Jebosthe was asleep on his couch in his bed chamber. ⁷ And they smote him, and killed him, and cut off his head. And they took his head, and travelled all night, by the way leading westward, ⁸ and brought the head of Jebosthe to David at Chebron, and said to the king, Behold here is the head of Jebosthe son of Saul thine enemy, who sought thy life; but the Lord hath executed vengeance for our lord the king on his enemies as at this day; on Saul thine enemy, and on his seed. ⁹ Whereupon David answered Rechab, and Baana his brother, the sons of Remmon, the Berothite, and said to them, As the Lord liveth who hath redeemed my soul from all affliction, ¹⁰ when one told me that Saul was dead, and thought himself a messenger of good news to me, I apprehended him, and slew him at Sekelak, though he thought himself entitled to a reward from me for his good news. ¹¹ But now wicked men have slain a righteous person, in his house, upon his bed. Now therefore I will avenge his blood on you and cut you off from the earth. ¹² Then David gave orders to his servants, and they instantly slew them, and cut off their hands, and their feet, and hanged them up by the pool of Chebron. And they buried the head of Jebosthe in the grave of Abenner son of Ner.