¹ And the son of Saul^* heard that Abner was·​·dead in Hebron, and his hands were·​·slack and all in Israel were vexed.

² And for the son of Saul were two men^◦, commanders^◦ of troops; the name of the one was Baanah and the name of the second was Rechab, sons of Rimmon, the Beerothite, from the sons of Benjamin, for Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin.

³ And the Beerothites ran·​·away to^▫ Gittaim, and are sojourners there even·​·to this day.

⁴ And Jonathan^◦, the son of Saul, had^◦ a son crippled in both·​·feet; he was a son of five years when the report of Saul and Jonathan^◦ came from Jezreel, and she who cared·​·for him lifted· him ·up and fled; and it was, in her rush to flee, that he fell, and became·​·lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

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, and he^◦ lay on a bed at noon.

⁶ And they^◦ came to^◦ the midst of the house to take wheat, and they smote him to^▵ the fifth^*, and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.

⁷ And they came into the house, and he^◦ was lying on his bed^◦ in his bed chamber, and they smote him and put· him ·to·​·death, and they removed his head, and took his head and went by the way of the desert all the night.

⁸ And they brought the head of Ish-bosheth to^▵ David to Hebron, and said to^▵ the king, Behold the head of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul thine enemy, who sought·​·after thy soul, and Jehovah gave to my lord the king vengeance this day of Saul and of his seed.

⁹ And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, As Jehovah lives who has ransomed my soul out·​·of all adversity,

¹⁰ when^◦ one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is·​·dead, and he^◦ was in his own eyes as one bringing· good ·tidings, then I seized him and killed him in Ziklag, which is what I gave to him for the tidings.

¹¹ How·​·much·​·more·​·then, when wicked men^◦ have killed a just man^◦ in his house upon his bed, and now should I not seek his blood from your hand, and sweep· you ·away from the earth?

¹² And David commanded the lads and they killed them and chopped·​·off their hands and their feet, and hanged them by^◦ the pool of Hebron. But the head of Ish-bosheth they took and buried in the grave of Abner in Hebron.

¹ And David said, Is·​·there yet anyone who remains of^◦ the house of Saul, that I may do mercy with him for the sake of Jonathan^◦?

² And there was of the house of Saul a servant, and his name was Ziba. And they called him to^▵ David, and the king said to^▵ him, Art thou^◦ Ziba? And he said, Thy servant.

³ And the king said, Is there yet no^▵ man^◦ for the house of Saul, that I may do the mercy of God with him? And Ziba said unto^▵ the king, There is yet a son to Jonathan^◦, crippled of both·​·feet.

⁴ And the king said to him, Where^◦ is he^◦? And Ziba said to^▵ the king, Behold, he^◦ is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar.

⁵ And King David sent and took him out·​·of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, out·​·of Lo-debar.

⁶ And Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan^◦, the son of Saul, came unto^▵ David, and he fell upon his face, and bowed·​·down. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he said, Behold, thy servant.

⁷ And David said to him, Fear not; for doing, I shall do mercy with thee for Jonathan^◦ thy father’s sake, and will return to thee all the field of Saul thy father; and thou^◦ shalt eat the bread on my table continually.

⁸ And he bowed· himself ·down and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest turn· thy ·face to^▵ the dead dog who is such·​·as I?

⁹ And the king called to^▵ Ziba, Saul’s lad, and said unto^▵ him, All that Saul and all his house had^◦, I have given unto the son of thy lord.

¹⁰ And thou shalt till the ground for him, thou^◦ and thy sons and thy servants, and thou shalt bring·​·in, and the son of thy lord shall have^◦ bread, and he shall eat it; but Mephibosheth the son of thy lord shall eat bread at my table continually. And Ziba had^◦ fifteen sons and twenty servants.

¹¹ And Ziba said to^▵ the king, According·​·to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. And Mephibosheth shall eat at my table as one of the king’s sons.

¹² And Mephibosheth had^◦ a little^◦ son and his name was Micha. And all who were dwelling in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth.

¹³ And Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem; for he^◦ did eat continually at the table of the king; and he^◦ was lame in his two feet.