¹ And the son of Saul heareth that Abner [is] dead in Hebron, and his hands are feeble, and all Israel have been troubled.

² And two men, heads of troops, have been [to] the son of Saul, the name of the one [is] Baanah, and the name of the second Rechab, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the sons of Benjamin, for also Beeroth is reckoned to Benjamin,

³ and the Beerothites flee to Gittaim, and are there sojourners unto this day.

⁴ And to Jonathan son of Saul [is] a son -- lame; he was a son of five years at the coming in of the rumour of [the death of] Saul and Jonathan, out of Jezreel, and his nurse lifteth him up, and fleeth, and it cometh to pass in her hasting to flee, that he falleth, and becometh lame, and his name [is] Mephibosheth.

⁵ And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, go, and come in at the heat of the day unto the house of Ish-Bosheth, and he is lying down -- the lying down of noon;

⁶ and thither they have come, unto the midst of the house, taking wheat, and they smite him unto the fifth [rib], and Rechab and Baanah his brother have escaped;

⁷ yea, they come in to the house, and he is lying on his bed, in the inner part of his bed-chamber, and they smite him, and put him to death, and turn aside his head, and they take his head, and go the way of the plain all the night,

⁸ and bring in the head of Ish-Bosheth unto David in Hebron, and say unto the king, `Lo, the head of Ish-Bosheth, son of Saul, thine enemy, who sought thy life; and Jehovah doth give to my lord the king vengeance this day, of Saul and of his seed.'

⁹ And David answereth Rechab and Baanah his brother, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and saith to them, `Jehovah liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity,

¹⁰ when one is declaring to me, saying, Lo, Saul is dead, and he was as a bearer of tidings in his own eyes, then I take hold on him, and slay him in Ziklag, instead of my giving to him [for] the tidings.

¹¹ Also -- when wicked men have slain the righteous man in his own house, on his bed; and now, do not I require his blood of your hand, and have taken you away from the earth?'

¹² And David commandeth the young men, and they slay them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hang [them] over the pool in Hebron, and the head of Ish-Bosheth they have taken, and bury [it] in the burying-place of Abner in Hebron.

¹ And David saith, `Is there yet any left to the house of Saul, and I do with him kindness because of Jonathan?'

² And the house of Saul hath a servant, and his name [is] Ziba, and they call for him unto David; and the king saith unto him, `Art thou Ziba?' and he saith, `Thy servant.'

³ And the king saith, `Is there not yet a man to the house of Saul, and I do with him the kindness of God?' And Ziba saith unto the king, `Jonathan hath yet a son -- lame.'

⁴ And the king saith to him, `Where [is] he?' and Ziba saith unto the king, `Lo, he [is] in the house of Machir, son of Ammiel, in Lo-Debar.'

⁵ And king David sendeth, and taketh him out of the house of Machir son of Ammiel, of Lo-Debar,

⁶ and Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, son of Saul, cometh unto David, and falleth on his face, and doth obeisance, and David saith, `Mephibosheth;' and he saith, `Lo, thy servant.'

⁷ And David saith to him, `Be not afraid; for I certainly do with thee kindness because of Jonathan thy father, and have given back to thee all the field of Saul thy father, and thou dost eat bread at my table continually.'

⁸ And he boweth himself, and saith, `What [is] thy servant, that thou hast turned unto the dead dog -- such as I?'

⁹ And the king calleth unto Ziba servant of Saul, and saith unto him, `All that was to Saul and to all his house, I have given to the son of thy lord,

¹⁰ and thou hast served for him the land, thou and thy sons, and thy servants, and hast brought in, and there hath been to the son of thy lord bread, and he hath eaten it; and Mephibosheth son of thy lord doth eat continually bread at my table;' and Ziba hath fifteen sons and twenty servants.

¹¹ And Ziba saith unto the king, `According to all that my lord the king commandeth his servant, so doth thy servant;' as to Mephibosheth, `he is eating at my table ([saith the king]) as one of the sons of the king.'

¹² And Mephibosheth hath a young son, and his name [is] Micha, and every one dwelling in the house of Ziba [are] servants to Mephibosheth.

¹³ And Mephibosheth is dwelling in Jerusalem, for at the table of the king he is eating continually, and he [is] lame of his two feet.