The Murder of Ish-bosheth

1Whan Sauls sonne herde yt Abner was deed at Hebron, his hades were feble, & all Israell was sory. 2But there were two men captaynes ouer the soudyers vnder the sonne of Saul, the one was called Baena, the other Rehob, sonnes of Rimon ye Berothite, of the childre of Ben Iamin: for Beroth was couted also in Ben Iamin. 3And the Berothites were fled vnto Gethaim, & were straugers there vnto this daye.

4Ionathas also the sonne of Saul had a sonne which was lame on his fete, & was fyue yeare olde whan the rumoure of Saul and Ionathas came from Iesrael. And his norse toke him, and fled. And whyle she made haist and fled, he fell, and was lame: And his name was Mephiboseth.

5Then wente the sonnes of Rimon ye Berothite, Rehob & Baena, & came to the house of Isboseth, in the heate of the daye, & he laye vpo his bed at the noone daie. 6And they came in to the house to fetch wheate, & thrust him in the bely, & gat them awaye. 7For wha they came into ye house, he laye vpo his bed in his chamber, & they stickte him to death, & smote of his heade, and toke his heade, and departed by the waye of the playne felde all that nighte, 8and broughte the heade of Isboseth to Dauid vnto Hebron, and sayde vnto the kynge: Beholde, there is the heade of Isboseth the sonne of Saul thine enemye, which layed wayte for thy soule. This daye hath the LORDE auenged my lorde the kynge of Saul and his sede.

The Execution of Rechab and Baanah

9Then answered Dauid vnto Rehob and Baena his brother, ye sonnes of Rimon ye Berothite, & sayde: As truly as the LORDE lyueth, which hath deliuered my soule out of all trouble, 10I toke him yt brought me worde and sayde: Saul is deed, and he thoughte he had bene a good messaunger, and at Siclag I put him to death, vnto whom I shulde haue geuen a rewarde for his message. 11And these vngodly personnes haue slayne a righteous man in his owne house vpon his bed. Yee shulde not I requyre his bloude of youre handes, and take you awaye from ye earth? 12And Dauid commaunded his yonge men, which slewe them, and smote of their handes and fete, and hanged them vp by ye pole at Hebron. But the heade of Isboseth toke they, and buried it in Abners graue at Hebron.