O assassinato de Isbosete

1 Quando Isbosete, filho de Saul, soube da morte de Abner em Hebrom, perdeu completamente o ânimo, e todo o Israel ficou sem reação. 2 Dois de seus irmãos, Baaná e Recabe, eram capitães dos grupos de ataque de Isbosete. Eram filhos de Rimom, membro da tribo de Benjamim, que vivia em Beerote. A cidade de Beerote fazia parte do território de Benjamim, 3 pois seus habitantes originais fugiram para Gitaim, onde ainda vivem como estrangeiros.

4 (Jônatas, filho de Saul, tinha um filho chamado Mefibosete, que ficou aleijado quando era criança. Mefibosete tinha 5 anos quando chegou de Jezreel a notícia de que Saul e Jônatas haviam sido mortos na batalha. Ao ouvir isso, a ama do menino o tomou nos braços e fugiu. Na pressa, porém, deixou-o cair, e ele ficou aleijado.)

5 Certo dia, Recabe e Baaná, filhos de Rimom, de Beerote, foram à casa de Isbosete por volta do meio-dia, quando ele estava descansando. 6 A mulher que ficava à porta estava peneirando trigo, mas ficou sonolenta e cochilou. Então Recabe e Baaná passaram por ela sem serem notados 7 e entraram na casa, onde encontraram Isbosete dormindo em sua cama. Eles o feriram e o mataram, e depois cortaram sua cabeça. Então, levando a cabeça, fugiram durante a noite pelo vale do Jordão. 8 Chegando a Hebrom, entregaram a cabeça de Isbosete a Davi. "Veja!", disseram ao rei. "Aqui está a cabeça de Isbosete, filho de seu inimigo, Saul, que tentou matá-lo. Hoje o Senhor concedeu ao rei vingança sobre Saul e toda a sua família!"

9 Davi, porém, disse a Recabe e Baaná, filhos de Rimom, de Beerote: "O Senhor, que me tem livrado de todos os meus sofrimentos, é minha testemunha. 10 Quando alguém me informou que Saul estava morto, pensando que trazia uma boa notícia, eu o agarrei e o matei em Ziclague. Foi essa a recompensa que recebeu pela notícia! 11 Quanto mais devo recompensar os perversos que mataram um homem inocente em sua própria casa e em sua própria cama? Não devo responsabilizá-los pela morte dele e eliminá-los da face da terra?".

12 Então Davi ordenou a seus soldados que os matassem, e assim eles fizeram. Cortaram as mãos e os pés deles e penduraram os corpos junto à represa em Hebrom. Depois, pegaram a cabeça de Isbosete e a sepultaram no túmulo de Abner, em Hebrom.

1 And when [Ish-bosheth], Saul's son, heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands became feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.

2 And [Ish-bosheth], Saul's son, [had] two men who were captains of bands. The name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the sons of Benjamin, for Beeroth also is reckoned to

3 And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and have been sojourners there until this day.

4 Now Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the news 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 h

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, as he took his rest at noon.

6 And they came there into the midst of the house as though they would have fetched wheat, and they smote him in the body. And Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.

7 Now when they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, they smote him, and killed him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and went by the way of the Arabah all 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 thy life. And LORD has avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of h

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

10 when he who told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good news, I took hold of him, and killed him in Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news.

11 How much more, when evil men have slain a righteous man in his own house upon his bed, shall I not now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?

12 And David commanded his young men, and they killed them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth, and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.