The. holie. Bible. conteynyng the olde Testament and the newe.

The .iiii. Chapter.

5 Baanah and Rechab slay Isboseth the sonne of Saul. 12 Dauid commaunded them to the slayne.

[unspec A] 1 AND when Sauls (a) 1.1 sonne hearde that Ab∣ner was dead in He∣bron, his handes were (b) 1.2feeble, & al the Isra∣elites were afrayde.

2 And Sauls sōne had two mē that were captaines of bandes, the one called Baanah, & the other Re∣chab, the sonnes of Rimmon a Bero∣thite, of the children of Beniamin: (for (c) 1.3 Beroth was reckened to Beniamin,

3 And these Berothites fled to (d) 1.4 Githa∣im, and soiourned there vntill this day)

4 And Ionathan Sauls sonne had a sonne that was lame on his feete, and was fiue yeres olde when the tydinges came of Saul & Ionathan out of Ies∣rael: And his nurse toke hym vp, and fled away, and as she made haste to flee, the chylde fell, and began to halt, and his name was Miphiboseth.

5 And the sonnes of Rimmon the Bero∣thite, Rechab and Baanah, went and came in the heate of the day to the house of Isboseth (whiche slept on a bed at noone.)

6 And behold, they came into the middes of the house, as though they(e) 1.5 woulde haue fetched wheate, and Rechab and Baanah his brother smote him vnder the fyft ribbe, and fled.

[unspec B] 7 For when they came into the house, he slept on his bed in his bed chamber, and they smote him and slue him, & behea∣ded him, and toke his head, & gat them away through the “ 1.6 plaine all the night.

8 And they brought the head of Isboseth vnto Dauid to Hebron, and sayde to the king: Behold, there is the head of Isbo∣seth Sauls sonne thyne enemie whiche sought after thy lyfe, and the Lorde hath auenged my lorde the kyng this day of Saul and of his seede.

9 And Dauid aunswered Rechab and Baanah his brother y^e sonnes of Rim∣mon the Berothite, and said vnto them: As the Lorde lyueth, whiche hath deli∣uered my soule out of all aduersites:

10 When one tolde me & sayde that Saul was dead (thynking to haue brought good tydinges) I caught him, and slue him in Ziklag: whiche thought that I woulde haue geuen him a rewarde for his tydinges bringing:

11 Howe much more when wicked men haue slayne a righteous person in his owne house and vpon his bed? Shal I not nowe therfore (f) 1.7 require his blood of your hande, & take you from the earth?

12 And Dauid commaunded his young men, and they slue them, and cut of their handes and feete, and hanged them vp ouer the poole in Hebron: But they toke the head of Isboseth, & buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.

Notes

• (a) 1.1

  That is, Isboseth.
• (b) 1.2

  Meaning that he was disc••raged, as one whose helpe was gone.
• (c) 1.3

  The citie Beroth was in the tribe of Beniamin.
• (d) 1.4

  After the death of Saul for feare of the Phili∣stines.
• (e) 1.5

  Fa••ng them selues to be m••r∣chauntes comming to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 wheate.
• “ 1.6

  Or, wi••∣dernesse.
• (f) 1.7

  The iudge∣ment of the wicked blin∣ded with am∣bition and co∣uetousnes, dif∣ferreth farre from the iud∣gement of the godly. That which the one iudgeth wor∣thy thankes and rewarde•• the other iud∣geth worthy death.