1Quando Isbosete soube da morte de Abner em Hebrom ficou cheio de medo e todo o povo de Israel ficou alarmado.2O comando das tropas israelitas recaiu agora sobre os dois irmãos Baaná e Recabe, que eram capitães do príncipe Isbosete, liderando as suas ações de guerrilha. Eram filhos de Rimom, originários de Beerote, povoação sob a jurisdição de Benjamim.3A população de Beerote é considerada benjamita, apesar de ter fugido para Gitaim, onde agora vive.4Havia um neto do rei Saul de nome Mefibosete, filho de Jónatas, que era aleijado dos pés. Tinha 5 anos na altura em que o pai e o avô morreram na batalha de Jezreel. Quando a notícia dessa derrota chegou à capital, a ama pegou na criança e fugiu, mas tropeçou e deixou-o cair, ficando assim aleijado.5Recabe e Baaná chegaram a casa de Isbosete certo dia. O Sol estava a pique e ele passava pelo sono.6Dirigiram-se à cozinha, como se fossem buscar um saco de trigo, mas entraram no quarto e assassinaram-no.7Cortaram-lhe a cabeça e fugiram com ela pelo caminho de Arabá[1], durante essa noite toda.8Foram apresentá-la a David em Hebrom: “Aqui tens a cabeça de Isbosete, o filho do teu inimigo Saul, que tentou matar-te. Hoje o SENHOR vingou-te de Saul e de toda a sua família!”9David respondeu: “Tão certo como vive o SENHOR que sempre me salvou dos meus inimigos!10Quando alguém me disse ‘Saul morreu’, pensando dar-me boas notícias, eu matei-o em Ziclague! Foi desta forma que recompensei as supostas boas notícias que me trazia.11Desta vez, com muito mais razão, farei o mesmo a esta gente malvada que matou um homem inocente, na sua própria casa, na sua cama! Não exigiria eu as vossas vidas?”12Então ordenou aos rapazes da sua guarda que os matassem. Eles obedeceram; cortaram-lhes os pés e penduraram os corpos junto ao poço em Hebrom. A cabeça de Isbosete enterraram-na no túmulo de Abner também em Hebrom.
1When Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, heard that Abner had died at Hebron, his courage failed, and all Israel was dismayed. (Ed 4:4; Is 13:7; Jr 6:24)2Now Saul’s son had two men who were captains of raiding bands; the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon a man of Benjamin from Beeroth (for Beeroth also is counted part of Benjamin; (Js 18:25)3the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have been sojourners there to this day). (1 Sm 31:7; Ne 11:33)4Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled, and as she fled in her haste, he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth. (1 Sm 29:1; 1 Sm 29:11; 2 Sm 9:3; 2 Sm 9:6)5Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out, and about the heat of the day they came to the house of Ish-bosheth as he was taking his noonday rest.6And they came into the midst of the house as if to get wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.[1] (2 Sm 2:23)7When they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him and put him to death and beheaded him. They took his head and went by the way of the Arabah all night, (Dt 1:1; 2 Sm 2:29)8and brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron. And they said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life. The Lord has avenged my lord the king this day on Saul and on his offspring.” (1 Sm 19:10; 1 Sm 23:15)9But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life out of every adversity, (Rt 3:13; 1 Rs 1:29)10when one told me, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him at Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news. (2 Sm 1:4; 2 Sm 1:15)11How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now require his blood at your hand and destroy you from the earth?” (Gn 9:5)12And David commanded his young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hanged them beside the pool at Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the tomb of Abner at Hebron. (2 Sm 3:32)