Ish-Bosheth Is Murdered
1Ish-Bosheth, the son of Saul, heard that Abner had died in Hebron. Then he wasn’t so brave anymore. And all the Israelites became alarmed. 2Two men in Ish-Bosheth’s army led small fighting groups that attacked their enemies. The names of the men were Baanah and Rekab. They were sons of Rimmon from the town of Beeroth. Rimmon was from the tribe of Benjamin. Beeroth is considered to be part of Benjamin. 3That’s because the people who used to live in Beeroth had run away to Gittaim. They have lived there as outsiders to this day.
4Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son named Mephibosheth. Both of Mephibosheth’s feet were hurt. He was five years old when the news that Saul and Jonathan had died came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and ran. But as she hurried to get away, he fell down. That’s how his feet were hurt.
5Rekab and Baanah started out for the house of Ish-Bosheth. They were the sons of Rimmon from Beeroth. They arrived there during the hottest time of the day. Ish-Bosheth was taking his early afternoon nap. 6Rekab and his brother Baanah went into the inside part of the house. They acted as if they were going to get some wheat. Instead, they stabbed Ish-Bosheth in the stomach. Then they slipped away.
7They had gone into the house while Ish-Bosheth was lying on his bed in his bedroom. They stabbed him and killed him. Then they cut off his head and took it with them. They traveled all night through the Arabah Valley. 8They brought the head of Ish-Bosheth to King David at Hebron. They said to him, “Here’s the head of Ish-Bosheth, the son of Saul. Saul was your enemy. He often tried to kill you. Today the Lord has paid back Saul and his family. He has let you get even with them. You are our king and master.”
9David gave an answer to Rekab and his brother Baanah. They were the sons of Rimmon from Beeroth. David said, “The Lord has saved me from every trouble. 10Someone once told me, ‘Saul is dead.’ He thought he was bringing me good news. But I grabbed him. I had him put to death in Ziklag. That’s the reward I gave him for his news! And that’s just as sure as the Lord is alive. 11Now you evil men have killed a man in his own house. He hadn’t done anything wrong. You killed him while he was lying on his own bed. You spilled his blood. So shouldn’t I spill your blood? Shouldn’t I wipe you off the face of the earth?”
12Then David gave an order to his men. They killed Rekab and Baanah. They cut off their hands and feet. They hung their bodies by the pool in Hebron. But they buried the head of Ish-Bosheth in Abner’s tomb at Hebron.
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イシュ・ボシェテ暗殺
1サウルの子イシュ・ボシェテは、アブネルがヘブロンで殺されたと聞くと、恐れのあまり気力を失い、彼の兵士もみな動揺しました。 2-3これに乗じてイスラエル軍の指揮をとったのは略奪隊を率いていたバアナとレカブの兄弟で、二人はベニヤミンのベエロテ出身のリモンの子でした。ベエロテの人々は、以前ギタイムに逃げて今もそこに住んでいますが、なおベニヤミン人とみなされていたのです。
4さて、亡きサウル王には、メフィボシェテという孫がいました。ヨナタンの息子で、足の不自由な子でした。サウルとヨナタンがイズレエルの戦いで倒れた時、彼は五歳でした。悲報が都にもたらされた際、乳母が彼を抱いて、あわてて逃げるうちにつまずいて倒れ、その子を落としてしまい、そのために彼は足が不自由になったのです。
5レカブとバアナはある昼下がり、イシュ・ボシェテの家を訪れました。王はちょうど昼寝の最中でした。 6-7二人は小麦の袋を取りに行くふりをして台所に近づき、こっそり王の寝室に忍び込んで、そこで王を殺し、首をはねました。彼らはその首をかかえて、一晩中、荒野をひた走りに走って、 8ついにヘブロンにたどり着き、ダビデに差し出したのです。「よくごらんください。あなたのおいのちをねらっていた敵、サウルの子イシュ・ボシェテの首です。今日、主はわが王のために、サウルとその全家族に復讐してくださったのです。」
9しかし、ダビデは答えました。「私をあらゆる敵から救い出してくださった神に誓って言う。 10前にも、私が喜ぶに違いないと思って、『サウルが死んだ』と告げに来た者がいたが、私はその者を手討ちにした。それが、その者の言う『吉報』とやらに報いる答えだった。 11まして、あの何の罪もない人を、家の中で、しかも寝床で殺すような不届き者を放ってはおけない。二人とも無事に帰れるとでも思っているのか。」
12ダビデは側近の若者たちに、二人を殺すよう命じました。その死体は手足を切り離され、ヘブロンの池のほとりで木につるされました。しかしイシュ・ボシェテの首は、ヘブロンにあるアブネルの墓に運ばれ、埋葬されました。
