Ii Samuelis 4
1 Audivit autem Isboseth filius Saul quod cecidisset Abner in Hebron: et dissolutæ sunt manus eius, omnisque Israel perturbatus est.
When Saul’s son Ishbosheth heard that Abner had been killed at Hebron, [he realized that he might also be killed]. He became discouraged, and all the Israeli people (trembled/became afraid).
2 Duo autem viri principes latronum erant filio Saul, nomen uni Baana, et nomen alteri Rechab, filii Remmon Berothitæ de filiis Beniamin: siquidem et Beroth reputata est in Beniamin.
Ishbosheth had two officers who were leaders of groups that raided other villages. [They were brothers; ] their names were Baanah and Rechab, sons of Rimmon from Beeroth [town] in the tribe of Benjamin. Beeroth is in the area that had [been assigned to] the tribe of Benjamin.
3 et fugerunt Berothitæ in Gethaim, fueruntque ibi advenæ usque ad tempus illud.
But the people of Beeroth had fled to Gittaim [town], and they still live there.
4 Erat autem Ionathæ filio Saul filius debilis pedibus: quinquennis enim fuit, quando venit nuncius de Saul et Ionatha ex Iezrahel. tollens itaque eum nutrix sua, fugit: cumque festinaret ut fugeret, cecidit, et claudus effectus est: habuitque vocabulum Miphiboseth.
Saul’s son Jonathan had a son named Mephibosheth. When Mephibosheth was five years old, Saul and Jonathan died in the battle. When people brought that news from Jezreel, Mephibosheth’s nursemaid picked him up and ran away. She ran very fast, with the result that she dropped him, and his legs became crippled.
5 Venientes igitur filii Remmon Berothitæ, Rechab et Baana, ingressi sunt fervente die domum Isboseth: qui dormiebat super stratum suum meridie. Et ostiaria domus purgans triticum, obdormivit.
One day, Rechab and Baanah left [their home] to go to Ishbosheth’s house. They arrived there about noontime, when Ishbosheth was taking his midday nap.
6 Ingressi sunt autem domum latenter assumentes spicas tritici, et percusserunt eum in inguine Rechab et Baana frater eius, et fugerunt.
The woman who was the doorkeeper was sifting wheat. While doing that, she became sleepy, and fell asleep. So Rechab and his brother Baanah were able to creep in quietly.
7 Cum autem ingressi fuissent domum, ille dormiebat super lectum suum in conclavi, et percutientes interfecerunt eum: sublatoque capite eius, abierunt per viam deserti tota nocte,
They entered Ishbosheth’s bedroom, where he was sleeping. They killed him [with their swords] and cut off his head. They carried his head and walked all night through the Jordan [River] Valley.
8 et attulerunt caput Isboseth ad David in Hebron: dixeruntque ad regem: Ecce caput Isboseth filii Saul inimici tui, qui quærebat animam tuam: et dedit Dominus domino meo regi ultionem hodie de Saul, et de semine eius.
They took the head of Ishbosheth to David at Hebron. They said to him, “Here is the head of Ishbosheth, the son of your enemy Saul, who tried to kill you. Your majesty, today Yahweh has allowed you to get revenge on Saul and his descendants!”
9 Respondens autem David Rechab, et Baana fratri eius, filiis Remmon Berothitæ, dixit ad eos: Vivit Dominus, qui eruit animam meam de omni angustia,
But David replied to them, “Yahweh is the one who has rescued me from all my troubles. And just as surely as Yahweh lives, what I am now saying is also true.
10 quoniam eum, qui annunciaverat mihi, et dixerat: Mortuus est Saul: qui putabat se prospera nunciare, tenui, et occidi eum in Siceleg, cui oportebat mercedem dare pro nuncio.
When a messenger came to Ziklag and told me ‘Saul is dead!’ and he thought that the news that he was bringing to me was good news, I seized him and [commanded one of my soldiers to] kill him. That was the reward I gave to him for his news!
11 Quanto magis nunc cum homines impii interfecerunt virum innoxium in domo sua, super lectum suum, non quæram sanguinem eius de manu vestra, et auferam vos de terra?
So because you two evil men murdered a man who is (innocent/has done nothing wrong) when he was sleeping on his bed in his own house, I will do something worse to you. I will surely [RHQ] get revenge on you two for murdering [MTY] him, and (wipe you/cause you to disappear) from the earth!”
12 Præcepit itaque David pueris suis, et interfecerunt eos: præcidentesque manus et pedes eorum, suspenderunt eos super piscinam in Hebron: caput autem Isboseth tulerunt, et sepelierunt in sepulchro Abner in Hebron.
Then, following David’s orders, his soldiers killed the two men, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hung their bodies (OR, their hands and feet) [on a pole] near the pool at Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it [respectfully] in the tomb of Abner, there at Hebron.
