2 ശമൂവേൽ 4
1 അബ്നേർ ഹെബ്രോനിൽവെച്ചു മരിച്ചെന്നു കേട്ടപ്പോൾ ശൗലിന്റെ മകനായ ഈശ്-ബോശെത്തിനു ധൈര്യം നഷ്ടപ്പെട്ടു; ഇസ്രായേല്യരെല്ലാം സ്തബ്ധരായിപ്പോയി.
౧హెబ్రోనులో అబ్నేరు చనిపోయాడన్న సంగతి విన్న సౌలు కుమారుడు భయపడ్డాడు. ఇశ్రాయేలు వారందరికీ ఏమీ పాలు పోలేదు.
2 ശൗലിന്റെ മകന് കവർച്ചപ്പടയുടെ നായകന്മാരായ രണ്ടു പുരുഷന്മാരുണ്ടായിരുന്നു. ഒരുവന് ബാന എന്നും മറ്റവന് രേഖാബ് എന്നും പേരായിരുന്നു; അവർ ബെന്യാമീൻഗോത്രത്തിൽനിന്നുള്ള ബെരോത്യനായ രിമ്മോന്റെ പുത്രന്മാരായിരുന്നു. ബെരോത്തും ബെന്യാമീന്റെ ഭാഗമായി കണക്കാക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.
౨అయితే సౌలు కుమారుడి దగ్గర ఇద్దరు సైన్యాధికారులు ఉన్నారు. ఒకడి పేరు బయనా, రెండవవాడి పేరు రేకాబు. వీరిద్దరూ బెన్యామీను గోత్రానికి చెందిన బెయేరోతు నివాసి అయిన రిమ్మోను కొడుకులు. బెయేరోతు బెన్యామీనీయుల దేశంలో చేరిన ప్రాంతం.
3 ബെരോത്തിലെ ജനം ഗിത്ഥായീമിലേക്കു പലായനംചെയ്തു. അവർ ഇന്നുവരെയും അവിടെ പ്രവാസികളായി താമസിക്കുന്നു.
౩అయితే బెయేరోతీయులు గిత్తయీముకు పారిపోయి ఇప్పటి వరకూ అక్కడే కాపురం ఉన్నారు.
4 (ശൗലിന്റെ മകനായ യോനാഥാന് രണ്ടു കാലും മുടന്തായ ഒരു മകനുണ്ടായിരുന്നു. യെസ്രീലിൽനിന്നും ശൗലിനെയും യോനാഥാനെയുംപറ്റിയുള്ള വാർത്തയെത്തുമ്പോൾ അവന് അഞ്ചുവയസ്സായിരുന്നു. അവന്റെ പോറ്റമ്മ അവനെയും എടുത്തുകൊണ്ടു പലായനംചെയ്തു. രക്ഷപ്പെടുന്നതിനുവേണ്ടി തിടുക്കത്തിൽ ഓടവേ ബാലൻ നിലത്തുവീണു മുടന്തനായിത്തീർന്നു. അവന്റെ പേര് മെഫീബോശെത്ത് എന്നായിരുന്നു.)
౪సౌలు కుమారుడు యోనాతానుకు కుంటివాడైన ఒక కొడుకు ఉన్నాడు. యెజ్రెయేలు నుండి సౌలు గురించీ యోనాతాను గురించీ సమాచారం వచ్చినప్పుడు అతడు ఐదేళ్ళ బాలుడు. అతని ఆయా అతణ్ణి ఎత్తుకుని వేగంగా పరుగెత్తినప్పుడు అతడు కింద పడిపోయి కుంటివాడయ్యాడు. అతడి పేరు మెఫీబోషెతు.
5 ബെരോത്യനായ രിമ്മോന്റെ മക്കൾ രേഖാബും ബാനയും ഈശ്-ബോശെത്തിന്റെ വീട്ടിലേക്കു പുറപ്പെട്ടു. വെയിലിന് ചൂടുകൂടിയിരുന്ന സമയത്ത് അവർ അവിടെയെത്തി. അപ്പോൾ ഈശ്-ബോശെത്ത് മധ്യാഹ്ന വിശ്രമത്തിലായിരുന്നു.
౫రిమ్మోను కొడుకులు రేకాబు, బయనా ఇద్దరూ మధ్యాహ్న సమయంలో బాగా ఎండగా ఉన్నప్పుడు బయలుదేరి ఇష్బోషెతు మంచంపై పడుకుని నిద్రపోతున్నప్పుడు అతని ఇంటికి వెళ్లారు.
6 അൽപ്പം ഗോതമ്പ് എടുക്കാനെന്നുള്ള ഭാവേന അവർ വീടിനകത്തുകടന്നു, അവർ അദ്ദേഹത്തെ വയറ്റത്തു കുത്തി കൊലപ്പെടുത്തി. അതിനുശേഷം രേഖാബും അയാളുടെ സഹോദരൻ ബാനയും ഓടിയൊളിക്കുകയും ചെയ്തു.
౬గోదుమలు తీసుకువచ్చేవారి వేషం వేసుకుని ఇంట్లోకి వెళ్లి, ఇష్బోషెతు పడక గదిలో మంచంపై నిద్రపోతూ ఉన్నప్పుడు అతణ్ణి కడుపులో పొడిచి చంపివేసి, అతని తల నరికి దాన్ని తీసుకుని తప్పించుకుని పారిపోయారు.
7 ശയനഗൃഹത്തിൽ, ഈശ്-ബോശെത്ത് തന്റെ കിടക്കയിൽ കിടക്കുമ്പോഴായിരുന്നു അവർ അകത്തുകടന്നത്. അവർ അദ്ദേഹത്തെ കുത്തിക്കൊലപ്പെടുത്തിയതിനുശേഷം അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ തല വെട്ടിയെടുത്തു. അതുംകൊണ്ടായിരുന്നു അവർ രാത്രിമുഴുവൻ അരാബാ വഴിയായി യാത്രചെയ്തത്.
౭రాత్రి అంతా ఎడారి గుండా పరుగెత్తి హెబ్రోనులో ఉన్న దావీదు దగ్గరికి ఇష్బోషెతు తల తీసుకువచ్చారు. వారు “దయచేసి విను.
8 അവർ ഈശ്-ബോശെത്തിന്റെ തല ഹെബ്രോനിൽ ദാവീദിന്റെ മുമ്പാകെ കൊണ്ടുവന്നിട്ടു പറഞ്ഞു: “ശൗലിന്റെ പുത്രൻ ഈശ്-ബോശെത്തിന്റെ—അങ്ങയുടെ ശത്രുവിന്റെ—തല ഇതാ, അദ്ദേഹം അങ്ങയുടെ ജീവൻ അപഹരിക്കാൻ ശ്രമിച്ചു. ഇന്നു യഹോവ എന്റെ യജമാനനായ രാജാവിനുവേണ്ടി ശൗലിനോടും അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ സന്തതിയോടും പ്രതികാരം ചെയ്തിരിക്കുന്നു.”
౮నీ ప్రాణం తీయాలని చూసిన సౌలు కొడుకు ఇష్బోషెతు తలను మేము తీసుకువచ్చాం. మా యజమాని, రాజువైన నీ తరపున సౌలుకు, అతని సంతానానికి ఈ రోజున యెహోవా ప్రతీకారం చేశాడు” అని చెప్పారు.
9 ബെരോത്യനായ രിമ്മോന്റെ മകൻ രേഖാബിനോടും അയാളുടെ സഹോദരൻ ബാനയോടും ദാവീദ് മറുപടി പറഞ്ഞു: “എന്നെ സകലകഷ്ടങ്ങളിൽനിന്നും വിടുവിച്ച യഹോവയാണെ,
౯అప్పుడు దావీదు బెయేరోతీ నివాసి అయిన రిమ్మోను కొడుకులు రేకాబు, బయనాలతో ఇలా చెప్పాడు,
10 താൻ ശുഭവർത്തമാനം കൊണ്ടുവരുന്നു എന്നു ധരിച്ച് ഒരുവൻ എന്റെ അടുക്കലെത്തി ‘ശൗൽ മരിച്ചു,’ എന്ന് അറിയിച്ചപ്പോൾ, സിക്ലാഗിൽവെച്ച്, ഞാൻ അയാളെ പിടിച്ച് മരണത്തിനേൽപ്പിച്ചു. അയാൾ കൊണ്ടുവന്ന വാർത്തയ്ക്കു ഞാൻ നൽകിയ പ്രതിഫലം അതായിരുന്നു!
౧౦“మంచి కబురు తెస్తున్నానని భావించి ఒకడు వచ్చి సౌలు చనిపోయాడని తెలియజేశాడు.
11 അങ്ങനെയിരിക്കെ ദുഷ്ടന്മാർ ഒരു നിരപരാധിയായ മനുഷ്യനെ അവന്റെ സ്വന്തം വീട്ടിൽവെച്ച്, അവന്റെ സ്വന്തം കിടക്കയിൽ കൊലചെയ്താൽ ഞാനതിനുകൊടുക്കുന്ന പ്രതിഫലം എത്രയോ അധികമായിരിക്കും! അയാളുടെ രക്തം ഞാൻ നിങ്ങളുടെ കൈയിൽനിന്ന് ചോദിക്കുകയില്ലേ? നിങ്ങളെ ഞാൻ ഭൂമിയിൽനിന്ന് നീക്കിക്കളയാതിരിക്കുമോ?”
౧౧వాడు తెచ్చిన కబురుకు బహుమానం ఏమిటంటే నేను వాణ్ణి పట్టుకుని సిక్లగులో చంపించాను. దుర్మార్గులైన మీరు ఇష్బోషెతు ఇంట్లోకి దూరి, ఏ దోషమూ లేని అతణ్ణి మంచంపైనే చంపినప్పుడు మీరు జరిపిన రక్తపాతానికి ప్రతిగా నేను మీకు శిక్ష విధించకుండా ఉంటానా? మిమ్మల్ని లోకంలో లేకుండా తుడిచి పెట్టకుండా ఉంటానా?
12 അങ്ങനെ ദാവീദ് തന്റെ പടയാളികൾക്കു കൽപ്പനകൊടുത്തു; അവർ അവരെ വധിച്ചു. അതിനുശേഷം പടയാളികൾ അവരുടെ കൈകാലുകൾ വെട്ടി ഉടലുകൾ ഹെബ്രോനിലെ കുളത്തിന്നരികെ തൂക്കിയിട്ടു. പിന്നീട് അവർ ഈശ്-ബോശെത്തിന്റെ ശിരസ്സെടുത്ത് ഹെബ്രോനിൽ അബ്നേരിന്റെ ശവകുടീരത്തിൽ സംസ്കരിച്ചു.
౧౨అన్ని విధాలైన ఆపదల నుండి నన్ను రక్షించిన యెహోవాపై ఒట్టు, తప్పకుండా శిక్షిస్తాను” అని చెప్పి, దావీదు తన మనుషులకు ఆజ్ఞ ఇచ్చాడు. వారు ఆ ఇద్దరినీ చంపి వారి చేతులు, కాళ్లను నరికివేసి, వారి శవాలను హెబ్రోను కొలను దగ్గర వేలాడదీశారు. తరువాత వారు ఇష్బోషెతు తలను తీసుకువెళ్లి హెబ్రోనులో అబ్నేరు సమాధిలో పాతిపెట్టారు.
