The Lord Reigns
1 xThe Lord reigns, ylet the earth rejoice;
let the many zcoastlands be glad!
2 aClouds and thick darkness are all around him;
brighteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 cFire goes before him
and burns up his adversaries all around.
4 His dlightnings light up the world;
the earth sees and etrembles.
5 The mountains fmelt like gwax before the Lord,
before hthe Lord of all the earth.
6 iThe heavens proclaim his righteousness,
and all jthe peoples see his glory.
7 All worshipers of images are kput to shame,
who make their boast in lworthless idols;
mworship him, all you gods!
8 Zion hears and nis glad,
and the daughters of Judah rejoice,
because of your judgments, O Lord.
9 For you, O Lord, are omost high over all the earth;
you are exalted far above pall gods.
10 O you who love the Lord, qhate evil!
He rpreserves the lives of his ssaints;
he tdelivers them from the hand of the wicked.
11 uLight vis sown1 for the righteous,
and joy for the upright in heart.
12 wRejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,
and xgive thanks to his holy name!
Ish-bosheth Murdered
1 When Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, heard that Abner had died at Hebron, fhis courage failed, and all Israel was dismayed. 2 Now 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 (gfor Beeroth also is counted part of Benjamin; 3 hthe Beerothites fled ito Gittaim and have been sojourners there to this day).
4 jJonathan, 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 kcame 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.
5 Now 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. 6 And they came into the midst of the house as if to get wheat, and they stabbed him lin the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.1 7 When 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 mthe Arabah all night, 8 and 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, nwho sought your life. The Lord has avenged my lord the king this day on Saul and on his offspring.” 9 But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, o“As the Lord lives, pwho has redeemed my life out of every adversity, 10 qwhen one told me, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, rI seized him and killed him at Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news. 11 How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now srequire his blood at your hand and destroy you from the earth?” 12 And 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 tin the tomb of Abner at Hebron.
