David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth
1 Now David said, “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I mayshow him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
2 Andtherewasa servant of the house of Saul whose namewasZiba. So when they had called him to David, the king said to him, “Areyou Ziba?”
He said, “At your service!”
3 Then the king said, “Isthere not still someone of the house of Saul, to whom I may showthe kindness of God?”
# And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathanwhoislame inhisfeet.”
4 So the king said to him, “Whereishe?”
# And Ziba said to the king, “Indeed heisin the house ofMachir the son of Ammiel, in Lo Debar.”
5 Then King David sent and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo Debar.
6 Now whenMephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on his face and prostrated himself. Then David said, “Mephibosheth?”
And he answered, “Here is your servant!”
7 So David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.”
8 Then he bowed himself, and said, “Whatisyour servant, that you should look upon sucha dead dog as I?”
9 And the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him,“I have given to your master’s son all that belonged to Saul and to all his house.
10 You therefore, and your sons and your servants, shall work the land for him, and you shall bring intheharvest,that your master’s son may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s sonshall eat bread at my table always.” Now Ziba hadfifteen sons and twenty servants.
11 Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so will your servant do.”
“As for Mephibosheth,”saidtheking,“he shall eat at my table like one of the king’s sons.”
12 Mephibosheth had a young sonwhose namewasMicha. And all who dwelt in the house of Zibawereservants of Mephibosheth.
13 So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem,for he ate continually at the king’s table. And hewas lame in both his feet.