2 Samuel 9

David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth

9David asked, “Is there anyone remaining from Saul’s family I can show kindness ^ato because of Jonathan?” ^b2There was a servant of Saul’s family named Ziba. ^cThey summoned him to David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”

“I am your servant,” he replied.

³So the king asked, “Is there anyone left of Saul’s family that I can show the kindness of God to?”

Ziba said to the king, “There is still Jonathan’s son who was injured in both feet.” ^d

⁴The king asked him, “Where is he?”

Ziba answered the king, “You’ll find him in Lo-debar at the house of Machir son of Ammiel.” ⁵So King David had him brought from the house of Machir son of Ammiel in Lo-debar.

⁶Mephibosheth son of Jonathan son of Saul came to David, bowed down to the ground and paid homage. David said, “Mephibosheth!”

“I am your servant,” he replied.

⁷“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “since I intend to show you kindness because of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all your grandfather Saul’s fields, and you will always eat meals at my table.” ^e

⁸Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant that you take an interest in a dead dog ^flike me?”

⁹Then the king summoned Saul’s attendant Ziba and said to him, “I have given to your master’s grandson all that belonged to Saul and his family. ¹⁰You, your sons, and your servants are to work the ground for him, and you are to bring in the crops so your master’s grandson will have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, is always to eat at my table.” Now Ziba had 15 sons and 20 servants.

¹¹Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do all my lord the king commands.”

So Mephibosheth ate at David’s ^gtable just like one of the king’s sons. ¹²Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. ^hAll those living in Ziba’s house were Mephibosheth’s servants. ¹³However, Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem because he always ate at the king’s table. His feet had been injured.