2 Samuel 9

CHAPTER 9

David’s Lovingkindness to Mephibosheth

¹Then David said, “Is there yet ¹anyone left of the house of Saul, ^athat I may show him lovingkindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

²Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David; and the king said to him, “Are you ^aZiba?” And he said, “I am your servant.”

³And the king said, “Is there not yet anyone of the house of Saul to whom I may show the ^alovingkindness of God?” And Ziba said to the king, “^bThere is still a son of Jonathan who is crippled in both feet.”

⁴So the king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is ^ain the house of Machir the son of Ammiel in Lo-debar.”

⁵Then King David sent and took him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.

^6aSo Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, came to David and ^bfell on his face and prostrated himself. And David said, “Mephibosheth.” And he said, “Here is your servant!”

⁷And David said to him, “Do not fear, for ^aI will surely show lovingkindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and ^bwill restore to you all the ¹land of your ²grandfather Saul; and ^cyou shall ³eat at my table continually.”

⁸So he prostrated himself and said, “What is your servant, that you should regard ^aa dead dog like me?”

⁹Then the king called Saul’s young man Ziba and said to him, “^aAll that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s ¹grandson.

¹⁰“And you and your sons and your servants shall cultivate the land for him, and you shall bring in the produce so that your master’s grandson may have food and eat of it; nevertheless ^aMephibosheth your master’s grandson ^bshall ¹eat at my table continually.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

¹¹Then Ziba said to the king, “According ^ato all that my lord the king commands his servant so your servant will do.” So Mephibosheth ate at ¹David’s table as one of the king’s sons.

¹²Now Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. And all who lived in the house of Ziba were servants to Mephibosheth.

¹³So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for ^ahe ate at the king’s table continually. Now ^bhe was lame in both feet.