2 Samuel 9

Modern English Version

David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth

9 David said, “Is there still anyone left from the house of Saul to whom I may show kindness on behalf of Jonathan?”

² Now there was a servant from the house of Saul whose name was Ziba. So they summoned him to David. The king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”

He replied, “I am your servant.”

³ The king said, “Is there no one else from the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?”

Ziba responded to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is crippled in both feet.”

⁴ The king said to him, “Where is he?”

Ziba told the king, “He is at the house of Makir the son of Ammiel at Lo Debar.”

⁵ So King David sent for and brought him from the house of Makir the son of Ammiel, from Lo Debar.

⁶ Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan the son of Saul came to David and fell upon his face and bowed down. Then David said, “Mephibosheth,” and he responded, “I am your servant.”

⁷ David said to him, “Do not be afraid, for I will certainly show you kindness on account of Jonathan, your father. I will return to you every field of Saul, your father, and you will eat at my table perpetually.”

⁸ He bowed low and said, “What is your servant that you should be concerned for a dead dog like me?”

⁹ The king summoned Ziba the servant of Saul, and he said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house, I have given to the son of your master. ¹⁰ You will work the ground for him—you, your sons, and your servants. You will bring in the produce so that the son of your master will have food to eat; but Mephibosheth, the son of your master, will always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

¹¹ Ziba said to the king, “Everything that my lord the king has commanded his servant, your servant will do.” So Mephibosheth ate at the table of David like one of the sons of the king.

¹² Now Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mika, and all who dwelled in the house of Ziba were servants to Mephibosheth. ¹³ So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he ate continually at the table of the king. Now he was lame in both of his feet.