2 Samuel 9

David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth

1David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 2Now there was a servant of the house of Saul named Ziba, and he was summoned to David. The king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” He said, “I am your servant.” 3The king said, “Is there no one left of the house of Saul that I may show him the kindness of God?” Ziba said to the king, “Jonathan still has a son who is crippled in his feet.” 4The king said to him, “Where is he?” Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar.” 5So King David sent and had him brought from the house of Machir son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar. 6When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David, he fell on his face and bowed down. David said, “Mephibosheth.” He said, “Here is your servant.” 7David said to him, “Don’t be afraid, for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the fields of your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.” 8He bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?” 9The king summoned Ziba, Saul’s attendant, and said to him, “Everything that belonged to Saul and his whole house I have given to your master’s grandson. 10You and your sons and your servants will farm the land for him and bring in the harvest, so that your master’s grandson will have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, will always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. 11Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do everything my lord the king commands his servant.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s own sons. 12Mephibosheth had a young son named Micha, and everyone living in Ziba’s household became Mephibosheth’s servants. 13So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table, even though he was lame in both feet.