2 Samuel 9
New American Standard Bible
David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth
9 Then David said, “Is there [a]anyone still left of the house of Saul, (A)so that I could show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they summoned him to David; and the king said to him, “Are you (B)Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” 3 Then the king said, “Is there no one remaining of the house of Saul to whom I could show the (C)kindness of God?” And Ziba said to the king, “(D)There is still a son of Jonathan, one who is disabled in both feet.” 4 So the king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is (E)in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar.” 5 Then King David sent [b]messengers who brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar. 6 (F)Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, came to David and (G)fell on his face and prostrated himself. And David said, “Mephibosheth.” And he said, “Here is your servant!” 7 Then David said to him, “Do not be afraid, for (H)I will assuredly show kindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I (I)will restore to you all the [c]land of your [d]grandfather Saul; and (J)you yourself shall [e]eat at my table regularly.” 8 Again he prostrated himself, and said, “What is your servant, that you should be concerned about (K)a dead dog like me?”
9 Then the king summoned Saul’s servant Ziba and said to him, “(L)Everything that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s [f]grandson. 10 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 will have food [g]to eat; nevertheless (M)Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, (N)shall [h]eat at my table regularly.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. 11 Then Ziba said to the king, “In accordance (O)with everything that my lord the king commands his servant, so your servant will do.” So Mephibosheth ate at [i]David’s table as one of the king’s sons. 12 Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. And all who lived in the house of Ziba were servants to Mephibosheth. 13 So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because (P)he ate at the king’s table regularly. And (Q)he was disabled in his two feet.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 9:1 Lit he who is
- 2 Samuel 9:5 Lit and he brought
- 2 Samuel 9:7 Lit field
- 2 Samuel 9:7 Lit father
- 2 Samuel 9:7 Lit eat bread
- 2 Samuel 9:9 Lit son
- 2 Samuel 9:10 Lit and eat it
- 2 Samuel 9:10 Lit eat bread
- 2 Samuel 9:11 Lit my
2 Samuel 9
King James Version
9 And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake?
2 And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he.
3 And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet.
4 And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar.
5 Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar.
6 Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant!
7 And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.
8 And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?
9 Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master's son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house.
10 Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
11 Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king's sons.
12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth.
13 So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king's table; and was lame on both his feet.
2 Samuel 9
Living Bible
9 One day David began wondering if any of Saul’s family was still living, for he wanted to be kind to them, as he had promised Prince Jonathan. 2 He heard about a man named Ziba, who had been one of Saul’s servants, and summoned him.
“Are you Ziba?” the king asked.
“Yes, sir, I am,” he replied.
3 The king then asked him, “Is anyone left from Saul’s family? If so, I want to fulfill a sacred vow by being kind to him.”
“Yes,” Ziba replied, “Jonathan’s lame son is still alive.”
4 “Where is he?” the king asked.
“In Lo-debar,” Ziba told him. “At the home of Machir.”
5-6 So King David sent for Mephibosheth—Jonathan’s son and Saul’s grandson. Mephibosheth arrived in great fear and greeted the king in deep humility, bowing low before him.
7 But David said, “Don’t be afraid! I’ve asked you to come so that I can be kind to you because of my vow to your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul, and you shall live here at the palace!”
8 Mephibosheth fell to the ground before the king. “Should the king show kindness to a dead dog like me?” he exclaimed.
9 Then the king summoned Saul’s servant Ziba. “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family,” he said. 10-11 “You and your sons and servants are to farm the land for him, to produce food for his family; but he will live here with me.”
Ziba, who had fifteen sons and twenty servants, replied, “Sir, I will do all you have commanded.”
And from that time on, Mephibosheth ate regularly with King David, as though he were one of his own sons. 12 Mephibosheth had a young son, Mica. All the household of Ziba became Mephibosheth’s servants, 13 but Mephibosheth (who was lame in both feet) moved to Jerusalem to live at the palace.
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The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.