David's Kindness to Mephibosheth

¹And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may ishow him kindness for Jonathan's sake?” ²Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was jZiba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” ³And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show kthe kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of lJonathan; he is crippled in his feet.” ⁴The king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of mMachir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.” ⁵Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. ⁶And nMephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.” ⁷And David said to him, “Do not fear, ifor I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and oyou shall eat at my table always.” ⁸And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for pa dead dog such as I?”

⁹Then the king called Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master's grandson. ¹⁰And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master's grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master's grandson oshall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had qfifteen sons and twenty servants. ¹¹Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.” So Mephibosheth oate at David's1 table, like one of the king's sons. ¹²And Mephibosheth had a young son, rwhose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba's house became Mephibosheth's servants. ¹³So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for ohe ate always at the king's table. Now lhe was lame in both his feet.

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