2 Samuel 9

¹David said, 'Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?'

²Now to the house of Saul there was a servant whose name was Ziba, and they summoned him to David. And the king said to him, "Are you Ziba?" And he said, "Your servant."

³The king said, 'Is there not still a man of the house of Saul, that I may show him the kindness of God?' Ziba said to the king, 'There is still a son of Jonathan; he 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.'

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

⁶Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and bowed down. David said, 'Mephibosheth!' He said, 'Here is your servant.'

⁷David said to him, 'Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of Jonathan your father, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.'

⁸He bowed down and said, 'What is your servant, that you should look upon a dead dog such as I?'

⁹Then the king called to Ziba, the servant of Saul, and said to him, "Everything that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to the son of your master."

¹⁰You shall work the land for him, you and your sons and your servants, and you shall bring in the produce, that it may be food for the son of your master; and Mephibosheth, son of your master, shall always eat at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

¹¹Ziba said to the king, 'Just as my lord the king commands his servant, so your servant will do.' Mephibosheth ate at my table like one of the king's sons.

¹²Now Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica, and all those who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants to Mephibosheth.

¹³Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king's table; and he was lame in both his feet.