2 Samuel 9

¹ And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness forBecause of my oath and promise made to Jonathan, (1Sa_20:15).Jonathan's sake?

² And there was of the housholde of Saul a seruant whose name was Ziba, & when they had called him vnto Dauid, the King sayd vnto him, Art thou Ziba? And he sayd, I thy seruant am he.

³ And the king said, [Is] there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew theSuch mercy as shall be acceptable to God.kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, [which is] lame on [his] feet.

⁴ Then the King said vnto him, Where is he? And Ziba said vnto the King, Behold, he is in the house of Machir ye sonne of Ammiel of Lo-debar.

⁵ Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son ofWho was also called Eliam the father of Bathsheba, David's wife.Ammiel, from Lodebar.

⁶ Nowe when Mephibosheth the sonne of Ionathan, the sonne of Saul was come vnto Dauid, he fel on his face, and did reuerence; Dauid sayde, Mephibosheth? And he answered, Beholde thy seruant.

⁷ Then Dauid sayd vnto him, Feare not: for I wil surely shewe thee kindnes for Ionathan thy fathers sake, and will restore thee all the fieldes of Saul thy father, and thou shalt eate bread at my table continually.

⁸ And he bowed himself, and said, What [is] thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon suchMeaning, a despised person.a dead dog as I [am]?

⁹ Then the king called Ziba Sauls seruant, & said vnto him, I haue giue vnto thy masters sonne all that perteined to Saul and to all his house.

¹⁰ Thou therefore, andBe ye provident overseers and governors of his lands, that they may be profitable.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.That Mephibosheth may have all things at commandment, as becomes a king's son.As for Mephibosheth, [said the king], he shall eat at my table, as one of the king's sons.

¹² Mephibosheth also had a yong sonne named Micha, and all that dwelled in the house of Ziba, were seruants vnto Mephibosheth.

¹³ And Mephibosheth dwelt in Ierusalem: for he did eate continually at the Kings table, & was lame on both his feete.