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2 Samuel 9
Common English Bible
2 Samuel 9
Common English Bible
David and Mephibosheth
9 David asked, “Is there anyone from Saul’s family still alive that I could show faithful love for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 There was a servant from Saul’s household named Ziba, and he was summoned before David.
“Are you Ziba?” the king asked him.
“At your service!” he answered.
3 The king asked, “Is there anyone left from Saul’s family that I could show God’s kindness to?”
“Yes,” Ziba said to the king, “one of Jonathan’s sons, whose feet are crippled.”
4 “Where is he?” the king asked.
“He is at the house of Ammiel’s son Machir at Lo-debar,” Ziba told the king.
5 So King David had him brought from the house of Ammiel’s son Machir at Lo-debar. 6 Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son and Saul’s grandson, came to David, and he fell to the ground, bowing low out of respect.
“Mephibosheth?” David said.
“Yes,” he replied. “I am at your service!”
7 “Don’t be afraid,” David told him, “because I will certainly show you faithful love for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the fields of your grandfather Saul, and you will eat at my table always.”
8 Mephibosheth bowed low out of respect and said, “Who am I, your servant, that you should care about a dead dog like me?”
9 Then David summoned Saul’s servant Ziba and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything belonging to Saul and his family. 10 You will work the land for him—you, your sons, and your servants—and you will bring food into your master’s house for them to eat.[a] But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, will always be at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)
11 Then Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do whatever my master the king commands.”
So Mephibosheth ate at David’s[b] table, like one of the king’s own sons. 12 Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica. All who lived in Ziba’s household became Mephibosheth’s servants. 13 Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table. He was crippled in both feet.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 9:10 LXXL; MT You will bring food for your master’s son and he will eat it.
- 2 Samuel 9:11 LXX; MT my
2 Samuel 9
New International Version
2 Samuel 9
New International Version
David and Mephibosheth
9 David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”(A)
2 Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba.(B) They summoned him to appear before David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”
“At your service,” he replied.
3 The king asked, “Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?”
Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan;(C) he is lame(D) in both feet.”
4 “Where is he?” the king asked.
Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir(E) son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”
5 So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel.
6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor.(F)
David said, “Mephibosheth!”
“At your service,” he replied.
7 “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan.(G) I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.(H)”
8 Mephibosheth(I) bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog(J) like me?”
9 Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s steward, and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. 10 You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master’s grandson(K) may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)
11 Then Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s[a] table like one of the king’s sons.(L)
12 Mephibosheth had a young son named Mika, and all the members of Ziba’s household were servants of Mephibosheth.(M) 13 And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table; he was lame in both feet.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 9:11 Septuagint; Hebrew my
Common English Bible (CEB)
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
New International Version (NIV) 
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