2 Samuel 9  New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition

David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth

9 David asked, ‘Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul to whom I may show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?’ ² Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and he was summoned to David. The king said to him, ‘Are you Ziba?’ And he said, ‘At your service!’ ³ The king said, ‘Is there anyone remaining of the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?’ Ziba said to the king, ‘There remains a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.’ ⁴ The king said to him, ‘Where is he?’ Ziba said to the king, ‘He is in the house of Machir son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.’ ⁵ Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. ⁶ Mephibosheth^[a] son of Jonathan son of Saul came to David, and fell on his face and did obeisance. David said, ‘Mephibosheth!’^[b] He answered, ‘I am your servant.’ ⁷ David said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan; I will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul, and you yourself shall eat at my table always.’ ⁸ He did obeisance and said, ‘What is your servant, that you should look upon a dead dog such as I am?’

⁹ Then the king summoned Saul’s servant Ziba, and said to him, ‘All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. ¹⁰ You and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him, and shall bring in the produce, so that your master’s grandson may have food to eat; but your master’s grandson Mephibosheth^[c] shall always eat at my table.’ Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. ¹¹ Then Ziba said to the king, ‘According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so your servant will do.’ Mephibosheth^[d] ate at David’s^[e] table, like one of the king’s sons. ¹² Mephibosheth^[f] had a young son whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba’s house became Mephibosheth’s^[g] servants. ¹³ Mephibosheth^[h] lived in Jerusalem, for he always ate at the king’s table. Now he was lame in both his feet.