2 Samuel 9

¹ David said, "Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show loyalty for Jonathan's sake?"

² Now there was a servant of Saul's house named Ziba. They summoned him to David, and the king said to him, "Are you Ziba?" He said, "Your servant."

³ The king said, "Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show the loyalty of God?" Ziba said to the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan — 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, in Lo-debar."

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

⁶ Mephibosheth son of Jonathan son of Saul came to David and fell on his face and prostrated himself. David said, "Mephibosheth!" And he said, "Here is your servant."

⁷ David said to him, "Do not be afraid, for I will certainly show you loyalty for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul, and you yourself will always eat at my table."

⁸ He prostrated himself and said, "What is your servant, that you should turn your attention to a dead dog like me?"

⁹ Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul's attendant, and said to him, "Everything 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 will work the land for him and bring in the produce, so that your master's grandson may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth your master's grandson will always eat at my table." Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

¹¹ Ziba said to the king, "Your servant will do everything that my lord the king commands his servant." So Mephibosheth ate at David's table like one of the king's sons.

¹² Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica. All who lived in Ziba's house were servants of Mephibosheth.

¹³ Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he always ate at the king's table. He was lame in both feet.