2 Samuel 9

1 And David said, “Do you think that there could be anyone left from the house of Saul, so that I might show mercy to him because of Jonathan?”

One day David asked, “Is there anyone who is a descendant of Saul to whom I can be kind?” He asked this because he wanted to honor Jonathan.

2 Now there was, from the house of Saul, a servant named Ziba. And when the king had called him to himself, he said to him, “Are you not Ziba?” And he responded, “I am your servant.”

[They told him that] there was [in Jerusalem] a man named Ziba who had been a servant of Saul’s family. So [David sent messengers to summon Ziba. When he arrived], the king asked him, “Are you Ziba?” He replied, “Yes, your majesty, I am.”

3 And the king said, “Could there be anyone alive from the house of Saul, so that I may show the mercy of God to him?” And Ziba said to the king, “There is left alive a son of Jonathan, with disabled feet.”

The king asked him, “Is there anyone in Saul’s family to whom I can be kind, [as I promised Jonathan that I would do]?” Ziba replied, “Yes, there is one son of Jonathan who is still [alive]. His feet are crippled.”

4 “Where is he?” he said. And Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar.”

The king asked him, “Where is he?” Ziba replied, “He is [living] in the house of Machir, son of Ammiel, in Lo-Debar [city east of the Jordan River].”

5 Therefore, king David sent and brought him from the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar.

So King David sent [messengers] to bring Mephibosheth [to Jerusalem].

6 And when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell upon his face, and he reverenced. And David said, “Mephibosheth?” And he responded, “Your servant is here.”

When Mephibosheth came to David, he knelt down with his face on the ground, to show respect. Then David said, “Mephibosheth!” He replied, “Yes, your majesty, how may I serve you?”

7 And David said to him: “Do not be afraid. For I will certainly show mercy to you because of your father Jonathan. And I will restore to you all the fields of your father Saul. And you shall eat bread at my table always.”

David said to him, “Do not be afraid; I will be kind to you because Jonathan your father [was my loyal friend]. I will give back to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul. And [I want] you to always eat with me at my house [MTY].”

8 And reverencing him, he said, “Who am I, your servant, that you should look with favor upon a dead dog like me?”

Mephibosheth bowed [in front of David again] and said, “Sir, I am [as worthless as] [MET] a dead dog; I do not deserve [RHQ] that you be kind to me!”

9 And so, the king called Ziba, the servant of Saul, and he said to him: “Everything whatsoever that belonged to Saul, and his entire house, I have given to the son of your lord.

Then the king summoned Saul’s servant Ziba and said to him, “Saul was your master; now I am giving to Mephibosheth everything that belonged to Saul and his family.

10 And so, work the land for him, you and your sons and your servants. And you shall bring in food for the son of your lord, for nourishment. And Mephibosheth, the son of your lord, shall always eat bread at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

You and your 15 sons and your 20 servants must till/plow the land for Mephibosheth’s [family], and [plant crops] and harvest them, in order that they will have food to eat. But Mephibosheth will eat food with me at my house.”

11 And Ziba said to the king: “Just as my lord has ordered your servant, so will your servant do. And Mephibosheth shall eat at my table, like one of the sons of the king.”

Ziba replied to the king, “Your majesty, I will do everything that you have commanded me to do.” So [after that], Mephibosheth always ate at the king’s table, as though he were one of the king’s sons.

12 Now Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. Truly, all the kindred of the house of Ziba served Mephibosheth.

Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica. All of Ziba’s family became servants of Mephibosheth.

13 But Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem. For he was fed always from the table of the king. And he was lame in both feet.

And Mephibosheth, who was still crippled in both of his feet, started to live in Jerusalem, and he always ate (at the king’s table/with the king).