< 2 Samuel 9 >

1 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.
וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד הֲכִי יֶשׁ־עוֹד אֲשֶׁר נוֹתַר לְבֵית שָׁאוּל וְאֶעֱשֶׂה עִמּוֹ חֶסֶד בַּעֲבוּר יְהוֹנָתָֽן׃
2 [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.”
וּלְבֵית שָׁאוּל עֶבֶד וּשְׁמוֹ צִיבָא וַיִּקְרְאוּ־לוֹ אֶל־דָּוִד וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵלָיו הַאַתָּה צִיבָא וַיֹּאמֶר עַבְדֶּֽךָ׃
3 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.”
וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ הַאֶפֶס עוֹד אִישׁ לְבֵית שָׁאוּל וְאֶעֱשֶׂה עִמּוֹ חֶסֶד אֱלֹהִים וַיֹּאמֶר צִיבָא אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ עוֹד בֵּן לִיהוֹנָתָן נְכֵה רַגְלָֽיִם׃
4 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].”
וַיֹּֽאמֶר־לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵיפֹה הוּא וַיֹּאמֶר צִיבָא אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ הִנֵּה־הוּא בֵּית מָכִיר בֶּן־עַמִּיאֵל בְּלוֹ דְבָֽר׃
5 So King David sent [messengers] to bring Mephibosheth [to Jerusalem].
וַיִּשְׁלַח הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד וַיִּקָּחֵהוּ מִבֵּית מָכִיר בֶּן־עַמִּיאֵל מִלּוֹ דְבָֽר׃
6 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?”
וַיָּבֹא מְפִיבֹשֶׁת בֶּן־יְהוֹנָתָן בֶּן־שָׁאוּל אֶל־דָּוִד וַיִּפֹּל עַל־פָּנָיו וַיִּשְׁתָּחוּ וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד מְפִיבֹשֶׁת וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה עַבְדֶּֽךָ׃
7 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].”
וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ דָוִד אַל־תִּירָא כִּי עָשֹׂה אֶעֱשֶׂה עִמְּךָ חֶסֶד בַּֽעֲבוּר יְהוֹנָתָן אָבִיךָ וַהֲשִׁבֹתִי לְךָ אֶֽת־כׇּל־שְׂדֵה שָׁאוּל אָבִיךָ וְאַתָּה תֹּאכַל לֶחֶם עַל־שֻׁלְחָנִי תָּמִֽיד׃
8 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!”
וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ וַיֹּאמֶר מֶה עַבְדֶּךָ כִּי פָנִיתָ אֶל־הַכֶּלֶב הַמֵּת אֲשֶׁר כָּמֽוֹנִי׃
9 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.
וַיִּקְרָא הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל־צִיבָא נַעַר שָׁאוּל וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו כֹּל אֲשֶׁר הָיָה לְשָׁאוּל וּלְכׇל־בֵּיתוֹ נָתַתִּי לְבֶן־אֲדֹנֶֽיךָ׃
10 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.”
וְעָבַדְתָּ לּוֹ אֶֽת־הָאֲדָמָה אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ וַעֲבָדֶיךָ וְהֵבֵאתָ וְהָיָה לְבֶן־אֲדֹנֶיךָ לֶּחֶם וַאֲכָלוֹ וּמְפִיבֹשֶׁת בֶּן־אֲדֹנֶיךָ יֹאכַל תָּמִיד לֶחֶם עַל־שֻׁלְחָנִי וּלְצִיבָא חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר בָּנִים וְעֶשְׂרִים עֲבָדִֽים׃
11 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.
וַיֹּאמֶר צִיבָא אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר יְצַוֶּה אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת־עַבְדּוֹ כֵּן יַעֲשֶׂה עַבְדֶּךָ וּמְפִיבֹשֶׁת אֹכֵל עַל־שֻׁלְחָנִי כְּאַחַד מִבְּנֵי הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃
12 Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica. All of Ziba’s family became servants of Mephibosheth.
וְלִמְפִיבֹשֶׁת בֵּן־קָטָן וּשְׁמוֹ מִיכָא וְכֹל מוֹשַׁב בֵּית־צִיבָא עֲבָדִים לִמְפִיבֹֽשֶׁת׃
13 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).
וּמְפִיבֹשֶׁת יֹשֵׁב בִּירוּשָׁלַ͏ִם כִּי עַל־שֻׁלְחַן הַמֶּלֶךְ תָּמִיד הוּא אֹכֵל וְהוּא פִסֵּחַ שְׁתֵּי רַגְלָֽיו׃

< 2 Samuel 9 >