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David Finds Mephibosheth

[a] Then David asked, “Is anyone still left from the family[b] of Saul, so that I may extend kindness to him for the sake of Jonathan?”

Now there was a servant from Saul’s house named Ziba, so he was summoned to David. The king asked him, “Are you Ziba?” He replied, “At your service.”[c] The king asked, “Is there not someone left from Saul’s family[d] that I may extend God’s kindness to him?” Ziba said to the king, “One of Jonathan’s sons is left; both of his feet are crippled.” The king asked him, “Where is he?” Ziba told the king, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”

So King David had him brought[e] from the house of Makir son of Ammiel in[f] Lo Debar. When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed low with his face toward the ground.[g] David said, “Mephibosheth?” He replied, “Yes, at your service.”[h]

David said to him, “Don’t be afraid, because I will certainly extend kindness to you for the sake of Jonathan your father. I will give back to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will be a regular guest at my table.”[i] Then Mephibosheth[j] bowed and said, “Of what importance am I, your servant, that you show regard for a dead dog like me?”[k]

Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s attendant, and said to him, “Everything that belonged to Saul and to his entire house I hereby give to your master’s grandson. 10 You will cultivate[l] the land for him—you and your sons and your servants. You will bring its produce[m] and it will be[n] food for your master’s grandson to eat.[o] But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, will be a regular guest 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 has instructed his servant to do.” So Mephibosheth was a regular guest[p] at David’s table,[q] just as though he were one of the king’s sons.

12 Now Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. All the members of Ziba’s household were Mephibosheth’s servants. 13 Mephibosheth was living in Jerusalem, for he was a regular guest at the king’s table. But both his feet were crippled.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 9:1 sn 2 Samuel 9-20 is known as the Succession Narrative. It is a literary unit that describes David’s efforts at consolidating his own kingdom following the demise of King Saul; it also provides the transition to subsequent leadership on the part of David’s successor Solomon.
  2. 2 Samuel 9:1 tn Heb “house.”
  3. 2 Samuel 9:2 tn Heb “your servant.”
  4. 2 Samuel 9:3 tn Heb “house.”
  5. 2 Samuel 9:5 tn Heb “sent and took him.”
  6. 2 Samuel 9:5 tn Heb “from.”
  7. 2 Samuel 9:6 tn Heb “he fell on his face and bowed down.”
  8. 2 Samuel 9:6 tn Heb “Look, your servant.”
  9. 2 Samuel 9:7 tn Heb “and you will eat food at my table continually.”
  10. 2 Samuel 9:8 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Mephibosheth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  11. 2 Samuel 9:8 tn Heb “What is your servant, that you turn to a dead dog which is like me?”
  12. 2 Samuel 9:10 tn Heb “work.”
  13. 2 Samuel 9:10 tn The Hebrew text implies, but does not actually contain, the words “its produce” here.
  14. 2 Samuel 9:10 tc The words “it will be,” though present in the MT, are absent from the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate.
  15. 2 Samuel 9:10 tn Heb “and he will eat it.”
  16. 2 Samuel 9:11 tn Heb “eating.”
  17. 2 Samuel 9:11 tc Heb “my table.” But the first person reference to David is awkward here since the quotation of David’s words has already been concluded in v. 10; nor does the “my” refer to Ziba, since the latter part of v. 11 does not seem to be part of Ziba’s response to the king. The ancient versions are not unanimous in the way that they render the phrase. The LXX has “the table of David” (τῆς τραπέζης Δαυιδ, tēs trapezēs Dauid); the Syriac Peshitta has “the table of the king” (patureh demalkaʾ); the Vulgate has “your table” (mensam tuam). The present translation follows the LXX.

大衛厚待米非波設

大衛問:“掃羅家還有剩下的人沒有?我要因約拿單的緣故,以慈愛待他。” 掃羅家有一個僕人,名叫洗巴。有人叫他來見大衛;王問他:“你是洗巴嗎?”他回答:“僕人正是。” 王又問:“掃羅家還有人沒有?我要以 神的慈愛待他。”洗巴回答王說:“還有約拿單的一個兒子,他雙腳殘廢了。” 王又問他說:“他在哪裡?”洗巴回答王說:“他在羅.底巴亞米利的兒子瑪吉家裡。” 於是大衛王派人去把他從羅.底巴亞米利的兒子瑪吉家裡接來。 掃羅的孫子,約拿單的兒子米非波設來到大衛面前,俯伏叩拜。大衛說:“米非波設!”他回答:“僕人在這裡。” 大衛對他說:“你不要怕,我必因你父親約拿單的緣故,以慈愛待你,把你祖父掃羅所有的田地都歸還給你;你也可以常常與我同席吃飯。” 米非波設再叩拜說:“僕人算甚麼?你竟然眷顧我這個像條死狗的人!”

王把掃羅的僕人洗巴召來,對他說:“我已經把屬於掃羅,以及他全家所有的一切,給了你主人的孫子。 10 你和你的兒子,以及你的僕人,都要替他耕種田地;你要把所收穫的拿來,供他食用。你主人的孫子米非波設要常常與我同席吃飯。”洗巴有十五個兒子,二十個僕人。 11 洗巴對王說:“我主我王吩咐僕人的一切,僕人都必遵行。”於是米非波設與大衛(按照《馬索拉文本》,“大衛”作“我”;現參照《七十士譯本》翻譯)同桌吃飯,像是王的一個兒子一樣。 12 米非波設有一個小兒子,名叫米迦。住在洗巴家裡的人,都作了米非波設的僕人。 13 這樣,米非波設住在耶路撒冷,常常與王同席吃飯。可是他的雙腿都是瘸的。

David and Mephibosheth

David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”(A)

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.

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.”

“Where is he?” the king asked.

Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir(E) son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”

So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel.

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.

“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)

Mephibosheth(I) bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog(J) like me?”

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

  1. 2 Samuel 9:11 Septuagint; Hebrew my

And David said: Is there any one, think you, left of the house of Saul, that I may shew kindness to him for Jonathan's sake?

Now there was of the house of Saul, a servant named Siba: and when the king had called him to him, he said to him: Art thou Siba? And he answered: I am Siba thy servant.

And the king said: Is there any one left of the house of Saul, that I may shew the mercy of God unto him? And Siba said to the king: There is a son of Jonathan left, who is lame of his feet.

Where is he? said he. And Siba said to the king: Behold he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel in Lodabar.

Then king David sent, and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodabar.

And when Miphiboseth the son of Jonathan the son of Saul was come to David, he fell on his face and worshipped. And David said: Miphiboseth? And he answered: Behold thy servant.

And David said to him: Fear not, for I will surely shew thee mercy for Jonathan thy father's sake, and I will restore the lands of Saul thy father, and thou shalt eat bread at my table always.

He bowed down to him, and said: Who am I thy servant, that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am?

Then the king called Siba the servant of Saul, and said to him: All that belonged to Saul, and all his house, I have given to thy master's son.

10 Thou therefore and thy sons and thy servants shall till the land for him: and thou shalt bring in food for thy master's son, that he may be maintained: and Miphiboseth the son of thy master shall always eat bread at my table. And Siba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

11 And Siba said to the king: As thou my lord the king hast commanded thy servant, so will thy servant do: and Miphiboseth shall eat at my table, as one of the sons of the king.

12 And Miphiboseth had a young son whose name was Micha: and all the kindred of the house of Siba served Miphiboseth.

13 But Miphiboseth dwelt in Jerusalem: because he ate always of the king's table: and he was lame of both feet.