2 Samuel 9:7-10:12

English Standard Version

⁷ And David said to him, “Do not fear, ^(A)for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and ^(B)you shall eat at my table always.” ⁸ And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for ^(C)a dead dog such as I?”

⁹ Then the king called Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master's grandson. ¹⁰ And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master's grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master's grandson ^(D)shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had ^(E)fifteen sons and twenty servants. ¹¹ Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.” So Mephibosheth ^(F)ate at David's^[a] table, like one of the king's sons. ¹² And Mephibosheth had a young son, ^(G)whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba's house became Mephibosheth's servants. ¹³ So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for ^(H)he ate always at the king's table. Now ^(I)he was lame in both his feet.

David Defeats Ammon and Syria

10 ^(J)After this the king of the Ammonites died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. ² And David said, “I will deal loyally^[b] with Hanun the son of ^(K)Nahash, as his father dealt loyally with me.” So David sent by his servants to console him concerning his father. And David's servants came into the land of the Ammonites. ³ But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think, because David has sent comforters to you, that he is honoring your father? Has not David sent his servants to you to search the city and to spy it out and to overthrow it?” ⁴ So Hanun took David's servants and shaved off half the beard of each and cut off their garments in the middle, ^(L)at their hips, and sent them away. ⁵ When it was told David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown and then return.”

⁶ When the Ammonites saw that they had become a stench to David, the Ammonites sent and hired the Syrians of ^(M)Beth-rehob, and ^(N)the Syrians of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and the king of ^(O)Maacah with 1,000 men, and the men of ^(P)Tob, 12,000 men. ⁷ And when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the host of ^(Q)the mighty men. ⁸ And the Ammonites came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the gate, and ^(R)the Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob and ^(S)the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open country.

⁹ When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear, he chose some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Syrians. ¹⁰ The rest of his men he put in the charge of Abishai his brother, and he arrayed them against the Ammonites. ¹¹ And he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come and help you. ^12 (T)Be of good courage, and ^(U)let us be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God, and ^(V)may the Lord do what seems good to him.”