2 Samuel 9
EasyEnglish Bible
David helps Mephibosheth
9 David asked, ‘Is there anyone from Saul's family who is still alive? I want to be kind to them because Jonathan was my friend.’
2 Saul's family had a servant called Ziba. So they asked him to come to see David. The king said to him, ‘Are you Ziba?’
Ziba replied, ‘Yes, I am your servant.’
3 The king asked him, ‘Is there anyone from Saul's family who is still alive? I want to be kind to them because of God's faithful love for his people.’[a]
Ziba replied, ‘One of Jonathan's sons still lives. But both his feet are weak so that he cannot walk properly.’
4 The king asked Ziba, ‘Where is he?’
Ziba answered, ‘He lives in the house of Ammiel's son, Makir, in Lo-Debar.’
5 So David sent his men to bring him from the house of Ammiel's son, Makir, in Lo-Debar.
6 Then Jonathan's son Mephibosheth, grandson of Saul, came to David. He bent his body down to the ground to respect David.
David said, ‘Mephibosheth!’
Mephibosheth replied, ‘Yes, I am your servant.’
7 David said to him, ‘Do not be afraid. I will be kind to you because your father Jonathan was my friend. I will give back to you all the land which belonged to your grandfather, Saul. You will always be able to eat here with me.’
8 Mephibosheth bent his body low. He said, ‘I am your servant, no better than a dead dog. I do not deserve that you should be so kind to me.’
9 Then David sent his men to fetch Saul's servant, Ziba. David said to him, ‘I have given everything that belonged to Saul or his family to your master's grandson, Mephibosheth. 10 You, your sons and your servants must work on the land for him. You must grow crops that will be food for your master's grandson to eat. But Mephibosheth will always be able to eat with me.’ Ziba himself had 15 sons and 20 servants.
11 Ziba said to the king, ‘I am your servant. I will do everything that my lord the king has told me to do.’ So after that, Mephibosheth ate meals at the king's table. He was like one of the king's own sons.
12 Mephibosheth had a young son called Mica. Ziba and all his family and servants became servants to Mephibosheth. 13 That is how Mephibosheth came to live in Jerusalem. He could always eat his meals at the king's table. He had two weak feet, so he could not walk properly.
Footnotes
- 9:3 Jonathan was the son of King Saul. David and Jonathan had been very good friends. See 1 Samuel 18:1-4. David had promised to show love to Jonathan's family, and now David remembered this promise.
2 Samuel 9
English Standard Version
David's Kindness to Mephibosheth
9 And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may (A)show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?” 2 Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was (B)Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” 3 And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show (C)the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of (D)Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.” 4 The king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of (E)Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.” 5 Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. 6 And (F)Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.” 7 And David said to him, “Do not fear, (G)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 (H)you shall eat at my table always.” 8 And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for (I)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 (J)shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had (K)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 (L)ate at David's[a] table, like one of the king's sons. 12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, (M)whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba's house became Mephibosheth's servants. 13 So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for (N)he ate always at the king's table. Now (O)he was lame in both his feet.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 9:11 Septuagint; Hebrew my
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