24 Then (A)Mephibosheth the [a]grandson of Saul came down to meet the king; but (B)he had neither [b]tended to his feet, nor [c]trimmed his mustache, nor (C)washed his clothes since the day the king departed until the day he came home in peace. 25 And it was when he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said to him, “(D)Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?” 26 So he said, “My lord the king, my servant betrayed me; for your servant said, ‘I will [d]saddle the donkey for myself so that I may ride on it and go with the king,’ (E)since your servant cannot walk. 27 Furthermore, (F)he has slandered your servant to my lord the king; but my lord the king is (G)like the angel of God, therefore do what is good in your sight. 28 For (H)all my father’s household was only people worthy of death to my lord the king; (I)yet you placed your servant among those who ate at your own table. So what right do I still have, that I should [e]complain anymore to the king?” 29 So the king said to him, “Why do you still speak of your affairs? I have [f]decided, ‘You and Ziba shall divide the land.’” 30 And Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him even take it all, since my lord the king has come safely to his own house.”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 19:24 Lit son
  2. 2 Samuel 19:24 Lit done
  3. 2 Samuel 19:24 Lit done
  4. 2 Samuel 19:26 I.e., have the donkey saddled
  5. 2 Samuel 19:28 Lit cry out
  6. 2 Samuel 19:29 Lit said

24 Mephibosheth,(A) Saul’s grandson, also went down to meet the king. He had not taken care of his feet, trimmed his mustache, or washed his clothes from the day the king left until the day he returned safely. 25 When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Mephibosheth, why didn’t you come with me?”

26 “My lord the king,” he replied, “my servant Ziba betrayed me. Actually your servant said: ‘I’ll saddle the donkey for myself[a] so that I may ride it and go with the king’—for your servant is lame.(B) 27 Ziba slandered your servant to my lord the king.(C) But my lord the king is like the Angel of God,(D) so do whatever you think best.[b] 28 For my grandfather’s entire family deserves death from my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table.(E) So what further right do I have to keep on making appeals to the king?”

29 The king said to him, “Why keep on speaking about these matters of yours? I hereby declare: you and Ziba are to divide the land.”(F)

30 Mephibosheth said to the king, “Instead, since my lord the king has come to his palace safely, let Ziba take it all!”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 19:26 LXX, Syr, Vg read said to him, ‘Saddle the donkey for me
  2. 2 Samuel 19:27 Lit do what is good in your eyes