Then Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish Bosheth son of Saul went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

Joab son of Zeruiah and the servants of David also went out and confronted them at the pool of Gibeon. One group stationed themselves on one side of the pool, and the other group on the other side of the pool.

So they got up and crossed over by number: twelve belonging to Benjamin and to Ish Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve from the servants of David.

Act now! For the Lord has said to David, ‘By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel from the Philistines and from all their enemies.’”

Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not realize that a great leader has fallen this day in Israel?

When David went home to pronounce a blessing on his own house, Michal, Saul’s daughter, came out to meet him. She said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself this day! He has exposed himself today before his servants’ slave girls the way a vulgar fool might do!”

“Go, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord has said: Do you really intend to build a house for me to live in?

“So now, say this to my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has said: I took you from the pasture and from your work as a shepherd to make you leader of my people Israel.

And you didn’t stop there, O Lord God! You have also spoken about the future of your servant’s family. Is this your usual way of dealing with men, O Sovereign Lord?

What more can David say to you? You have given your servant special recognition, O Sovereign Lord!

For the sake of your promise and according to your purpose you have done this great thing in order to reveal it to your servant.

So now, O Lord God, make this promise you have made about your servant and his family a permanent reality. Do as you promised,

so you may gain lasting fame, as people say, ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is God over Israel!’ The dynasty of your servant David will be established before you,

for you, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, have told your servant, ‘I will build you a dynastic house.’ That is why your servant has had the courage to pray this prayer to you.

Now, O Sovereign Lord, you are the true God. May your words prove to be true! You have made this good promise to your servant.

Now be willing to bless your servant’s dynasty so that it may stand permanently before you, for you, O Sovereign Lord, have spoken. By your blessing may your servant’s dynasty be blessed from now on into the future!”

David took the golden shields that belonged to Hadadezer’s servants and brought them to Jerusalem.

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.”

Then Mephibosheth bowed and said, “Of what importance am I, your servant, that you show regard for a dead dog like me?”

You will cultivate the land for him—you and your sons and your servants. You will bring its produce and it will be food for your master’s grandson to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, will be a regular guest at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

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 at David’s table, just as though he were one of the king’s sons.

Now Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. All the members of Ziba’s household were Mephibosheth’s servants.

David said, “I will express my loyalty to Hanun son of Nahash just as his father was loyal to me.” So David sent his servants with a message expressing sympathy over his father’s death. When David’s servants entered the land of the Ammonites,

the Ammonite officials said to their lord Hanun, “Do you really think David is trying to honor your father by sending these messengers to express his sympathy? No, David has sent his servants to you to get information about the city and spy on it so they can overthrow it!”

So Hanun seized David’s servants and shaved off half of each one’s beard. He cut the lower part of their robes off so that their buttocks were exposed, and then sent them away.