Second Book of Samuel 9

¹ David asked, ‘Is there anyone still left of Saul’s family so that I can show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?’

² Now there was a servant of Saul’s household whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. ‘You are Ziba?’ the king asked. ‘At your service’ he answered.

³ The king said, ‘Is there no one still left of Saul’s family for me to show him God’s kindness?’ ‘There is still one of Jonathan’s sons,’ Ziba answered the king ‘a man with crippled feet.’

⁴ ‘Where is he?’ the king asked. Ziba replied, ‘He is living in the household of Machir son of Ammiel at Lo-debar’.

⁵ So King David sent to have him brought from the house of Machir son of Ammiel at Lo-debar.

⁶ On entering David’s presence, Meribbaal son of Jonathan, son of Saul, fell on his face and did homage. David said, ‘Meribbaal!’ He answered, ‘I am at your service’.

⁷ Then David said, ‘Do not be afraid; I intend to show you kindness for your father Jonathan’s sake. I will restore all the land of Saul your father to you and you shall always eat at my table.’

⁸ And Meribbaal did homage. ‘What is your servant’ he said ‘that you should show favour to a dead dog like me?’

⁹ Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said, ‘Everything belonging to Saul and his family I give to your master’s son.

¹⁰ You must work the land for him, you and your sons and your slaves; you must harvest the produce to provide food for your master’s family to eat. But Meribbaal, your master’s son, shall always take his meals at my table.’ Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty slaves.

¹¹ Ziba said to the king, ‘Your servant will do everything my lord the king has ordered his servant’. So Meribbaal ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons.

¹² Meribbaal had a young son whose name was Mica. All those who lived in Ziba’s house became Meribbaal’s servants.

¹³ Meribbaal lived in Jerusalem, since he always ate at the king’s table. He was crippled in both feet.