2 Samuel 9

9 ¹David asked, "Is anyone left of Saul's family I can show kindness to, for Jonathan's sake?" ²Saul's household had a servant named Ziba, summoned to David. "Are you Ziba?" the king asked. "At your service," he replied.

³The king asked, "Is no one left of Saul's house to whom I can show the kindness of our Father?" Ziba answered the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet." ^a a v3 David longs to show Mephibosheth the same covenant kindness our Father shows — unearned love poured out on the helpless and the outcast.

⁴"Where is he?" the king asked. Ziba answered, "In the house of Machir son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar."

⁵So King David sent and had him brought from Machir son of Ammiel's house in Lo-debar. ⁶When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David, he fell facedown and bowed low. David said, "Mephibosheth!" "Your servant," he replied.

⁷"Don't be afraid," David said to him, "for I'll surely show you kindness for your father Jonathan's sake. I'll give back all your grandfather Saul's land, and you'll always eat at my table."

⁸Mephibosheth bowed and said, "What is your servant, that you'd notice a dead dog like me?"

⁹Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul's servant: "I have given your master's grandson everything that belonged to Saul and all his household. ¹⁰You, your sons, and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the harvest, so your master's grandson has food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master's grandson, will always eat at my table." Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

¹¹Ziba told the king, "I will do all my lord the king commands." So Mephibosheth ate at David's table like one of the king's sons. ¹²Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica, and everyone in Ziba's household served Mephibosheth. ¹³Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king's table; and he was lame in both feet.