1 AND DAVID said, Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul to whom I may show kindness for Jonathan's sake? 2 And of the house of Saul there was a servant whose name was Ziba. When they had called him to David, he said to him, Are you Ziba? He said, I, your servant, am he. 3 The king said, Is there not still someone of the house of Saul to whom I may show the [unfailing, unsought, unlimited] mercy and kindness of God? Ziba replied, Jonathan has yet a son who is lame in his feet. 4 And the king said, Where is he? Ziba replied, He is in the house of Machir son of Ammiel in Lo-debar. 5 Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir son of Ammiel at Lo-debar. 6 And Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and did obeisance. David said, Mephibosheth! And he answered, Behold your servant! 7 David said to him, Fear not, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father's sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your father [grandfather], and you shall eat at my table always. 8 And [the cripple] bowed himself and said, What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I am?
9 Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, I have given your master's son [grandson] all that belonged to Saul and to all his house. 10 And you shall till the land for him, you, your sons, and your servants, and you shall bring in the produce, that your master's heir may have food to eat; but Mephibosheth, your master's son [grandson], shall eat always at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. 11 Then Ziba said to the king, Your servant will do according to all my lord the king commands. So Mephibosheth ate at David's table as one of the king's sons. 12 Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Micha. And all who dwelt in Ziba's house were servants to Mephibosheth. 13 So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king's table, [even though] he was lame in both feet.