2 Samuel - The Old Testament

¹ David asked, 'Is there anyone belonging to Saul's family left, to whom I might show faithful love for Jonathan's sake?'

² Now Saul's family had a servant whose name was Ziba. When he had been summoned to David, the king said, 'Are you Ziba?' 'At your service,' he replied.

³ The king said, 'Is there no one left, belonging to Saul's family, for me to treat with God's own faithful love?' Ziba said to the king, 'There is still one of Jonathan's sons. He has crippled feet.'

⁴ The king asked 'Where is he?' Ziba replied, 'He is living in the household of Machir son of Ammiel, at Lo-Debar.'

⁵ So King David sent for him to be fetched 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 prostrated himself. David said, 'Meribbaal!' He replied, 'Here I am, at your service.'

⁷ David then said, 'Do not be afraid; I will indeed treat you with faithful love for your father Jonathan's sake. I shall restore all your grandfather Saul's estates to you, and you will always eat at my table.'

⁸ Meribbaal prostrated himself and said, 'Who is your servant, for you to show favour to a dead dog like me?'

⁹ The king then summoned Saul's servant Ziba 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, will always take his own 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 Micha. All the people living in Ziba's household entered Meribbaal's service.

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