¹ And David said, Is there yet one left unto the house of Saul,—that I may show him lovingkindness, for the sake of, Jonathan?

² Now, unto the house of Saul, belonged a servant, whose name, was Ziba, and, when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him—Art, thou, Ziba? And he said—Thy servant!

³ Then said the king—Is there never a man remaining unto the house of Saul, that I may show him the lovingkindness of God? And Ziba said unto the king, There remaineth a son unto Jonathan, lame in his feet.

⁴ And the king said to him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Lo! he, is in the house of Machir son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar.

⁵ Then sent King David,—and fetched him out of the house of Machir son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.

⁶ Now, when Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came in unto David, he fell on his face and did homage. And David said, Mephibosheth? And he said, Lo! thy servant.

⁷ And David said to him—Do not fear, for I will, indeed shew, thee lovingkindness, for the sake of Jonathan thy father, and will restore unto thee all the land of Saul thy father,—but, thou thyself, shall eat bread at my table, continually.

⁸ And he did homage, and said—What is thy servant,—that thou hast turned towards such a dead dog as I?

⁹ Then the king called for Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said unto him,—All that pertained unto Saul and unto all his house, have I given unto the son of thy lord:

¹⁰ therefore shalt thou till for him the ground, thou, and thy sons, and thy servants, and shalt bring in, so that thy lord’s son may have bread to eat, but, Mephibosheth, thy lord’s son, shall continually eat bread at my table. Now, Ziba, had fifteen sons, and twenty servants.

¹¹ Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king shall command his servant, so, will thy servant do,—but, Mephibosheth, is to eat at the table of David, as one of the sons of the king.

¹² Now, Mephibosheth, had a little son, whose name, was Micha. And, all that dwelt in the house of Ziba, were servants unto Mephibosheth.

¹³ So, Mephibosheth, dwelt in Jerusalem, for, at the table of the king, continually, had he to eat,—he being lame, in both his feet.