2 Samuel 9

¹ David asked, "Is there any survivor of Saul's house to whom I may show kindness for the sake of Jonathan?"

² Now there was a servant of the family of Saul named Ziba. He was summoned to David, and the king asked him, "Are you Ziba?" He replied, "Your servant."

³ Then the king inquired, "Is there any survivor of Saul's house to whom I may show God's kindness?" Ziba answered the king, "There is still Jonathan's son, whose feet are crippled."

⁴ The king said to him, "Where is he?" and Ziba answered, "He is in the house of Machir, son of Ammiel, in Lodebar."

⁵ So King David sent for him and had him brought from the house of Machir, son of Ammiel, in Lodebar.

⁶ When Meribbaal, son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David, he fell prostrate in homage. David said, "Meribbaal," and he answered, "Your servant."

⁷ "Fear not," David said to him, "I will surely be kind to you for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the lands of your grandfather Saul, and you shall always eat at my table."

⁸ Bowing low, he answered, "What is your servant that you should pay attention to a dead dog like me?"

⁹ The king then called Ziba, Saul's attendant, and said to him: "I am giving your lord's son all that belonged to Saul and to all his family.

¹⁰ You and your sons and servants must till the land for him. You shall bring in the produce, which shall be food for your lord's family to eat. But Meribbaal, your lord's son, shall always eat at my table." Ziba, who had fifteen sons and twenty servants,

¹¹ said to the king, "Your servant shall do just as my lord the king has commanded him." And so Meribbaal ate at David's table like one of the king's sons.

¹² Meribbaal had a young son whose name was Mica; and all the tenants of Ziba's family worked for Meribbaal.

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