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2 Samuel 9
New Catholic Bible
2 Samuel 9
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 9
David and Meribbaal.[a] 1 David inquired: “Is there anyone belonging to the family of Saul who is still alive, to whom I may show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 Now Saul’s family had a servant whose name was Ziba, and he was summoned to appear before David. The king asked him: “Are you Ziba?” He replied: “I am at your service.”
3 The king then asked: “Is there anyone from Saul’s family still alive to whom I may show God’s kindness?” “There is a son of Jonathan who still remains,” Ziba said to the king. “His feet are crippled.” 4 Then the king inquired: “Where is he?” Ziba answered: “He is living in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.”
5 Then King David sent for him and had him brought from the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. 6 When Meribbaal, the son of Jonathan and the grandson of Saul, entered David’s presence, he fell on his face and did obeisance. David said: “Meribbaal!” He replied: “I am your servant.”
7 David then said to him: “Do not be afraid. I intend to show you great kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I shall restore to you all the lands that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you yourself shall always eat at my table.” 8 Meribbaal again prostrated himself and said: “Of what importance is your servant that you should look with kindness upon a dead dog like me?”
9 Then David summoned Saul’s servant Ziba and said to him: “I am turning over to your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and to his family. 10 You and your sons and your servants shall cultivate the land for him and bring in the harvest to provide for your master’s family to eat. However, Meribbaal, your master’s grandson, shall always eat at my table.”
Ziba, who had fifteen sons and twenty servants, 11 said to the king: “Your servant shall do everything that my lord the king has commanded him.” Therefore, Meribbaal ate at the king’s table like one of the king’s sons.
12 Meribbaal had a young son whose name was Mica. All the members of Ziba’s household became servants of Meribbaal. 13 However, Meribbaal lived in Jerusalem because he always ate at the king’s table, for he was crippled in both feet.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 9:1 What to make of a king who shows mercy and kindness to the enemy’s descendants? King David searches out and finds the crippled grandson of Saul in a show of overwhelming generosity and goodness for no political or military benefit but to please God alone.
2 Samuel 9
New International Version
2 Samuel 9
New International Version
David and Mephibosheth
9 David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”(A)
2 Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba.(B) They summoned him to appear before David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”
“At your service,” he replied.
3 The king asked, “Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?”
Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan;(C) he is lame(D) in both feet.”
4 “Where is he?” the king asked.
Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir(E) son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”
5 So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel.
6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor.(F)
David said, “Mephibosheth!”
“At your service,” he replied.
7 “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan.(G) I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.(H)”
8 Mephibosheth(I) bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog(J) like me?”
9 Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s steward, and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. 10 You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master’s grandson(K) may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)
11 Then Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s[a] table like one of the king’s sons.(L)
12 Mephibosheth had a young son named Mika, and all the members of Ziba’s household were servants of Mephibosheth.(M) 13 And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table; he was lame in both feet.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 9:11 Septuagint; Hebrew my
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