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¹ AND David said, Is there yet any one left of the house of Saul, that I may show kindness to him for Jonathans sake?² Now there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And they called him to David, and the king said to him, Are you Ziba? And he said, I am your servant.³ And the king said to him, Is there any one still left of the house of Saul, that I may show kindness to him for the sake of God? And Ziba said to the king, There is yet a son left to Jonathan, who is lame in his feet.⁴ And the king said to him, Where is he? And Ziba said to the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Gammir, in Lo-debar.⁵ Then King David sent and took him from the house of Machir, the son of Gammir, from Lo-debar.⁶ Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come to David, he fell on his face and did obeisance. And David said to him, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold your servant!⁷ And David said to him, Fear not; for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your fathers sake, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.⁸ And he bowed himself and said, What is your servant, that you should look upon me? For I am like a dead dog.

⁹ Then the king called to Ziba and said to him, All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your masters son.¹⁰ You therefore and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him, and you shall bring in food for your masters son, that he may eat; but Mephibosheth your masters son shall eat bread always at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.¹¹ Then Ziba said to the king, Whatever my lord the king commands his servant, so shall your servant do. So Mephibosheth ate bread at the kings table, as one of the kings sons.¹² And Mephibosheth had a little son, whose name was Micha. And all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants to Mephibosheth.¹³ So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem; for he ate continually at the kings table; and he was lame in both his feet.