1 David said, “Is there anyone still left of Saul's family so I can be kind to him for Jonathan's sake?” 2 There was a man called Ziba who used to be a servant of Saul's family. They called for him to come to David, and the king asked him, “Are you Ziba?” “Yes, I am your servant,” he replied. 3 The king asked him, “Is there anyone still left of Saul's family so I can be kind to him as I promised before God?” “There's still one of Jonathan's sons, who is lame in both feet,” Ziba replied. 4 “Where is he?” asked the king. “He's in the town of Lo-debar, living in the home of Machir, son of Ammiel,” Ziba replied. 5 So King David had him brought from Machir's home. 6 When Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David, he bowed facedown to the ground in respect. Then David said, “Welcome, Mephibosheth.” “I am your servant,” he replied. 7 “Do not be afraid,” said David, “for I will truly be kind to you for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will return to you all the land owned by your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.” 8 Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “Who am I, your servant, that you should pay any attention to a dead dog like me?” 9 Then the king called for Saul's servant Ziba and told him, “I have given to your master's grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. 10 You and your sons and workers are to farm the ground for him and bring in the produce, so that your master's grandson will have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master's grandson, will always eat at my table.” Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty workers. 11 Ziba replied to the king, “My lord the king, your servant will do everything that you have commanded.” So Mephibosheth ate at David's table like one of the king's sons. 12 Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica. All the people who lived in Ziba's house became Mephibosheth's servants. 13 But Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king's table. He was lame in both feet.
2 Samuel 9 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Ammiel
Named as the father of Machir of Lo-debar.
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 9:4; 2 Samuel 17:27
David
The shepherd who became Israel's greatest king and a man after God's own heart.
Cited in the guide: 1 Sam. 16 - 1 Kings 2; 2 Sam. 7; 1 Chron. 2:15; Matt. 1:6
Machir
Son of Ammiel of Lo-debar, in whose house Mephibosheth was staying, and who later brought supplies to David at Mahanaim.
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 9:4; 2 Samuel 9:5; 2 Samuel 17:27
Mephibosheth
Jonathan's son, lamed as a child, whom David honored at his own table for his father's sake.
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 4:4; 2 Samuel 9
Mica
Mephibosheth's young son, named when David showed Mephibosheth kindness for Jonathan's sake.
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 9:12; 1 Chronicles 8:34; 1 Chronicles 9:40
Ziba
A servant of Saul's family whom David summoned to find Jonathan's heir; with fifteen sons and twenty servants he was set to farm Saul's land for Mephibosheth, later brought…
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 9:2; 2 Samuel 9:10; 2 Samuel 16:1
Cross references (12)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 1 Samuel 20:42; Mark 9:41; Matthew 25:40; 1 Peter 3:8; 2 Samuel 1:26
- 2 2 Samuel 16:1–4; 2 Samuel 19:17; 2 Samuel 19:27–29; Genesis 15:2–3; Genesis 24:2
- 3 2 Samuel 4:4; Titus 3:3–4; Luke 6:36; Deuteronomy 10:15; 1 Samuel 20:14–17
- 4 2 Samuel 17:27–29
- 6 1 Chronicles 9:40; 2 Samuel 16:4; 2 Samuel 19:24–30; 1 Samuel 25:23; 1 Chronicles 8:34
- 7 2 Samuel 9:1; 2 Samuel 9:3; 1 Kings 2:7; 2 Samuel 19:28; Luke 1:29–30
- 8 2 Samuel 16:9; Matthew 15:26–27; 1 Samuel 24:14–15; 2 Samuel 3:8; 1 Samuel 26:20
- 9 2 Samuel 16:4; 2 Samuel 19:29; 1 Samuel 9:1; Isaiah 32:8
- 10 2 Samuel 9:7; 2 Samuel 19:28; 2 Kings 25:29; 2 Samuel 9:11–13; Luke 14:15
- 11 2 Samuel 16:1–4; 2 Samuel 19:26; 2 Samuel 19:17
- 12 1 Chronicles 8:34–40; 1 Chronicles 8:8; Micah 7:5–6; 1 Chronicles 9:40–44
- 13 2 Samuel 9:7; 2 Samuel 9:3; 2 Samuel 9:10–11
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences