Chapter 9

¹And David said: Is there any one, think you, left of the house of Saul, that I may shew kindness to him for Jonathan's sake? ²Now there was of the house of Saul, a servant named Siba: and when the king had called him to him, he said to him: Art thou Siba? And he answered: I am Siba thy servant. ³And the king said: Is there any one left of the house of Saul, that I may shew the mercy of God unto him? And Siba said to the king: There is a son of Jonathan left, who is lame of his feet. ⁴Where is he? said he. And Siba said to the king: Behold he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel in Lodabar. ⁵Then king David sent, and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodabar. ⁶And when Miphiboseth the son of Jonathan the son of Saul was come to David, he fell on his face and worshipped. And David said: Miphiboseth? And he answered: Behold thy servant. ⁷And David said to him: Fear not, for I will surely shew thee mercy for Jonathan thy father's sake, and I will restore the lands of Saul thy father, and thou shalt eat bread at my table always. ⁸He bowed down to him, and said: Who am I thy servant, that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am? ⁹Then the king called Siba the servant of Saul, and said to him: All that belonged to Saul, and all his house, I have given to thy master's son. ¹⁰Thou therefore and thy sons and thy servants shall till the land for him: and thou shalt bring in food for thy master's son, that he may be maintained: and Miphiboseth the son of thy master shall always eat bread at my table. And Siba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. ¹¹And Siba said to the king: As thou my lord the king hast commanded thy servant, so will thy servant do: and Miphiboseth shall eat at my table, as one of the sons of the king. ¹²And Miphiboseth had a young son whose name was Micha: and all the kindred of the house of Siba served Miphiboseth. ¹³But Miphiboseth dwelt in Jerusalem: because he ate always of the king's table: and he was lame of both feet.