Chapter 9

And 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?

Now 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.

And 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.

Where is he? said he. And Siba said to the king: Behold he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel in Lodabar.

Then king David sent, and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodabar.

And 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.

And 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.

He bowed down to him, and said: Who am I thy servant, that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am?

Then 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.

Thou 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.

And 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.

And Miphiboseth had a young son whose name was Micha: and all the kindred of the house of Siba served Miphiboseth.

But Miphiboseth dwelt in Jerusalem: because he ate always of the king's table: and he was lame of both feet.