Davids Kindness To Jonathans S

Then David asked, "Is any one left of the family of Saul to whom I may

show kindness for Jonathan's sake?" And there was a servant of Saul

named Ziba. When they called him before David, he said to him, "Are you

Ziba?" He replied, "Your servant." David said, "Is there any one else

belonging to the family of Saul to whom I may show kindness like that

which God shows to us?" Ziba answered, "A son of Jonathan is still

livi g, but he is lame in his feet." David inquired, "Where is he?" Ziba

replied, "He is in the house of Machir in Lodebar."



Then David sent and brought him from the house of Machir; and when

Meribaal the son of Jonathan came to David, he bowed down to the ground

before him. David said, "Meribaal!" He answered, "Here is your servant!"

David said to him, "Fear not, for I will surely show you kindness for

the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will give back to you all the

land of your grandfather Saul; and you shall always eat at my table."

Meribaal bowed down and said, "What is your servant that you should look

favorably upon one as unworthy as I?"



Then David called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, "I have

given to your master's son all that belongs to Saul and to his family.

You with your sons and servants shall cultivate the land for him and

harvest the fruits, that your master's son may have food to eat; but

Meribaal, your master's son, shall always eat at my table." Now Ziba had

fifteen sons and twenty servants; and he said to David, "Your servant

will do all that my lord commands."



So Meribaal ate at David's table like one of his own sons. Meribaal also

had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all who lived in the house of

Ziba were Meribaal's servants. So Meribaal lived in Jerusalem, and

though he was lame in both feet, he always ate at David's table.