וַיֹּ֣אמֶר דָּוִ֔ד הֲכִ֣י יֶשׁ־ע֔וֹד אֲשֶׁ֥ר נוֹתַ֖ר לְבֵ֣ית שָׁא֑וּל וְאֶעֱשֶׂ֤ה עִמּוֹ֙ חֶ֔סֶד בַּעֲב֖וּר יְהוֹנָתָֽן׃ David inquired, “Is there anyone still left of the House of Saul with whom I can keep faith for the sake of Jonathan?”
וּלְבֵ֨ית שָׁא֥וּל עֶ֙בֶד֙ וּשְׁמ֣וֹ צִיבָ֔א וַיִּקְרְאוּ־ל֖וֹ אֶל־דָּוִ֑ד וַיֹּ֨אמֶר הַמֶּ֧לֶךְ אֵלָ֛יו הַאַתָּ֥ה צִיבָ֖א וַיֹּ֥אמֶר עַבְדֶּֽךָ׃ There was a servant of the House of Saul named Ziba, and they summoned him to David. “Are you Ziba?” the king asked him. aLit. “Your servant is.”“Yes, sir,”-a he replied.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ הַאֶ֨פֶס ע֥וֹד אִישׁ֙ לְבֵ֣ית שָׁא֔וּל וְאֶעֱשֶׂ֥ה עִמּ֖וֹ חֶ֣סֶד אֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיֹּ֤אמֶר צִיבָא֙ אֶל־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ ע֛וֹד בֵּ֥ן לִיהוֹנָתָ֖ן נְכֵ֥ה רַגְלָֽיִם׃ The king continued, “Is there anyone at all left of the House of Saul with whom I can keep faith as pledged before God?”bSee 1 Sam. 20.14 and note. Ziba answered the king, “Yes, there is still a son of Jonathan whose feet are crippled.”
וַיֹּֽאמֶר־ל֥וֹ הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֵיפֹ֣ה ה֑וּא וַיֹּ֤אמֶר צִיבָא֙ אֶל־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ הִנֵּה־ה֗וּא בֵּ֛ית מָכִ֥יר בֶּן־עַמִּיאֵ֖ל בְּל֥וֹ דְבָֽר׃ “Where is he?” the king asked, and Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar.”
וַיִּשְׁלַ֖ח הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ דָּוִ֑ד וַיִּקָּחֵ֗הוּ מִבֵּ֛ית מָכִ֥יר בֶּן־עַמִּיאֵ֖ל מִלּ֥וֹ דְבָֽר׃ King David had him brought from the house of Machir son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar;
וַ֠יָּבֹ֠א מְפִיבֹ֨שֶׁת בֶּן־יְהוֹנָתָ֤ן בֶּן־שָׁאוּל֙ אֶל־דָּוִ֔ד וַיִּפֹּ֥ל עַל־פָּנָ֖יו וַיִּשְׁתָּ֑חוּ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר דָּוִד֙ מְפִיבֹ֔שֶׁת וַיֹּ֖אמֶר הִנֵּ֥ה עַבְדֶּֽךָ׃ and when Mephibosheth son of Jonathan son of Saul came to David, he flung himself on his face and prostrated himself. David said, “Mephibosheth!” and he replied, “At your service, sir.”
וַיֹּ֩אמֶר֩ ל֨וֹ דָוִ֜ד אַל־תִּירָ֗א כִּ֣י עָשֹׂה֩ אֶעֱשֶׂ֨ה עִמְּךָ֥ חֶ֙סֶד֙ בַּֽעֲבוּר֙ יְהוֹנָתָ֣ן אָבִ֔יךָ וַהֲשִׁבֹתִ֣י לְךָ֔ אֶֽת־כׇּל־שְׂדֵ֖ה שָׁא֣וּל אָבִ֑יךָ וְאַתָּ֗ה תֹּ֥אכַל לֶ֛חֶם עַל־שֻׁלְחָנִ֖י תָּמִֽיד׃ David said to him, “Don’t be afraid, for I will keep faith with you for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will give you back all the land of your grandfather Saul; moreover, you shall always eat at my table.”
וַיִּשְׁתַּ֕חוּ וַיֹּ֖אמֶר מֶ֣ה עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ כִּ֣י פָנִ֔יתָ אֶל־הַכֶּ֥לֶב הַמֵּ֖ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּמֽוֹנִי׃ [Mephibosheth] prostrated himself again, and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog like me?”
וַיִּקְרָ֣א הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ אֶל־צִיבָ֛א נַ֥עַר שָׁא֖וּל וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֑יו כֹּל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר הָיָ֤ה לְשָׁאוּל֙ וּלְכׇל־בֵּית֔וֹ נָתַ֖תִּי לְבֶן־אֲדֹנֶֽיךָ׃ The king summoned Ziba, Saul’s steward, and said to him, “I give to your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and to his entire family.
וְעָבַ֣דְתָּ לּ֣וֹ אֶֽת־הָאֲדָמָ֡ה אַתָּה֩ וּבָנֶ֨יךָ וַעֲבָדֶ֜יךָ וְהֵבֵ֗אתָ וְהָיָ֨ה לְבֶן־אֲדֹנֶ֤יךָ לֶּ֙חֶם֙ וַאֲכָל֔וֹ וּמְפִיבֹ֙שֶׁת֙ בֶּן־אֲדֹנֶ֔יךָ יֹאכַ֥ל תָּמִ֛יד לֶ֖חֶם עַל־שֻׁלְחָנִ֑י וּלְצִיבָ֗א חֲמִשָּׁ֥ה עָשָׂ֛ר בָּנִ֖ים וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים עֲבָדִֽים׃ You and your sons and your slaves shall farm the land for him and shall bring in [its yield] to provide food for your master’s grandsoncSeptuagint reads “household.” to live on; but Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, shall always eat at my table.”—Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty slaves.—
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר צִיבָא֙ אֶל־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ כְּכֹל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְצַוֶּ֜ה אֲדֹנִ֤י הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ אֶת־עַבְדּ֔וֹ כֵּ֖ן יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ וּמְפִיבֹ֗שֶׁת אֹכֵל֙ עַל־שֻׁלְחָנִ֔י כְּאַחַ֖ד מִבְּנֵ֥י הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do just as my lord the king has commanded him.” dSeptuagint reads “And Mephibosheth ate at David’s table.”“Mephibosheth shall eat at my table-d like one of the king’s sons.”
וְלִמְפִיבֹ֥שֶׁת בֵּן־קָטָ֖ן וּשְׁמ֣וֹ מִיכָ֑א וְכֹל֙ מוֹשַׁ֣ב בֵּית־צִיבָ֔א עֲבָדִ֖ים לִמְפִיבֹֽשֶׁת׃ Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica; and all the members of Ziba’s household worked for Mephibosheth.
וּמְפִיבֹ֗שֶׁת יֹשֵׁב֙ בִּיר֣וּשָׁלַ֔͏ִם כִּ֣י עַל־שֻׁלְחַ֥ן הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ תָּמִ֖יד ה֣וּא אֹכֵ֑ל וְה֥וּא פִסֵּ֖חַ שְׁתֵּ֥י רַגְלָֽיו׃ {פ}
Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate regularly at the king’s table. He was lame in both feet.