Ziba

1David asked, "Is anyone still alive from King Saul's family? I want to be kind to that person, because of Jonathan."

And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?

NoteSaul was the king before David. Jonathan was Saul's son. Jonathan was David's dearest friend, and he had died in a battle.

2Saul's family had a servant named Ziba. People brought him to David. The king asked, "Are you Ziba?" He said, "Yes, I am your servant."

And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he.

NoteA servant was someone who worked in a family's house and did jobs for them.

3The king asked, "Is anyone left from Saul's family? I want to show that person the same kindness God shows." Ziba said, "Jonathan still has a son. He cannot walk."

And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet.

NoteJonathan's son was hurt in a fall when he was little. His feet never got better.

4The king asked, "Where is he?" Ziba said, "He is at the house of Machir son of Ammiel. That house is in the town of Lodebar."

And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar.

NoteLodebar was a small town far away, across the Jordan River.

5So King David sent men to Lodebar. They brought the young man back from Machir's house.

Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar.

6Mephibosheth was Jonathan's son and Saul's grandson. He came to David and bowed with his face to the ground. David said, "Mephibosheth." He answered, "I am here. I am your servant."

Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant!

NoteHis name is said like this: Meh-FIB-oh-sheth.

7David said, "Do not be afraid. I will be kind to you, because of your father Jonathan. I will give you back all the land of your grandfather Saul. And you will always eat at my table."

And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.

NoteWhen a new king took over, the old king's family was often sent away or hurt. That is why Mephibosheth was afraid. Eating at the king's table meant living in the palace and being treated like family.

8Mephibosheth bowed low and said, "Who am I? I am like a dead dog. Why would you even look at me?"

And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?

NoteDogs back then were not pets. They ran wild and ate scraps. Calling yourself a dead dog was a way of saying, "I am nobody at all."

9Then the king called Ziba, who had served Saul. He said, "I have given your master's grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family.

Then the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master’s son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house.

NoteA master is the person a servant works for. Ziba's master had been Saul.

10You and your sons and your servants must farm the land for him. Bring in the crops, so his family has food. But Mephibosheth himself will always eat at my table." Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master’s son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master’s son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

NoteFifteen sons and twenty servants means Ziba had a very big household to help him farm.

11Ziba said to the king, "I will do everything my lord the king has told me." So Mephibosheth ate at David's table, like one of the king's own sons.

Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king’s sons.

12Mephibosheth had a little boy named Micha. Everyone who lived in Ziba's house now worked for Mephibosheth.

And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth.

13So Mephibosheth lived in the city of Jerusalem. He always ate at the king's table. He could not walk with either foot.

So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet.

NoteJerusalem was David's city. The king's palace was there.

1David walked a little past the top of the hill. There he met Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth. Ziba had two donkeys with saddles on them. The donkeys carried 200 loaves of bread and 100 bunches of raisins. They also carried 100 pieces of summer fruit and a skin bag of wine.

And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.

NoteDavid was running away from his son Absalom, who wanted to be king. Ziba worked for Mephibosheth, a grandson of King Saul. Wine was carried in bags made from animal skin, not bottles.

2The king asked Ziba, "Why did you bring all this?" Ziba said, "The donkeys are for your family to ride. The bread and fruit are for the young men to eat. The wine is for anyone who gets tired out in the desert."

And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king’s household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink.

NoteThe desert here is dry, empty land with no towns and little water. Walking through it was hot and tiring.

3The king asked, "Where is Mephibosheth, your master's grandson?" Ziba said, "He stayed in Jerusalem. He said, 'Today the people of Israel will give me back my grandfather's kingdom.'"

And the king said, And where is thy master’s son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.

NoteSaul was the king before David. Mephibosheth was Saul's grandson. So he might hope to be king one day.

4The king said to Ziba, "Then everything Mephibosheth owned is yours now." Ziba bowed low. He said, "I hope you are always pleased with me, my lord the king."

Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.

NoteBowing low was how people showed respect to a king. Ziba is asking David to keep liking him.

15So the king started home and came to the Jordan River. The men of Judah came to Gilgal to meet him. They would help him cross the river.

So the king returned, and came to Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to conduct the king over Jordan.

NoteThe Jordan was the big river David had to cross to get home. Gilgal was a town near that river.

16Shimei son of Gera hurried down with the men of Judah. He was from Bahurim, from the tribe of Benjamin. He came to meet King David.

And Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite, which was of Bahurim, hasted and came down with the men of Judah to meet king David.

NoteShimei had thrown stones at David and shouted at him when David ran away from Jerusalem. Benjamin was the tribe of Saul, the king before David.

17A thousand men of Benjamin came with him. So did Ziba, who ran Saul's household. Ziba brought his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They hurried down to the Jordan ahead of the king.

And there were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they went over Jordan before the king.

NoteZiba was the servant who took care of Saul's land and household.

18They crossed at the shallow place to carry the king's family over. They wanted to do whatever pleased him. When Shimei crossed the Jordan, he bowed low before the king.

And there went over a ferry boat to carry over the king’s household, and to do what he thought good. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was come over Jordan;

19He said, "My king, please do not count me guilty. Please forget the wrong I did to you. I did it the day you left Jerusalem. Please do not hold it against me.

And said unto the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart.

20I know that I did wrong. So today I am the first of all the northern families of Israel to come and meet you."

For thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore, behold, I am come the first this day of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.

NoteThe "house of Joseph" meant the tribes living in the north of the country.

21But Abishai son of Zeruiah said, "Shouldn't Shimei die for this? He cursed the king that God chose."

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD’s anointed?

Note"The LORD's anointed" means the king God had chosen. Cursing him was treated as a very serious crime.

22David said, "Sons of Zeruiah, why are you against me today? No one will be put to death in Israel today. Today I know that I am king over Israel."

And David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? for do not I know that I am this day king over Israel?

NoteZeruiah was David's sister. Her sons Joab and Abishai were David's nephews and fought in his army.

23So the king said to Shimei, "You will not die." And the king made him a promise.

Therefore the king said unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the king sware unto him.

24Then Mephibosheth, Saul's grandson, came down to meet the king. He had not cared for his feet since the king left. He had not trimmed his mustache or washed his clothes. He waited until the king came home safely.

And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king, and had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came again in peace.

NoteMephibosheth was the son of David's friend Jonathan and the grandson of King Saul. People showed deep sadness by not washing, not trimming their hair, and wearing dirty clothes.

25He came from Jerusalem to meet the king. The king asked him, "Mephibosheth, why did you not come with me?"

And it came to pass, when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore wentest not thou with me, Mephibosheth?

26He answered, "My king, my legs do not work. I said, 'Saddle my donkey so I can ride and go with the king.' But my servant tricked me.

And he answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me: for thy servant said, I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go to the king; because thy servant is lame.

27He told lies about me to you, my king. But you are like an angel of God. So do what seems right to you.

And he hath slandered thy servant unto my lord the king; but my lord the king is as an angel of God: do therefore what is good in thine eyes.

NoteSaying someone is "as an angel of God" was a polite way of saying he is wise and fair.

28My grandfather's whole family deserved death from you. Yet you let me eat at your own table. So what more can I ask you for?"

For all of my father’s house were but dead men before my lord the king: yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet to cry any more unto the king?

NoteEating at the king's table meant you were cared for like part of his family.

29The king said to him, "You do not need to say more. I have decided. You and Ziba will split the land."

And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land.

NoteThe land had belonged to King Saul. David had given it to Mephibosheth, and later gave it to Ziba instead.

30Mephibosheth said to the king, "Let Ziba take it all. You have come home safely, and that is enough for me."

And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Yea, let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace unto his own house.