18 * And Benaiah the son of Jehoiy 1 Sam. 30. 14. ada was over both the y Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were " chief rulers.

|| Or, princes, ch. 20. 26.

CHAPTER IX.

David inquireth for the descendants of Saul. 6 His
kind reception of Mephibosheth. 9 The provision
made for him by David.

David's messengers abused.

all that pertained to Saul and to all
his house.

B. C. about 1040.

10 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 i ver. 7, 11, my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

i

i 13. ch. 19. 28.

11 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.

k ch. 19. 17.

And11 Chr. 8. 34.

12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, 1whose name was Micha. all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth. 13 So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerum m ver. 7, 1. at the king's table; and "was lame on both his feet.

AND David said, Is there yet any salem: " for he did eat continually

that is left of the house of Saul,

a 1 Sam. 18. 3. that I may ashew him kindness for

& 20. 14, 15, 16, 17, 42. Prov. 27. 10.

b ch. 16. 1. & 19. 17, 29.

Jonathan's sake?

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

с

3 And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I 1 Sam. 20. 14. may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is d lame on his feet.

d ch. 4. 4.

e ch. 17. 27.

|| Merib-baal, 1 Chr. 8. 34.

f ver. 1, 3.

4 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 Lo-debar.

е

5 ¶ Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.

6 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!

7 ¶ 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.

8 And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou should g1 Sam. 24.14. est look upon such a dead dog as I am?

3 And the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth + Heb. In honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David rather sent his servants unto thee, to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?

4 Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their b Is. 20. 4. & buttocks, and sent them away.

c Gen. 34. 30. Ex. 5. 21.

6 T And when the children of Ammon saw that they stank before David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, and d ch. 8. 3, the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand

1 Sam. 13. 4.

5.