The Reign of David

And he put a garison in Edom: throughout all Edom put he souldiers, and all they of Edom became Dauids seruants: and the Lord kept Dauid whithersoeuer he went.

Thus Dauid reigned ouer all Israel, and executed iudgement and iustice vnto all his people.

And Ioab the sonne of Zeruiah was ouer the hoste, and Ioshaphat the sonne of Ahilud was recorder.

And Zadok the sonne of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the sonne of Abiathar were the Priestes, and Seraiah the Scribe.

And Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and Dauids sonnes were chiefe rulers.

And Dauid sayde, Is there yet any man left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him mercie for Ionathans sake?

And there was of the housholde of Saul a seruant whose name was Ziba, and when they had called him vnto Dauid, the King sayd vnto him, Art thou Ziba? And he sayd, I thy seruant am he.

Then the King sayd, Remayneth there yet none of the house of Saul, on whome I may shewe the mercie of God? Ziba then answered the King, Ionathan hath yet a sonne lame of his feete.

Then the King said vnto him, Where is he? And Ziba said vnto the King, Behold, he is in the house of Machir ye sonne of Ammiel of Lo-debar.

Then King Dauid sent, and tooke him out of the house of Machir the sonne of Ammiel of Lo-debar.

Nowe when Mephibosheth the sonne of Ionathan, the sonne of Saul was come vnto Dauid, he fel on his face, and did reuerence. And Dauid sayde, Mephibosheth? And he answered, Beholde thy seruant.

Then Dauid sayd vnto him, Feare not: for I wil surely shewe thee kindnes for Ionathan thy fathers sake, and will restore thee all the fieldes of Saul thy father, and thou shalt eate bread at my table continually.

And he bowed himselfe and sayd, What is thy seruant, that thou shouldest looke vpon such a dead dog as I am?

Then the king called Ziba Sauls seruant, and said vnto him, I haue giue vnto thy masters sonne all that perteined to Saul and to all his house.

Thou therefore and thy sonnes and thy seruantes shall till the lande for him, and bring in that thy masters sonne may haue foode to eate. And Mephibosheth thy masters sonne shall eate bread alway at my table (nowe Ziba had fifteene sonnes, and twentie seruants)

Then sayd Ziba vnto the King, According to all that my lord the King hath commaded his seruant, so shall thy seruat do, that Mephibosheth may eate at my table, as one of the Kings sonnes.

Mephibosheth also had a yong sonne named Micha, and all that dwelled in the house of Ziba, were seruants vnto Mephibosheth.

And Mephibosheth dwelt in Ierusalem: for he did eate continually at the Kings table, and was lame on both his feete.

After this, the King of the children of Ammon dyed, and Hanun his sonne reigned in his steade.

Then sayde Dauid, I will shewe kindnesse vnto Hanun the sonne of Nahash, as his father shewed kindnesse vnto me. And Dauid sent his seruantes to comfort him for his father. So Dauids seruants came into the lande of the children of Ammon.

And the princes of the children of Ammon sayde vnto Hanun their lorde, Thinkest thou that Dauid doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters to thee? hath not Dauid rather sent his seruants vnto thee, to search the citie, and to spie it out, and to ouerthrow it?

Wherefore Hanun tooke Dauids seruants, and shaued off the halfe of their beard, and cut off their garments in the middle, euen to their buttockes, and sent them away.

When it was told vnto Dauid, he sent to meete them (for the men were exceedingly ashamed) and the King sayde, Tary at Iericho, vntill your beards be growen, then returne.

And when the children of Ammon sawe that they stanke in the sight of Dauid, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Aramites of the house of Rehob, and the Aramites of Zoba, twentie thousande footemen, and of King Maacah a thousand men, and of Ish-tob twelue thousande men.

And when Dauid heard of it, he sent Ioab, and all the hoste of the strong men.