The Reign of David

He put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he garrisons, and all the Edomites became servants to David. The LORD gave victory to David wherever he went.

David reigned over all Israel; and David executed justice and righteousness to all his people.

Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;

and Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were priests; and Seraiah was scribe;

and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief ministers.

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

There was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David; and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” He said, “Your servant is he.”

The king said, “Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “Jonathan has yet a son, who is lame of his feet.”

The king said to him, “Where is he?” Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo Debar.”

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

Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, and fell on his face, and showed respect. David said, “Mephibosheth.” He answered, “Behold, your servant!”

David said to him, “Don’t be afraid of him; for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your father. You shall eat bread at my table continually.”

He bowed down, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look on such a dead dog as I am?”

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

You shall till the land for him, you, and your sons, and your servants; and you shall bring in the harvest, that your master’s son may have bread to eat: but Mephibosheth your master’s son shall eat bread always at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so your shall servant do.” So Mephibosheth ate at the king’s table, like one of the king’s sons.

Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. All that lived in the house of Ziba were servants to Mephibosheth.

So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem; for he ate continually at the king’s table. He was lame in both his feet.

After this, the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place.

David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent by his servants to comfort him concerning his father. David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.

But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think that David honors your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Hasn’t David sent his servants to you to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?”

So 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 buttocks, and sent them away.

When they told it to David, he sent to meet them; for the men were greatly ashamed. The king said, “Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.”

When the children of Ammon saw that they were become odious to David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth Rehob, and the Syrians of Zobah, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Maacah with one thousand men, and the men of Tob twelve thousand men.

When David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the army of the mighty men.