The Reign of David

and he putteth in Edom garrisons--in all Edom he hath put garrisons, and all Edom are servants to David; and Jehovah saveth David whithersoever he hath gone.

And David reigneth over all Israel, and David is doing judgment and righteousness to all his people,

and Joab son of Zeruiah is over the host, and Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud is remembrancer,

and Zadok son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech son of Abiathar, are priests, and Seraiah is scribe,

and Benaiah son of Jehoiada is over both the Cherethite and the Pelethite, and the sons of David have been ministers.

And David saith, `Is there yet any left to the house of Saul, and I do with him kindness because of Jonathan?'

And the house of Saul hath a servant, and his name is Ziba, and they call for him unto David; and the king saith unto him, `Art thou Ziba?' and he saith, `Thy servant.'

And the king saith, `Is there not yet a man to the house of Saul, and I do with him the kindness of God?' And Ziba saith unto the king, `Jonathan hath yet a son--lame.'

And the king saith to him, `Where is he?' and Ziba saith unto the king, `Lo, he is in the house of Machir, son of Ammiel, in Lo-Debar.'

And king David sendeth, and taketh him out of the house of Machir son of Ammiel, of Lo-Debar,

and Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, son of Saul, cometh unto David, and falleth on his face, and doth obeisance, and David saith, `Mephibosheth;' and he saith, `Lo, thy servant.'

And David saith to him, `Be not afraid; for I certainly do with thee kindness because of Jonathan thy father, and have given back to thee all the field of Saul thy father, and thou dost eat bread at my table continually.'

And he boweth himself, and saith, `What is thy servant, that thou hast turned unto the dead dog--such as I?'

And the king calleth unto Ziba servant of Saul, and saith unto him, `All that was to Saul and to all his house, I have given to the son of thy lord,

and thou hast served for him the land, thou and thy sons, and thy servants, and hast brought in, and there hath been to the son of thy lord bread, and he hath eaten it; and Mephibosheth son of thy lord doth eat continually bread at my table;' and Ziba hath fifteen sons and twenty servants.

And Ziba saith unto the king, `According to all that my lord the king commandeth his servant, so doth thy servant;' as to Mephibosheth, `he is eating at my table ( saith the king ) as one of the sons of the king.'

And Mephibosheth hath a young son, and his name is Micha, and every one dwelling in the house of Ziba are servants to Mephibosheth.

And Mephibosheth is dwelling in Jerusalem, for at the table of the king he is eating continually, and he is lame of his two feet.

And it cometh to pass afterwards, that the king of the Bene-Ammon dieth, and Hanun his son reigneth in his stead,

and David saith, `I do kindness with Hanun son of Nahash, as his father did with me kindness;' and David sendeth to comfort him by the hand of his servants concerning his father, and the servants of David come in to the land of the Bene-Ammon.

And the heads of the Bene-Ammon say unto Hanun their lord, `Is David honouring thy father in thine eyes because he hath sent to thee comforters? for to search the city, and to spy it, and to overthrow it, hath not David sent his servants unto thee?'

And Hanun taketh the servants of David, and shaveth off the half of their beard, and cutteth off their long robes in the midst--unto their buttocks, and sendeth them away;

and they declare it to David, and he sendeth to meet them, for the men have been greatly ashamed, and the king saith, `Abide in Jericho till your beard doth spring up--then ye have returned.'

And the Bene-Ammon see that they have been abhorred by David, and the Bene-Ammon send and hire Aram of Beth-Rehob, and Aram of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and Ish-Tob with twelve thousand men;

and David heareth, and sendeth Joab, and all the host--the mighty men.