David viser særlig godhed imod Mefiboshet
1En dag kom David til at tænke på, om der mon stadig var nogle tilbage af Sauls efterkommere, som han kunne vise godhed mod, sådan som han havde lovet Jonatan. 2Der var en mand ved navn Ziba, der engang havde været en af Sauls betroede tjenere. Ham sendte David bud efter.
„Er du Ziba?” spurgte han.
„Ja,” svarede manden.
3Kongen fortsatte: „Er der ikke nogen tilbage af Sauls efterkommere, som jeg kan vise godhed og derved indfri et løfte, jeg har givet for Guds ansigt?”
„Jo, det er der,” svarede Ziba, „der er en søn af Jonatan, men han er lam i benene.”
4„Hvor bor han?” spurgte kongen.
„Han bor i Lodebar hos Makir, Ammiels søn.”
5-6Så sendte kong David bud efter Mefiboshet, Jonatans søn, Sauls barnebarn. Mefiboshet frygtede det værste, og da han kom ind til David, bøjede han sig underdanigt for kongen. 7Men David sagde beroligende:
„Vær ikke bange! Jeg vil behandle dig godt på grund af din far Jonatan. Du skal få al Sauls ejendom tilbage og bo her i paladset!”
8Da bøjede Mefiboshet sig endnu en gang for kongen og udbrød: „Skulle kongen virkelig vise en sådan godhed imod en død hund som mig?”
9Kongen tilkaldte nu Sauls tjener, Ziba. „Jeg har givet din herres barnebarn familiens ejendom tilbage,” forklarede han. 10-11„Det bliver din opgave at bestyre ejendommen og sørge for, at dine sønner og tjenere opdyrker jorden, så den giver udbytte og føde til hans familie. Men Mefiboshet skal fremover bo her i paladset.”
Ziba, der havde 15 sønner og 20 tjenere, svarede: „Jeg skal sørge for at efterkomme kongens ønske.” Og fra da af spiste Mefiboshet regelmæssigt sammen med kong David, og han blev behandlet som Davids egne sønner. 12Mefiboshet havde selv en lille søn, der hed Mika.
Zibas husstand kom altså til at bestyre Mefiboshets ejendom, 13mens Mefiboshet, der jo var lam i benene, flyttede til Jerusalem og tog ophold i kongens palads.
1And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan’s sake? 2And 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. 3And 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. 4And 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.
5¶ Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar. 6Now 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!9.6 Mephibosheth: also called Merib-baal
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. 8And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?
9¶ 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. 10Thou 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. 11Then 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. 12And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth. 13So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet.
