David Helps Saul’s Family^(A)

9 David asked, “Is anyone still left in Saul’s ·family [^Lhouse]? I want to show ·kindness [loyalty] to that person for Jonathan’s sake [1 Sam. 20:13–15]!”

² Now there was a servant named Ziba from Saul’s ·family [^Lhouse]. So David’s servants ·called [summoned] Ziba to him. King David said to him, “Are you Ziba?”

He answered, “·Yes, I am your servant [At your service].”

³ The king asked, “Is anyone left in Saul’s ·family [^Lhouse]? I want to show God’s kindness to that person.”

Ziba answered the king, “Jonathan has a son still living who is ·crippled [lame] in both feet.”

⁴ The king asked Ziba, “Where is this son?”

Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”

⁵ Then King David had servants bring Jonathan’s son from the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar. ⁶ Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, came before David and bowed facedown ·on the floor [and prostrated himself].

David said, “Mephibosheth!”

Mephibosheth said, “·I am your servant [At your service].”

⁷ David said to him, “Don’t be afraid. I will be kind to you for your father Jonathan’s sake. I will ·give you back [restore to you] all the ·land [property] of your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table [^Cthe king will provide for his provisions].”

⁸ Mephibosheth ·bowed [prostrated himself] to David again and said, “·You are being very kind to me, your servant! And I am no better than a dead dog! [^LWhat is your servant, that you should show kindness/favor to a dead dog like me?]”

⁹ Then King David called Saul’s servant Ziba. David said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his ·family [^Lhouse]. ¹⁰ You, your sons, and your servants will farm the land and harvest the crops. ·Then your family […so your master’s household] will have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, will always eat at my table.”

(Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.) ¹¹ Ziba said to King David, “I, your servant, will do everything my ·master [lord], the king, commands me.”

So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table as if he were one of the king’s sons. ¹² Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica. Everyone in Ziba’s ·family [household] became Mephibosheth’s servants. ¹³ Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table. And he was ·crippled [lame] in both feet.

War with the Ammonites and Arameans^(A)

19 When Nahash king of the Ammonites died, his son became king after him. ² David said, “Nahash ·was loyal [showed kindness] to me, so I will ·be loyal [show kindness] to his son Hanun.” So David sent messengers to ·comfort [express sympathy to] Hanun about his father’s death.

David’s officers went to the land of the Ammonites to ·comfort [express sympathy to] Hanun. ³ But the Ammonite ·leaders [officials; commanders] said to Hanun, “Do you think David wants to honor your father by sending men to ·comfort you [express sympathy]? No! David sent them to ·study [search; explore] the land and ·capture [conquer; overthrow] it and spy it out.” ⁴ So Hanun ·arrested [seized] David’s officers. He shaved their beards and cut off their clothes at the ·hips [buttocks; ^Cboth intended to shame them]. Then he sent them away.

⁵ When the people told David what had happened to ·his officers [the men], he sent messengers to meet them, because they were ·very ashamed [greatly humiliated]. King David said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back. Then come home.”

⁶ ·The Ammonites knew that they had insulted [When the Ammonites realized they had become disgusting/^La stench to] David. So Hanun and the Ammonites sent ·about seventy-four thousand pounds [^Lone thousand talents] of silver to hire chariots and chariot drivers from ·northwest Mesopotamia [^LAram-naharaim], Aram Maacah, and Zobah. ⁷ The Ammonites hired thirty-two thousand chariots and the king of Maacah and his ·army [people]. So they came and set up camp near the town of Medeba. The Ammonites themselves ·came out of [assembled/mustered from] their towns and got ready for battle.

⁸ When David heard about this, he sent Joab with the ·whole army [entire army of warriors/mighty men]. ⁹ The Ammonites came out and ·prepared for battle [drew up in battle lines] at the city ·gate [entrance]. The kings who had come to help were out in the ·field [open country] by themselves.

¹⁰ Joab saw that there were enemies both in front of him and behind him. So he chose some of the ·best [elite] soldiers of Israel and ·sent them out to fight [deployed/arrayed them against] the ·Arameans [or Ammonites, 2 Sam. 10:10]. ¹¹ Joab put the rest of the army under the command of Abishai, his brother. ·Then they went out to fight the Ammonites [or …who was to attack the Ammonites; ^Cpossibly Joab attacked the Arameans and Abishai attacked the Ammonites]. ¹² Joab said to Abishai, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, you must help me. Or, if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will help you. ¹³ Be ·strong [brave; courageous]. We must fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what ·he thinks is right [^Lis good in his sight].”

¹⁴ Then Joab and the army with him went to attack the Arameans, and the Arameans ·ran away [fled before him]. ¹⁵ When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans were ·running away [fleeing], they also ·ran away [fled] from Joab’s brother Abishai and ·went back [retreated] to their city. So Joab went back to Jerusalem.

¹⁶ When the Arameans saw that Israel had defeated them, they sent messengers to bring other Arameans from ·east of the Euphrates [^Lbeyond the] River. Their leader was ·Shophach [or Shobach; 2 Sam. 10:18], the commander of Hadadezer’s army.

¹⁷ When David heard about this, he ·gathered [mobilized; mustered] all the Israelites, and they crossed over the Jordan River. He ·prepared [positioned; deployed] them for battle, facing the Arameans. The Arameans fought with him, ¹⁸ but they ·ran away [fled] from the Israelites. David killed seven thousand [^Cseven hundred in 2 Sam. 10:18] Aramean chariot drivers and forty thousand Aramean foot soldiers. He also killed ·Shophach [or Shobach, 2 Sam. 10:18], the commander of the Aramean army.

¹⁹ When ·those who served [the subjects/vassals of] Hadadezer saw that the Israelites had defeated them, they made peace with David and ·served him [became his subjects]. So the Arameans ·refused [were unwilling] to help the Ammonites again.