Mephibosheth Greets the King

Then the king returned and went as far as the Jordan.

Now the men of Judah had come to Gilgal
to go out and meet the king
and bring him across the Jordan.
Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim,
hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David.
With him were a thousand Benjamites,
along with Ziba, the steward of Saul's household,
and his fifteen sons and twenty servants.
They rushed to the Jordan,
where the king was.
They crossed at the ford
to take the king's household over
and to do whatever he wished.

Mephibosheth, Saul's grandson,
also went down to meet the king.
He had not taken care of his feet
or trimmed his mustache
or washed his clothes from the day the king left
until the day he returned safely.
When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king,
the king asked him,
"Why didn't you go with me, Mephibosheth?"

He said, "My lord the king,
since I your servant am lame, I said,
'I will have my donkey saddled and will ride on it,
so I can go with the king.'
But Ziba my servant betrayed me.
And he has slandered your servant to my lord the king.
My lord the king is like an angel of God;
so do whatever pleases you.
All my grandfather's descendants
deserved nothing but death from my lord the king,
but you gave your servant a place among those
who eat at your table.
So what right do I have
to make any more appeals to the King?"

The king said to him,
"Why say more?
I order you and Ziba to divide the fields."

Mephibosheth said to the king,
"Let him take everything,
now that my lord the king has arrived home safely."

(II Samuel 19:15-18, 24-30)