David Is Kind to Mephibosheth
1 One day, David thought, “I wonder if any of Saul's family are still alive. If they are, I will be kind to them, because I made a promise to Jonathan.” 2 David called in Ziba, one of the servants of Saul's family. David said, “So you are Ziba.”
“Yes, Your Majesty, I am.”
3 David asked, “Are any of Saul's family still alive? If there are, I want to be kind to them.”
Ziba answered, “One of Jonathan's sons is still alive, but he can't walk.”
4 “Where is he?” David asked.
Ziba replied, “He lives in Lo-Debar with Machir the son of Ammiel.”
5-6 David sent some servants to bring Jonathan's son from Lo-Debar. His name was Mephibosheth, and he was the grandson of Saul. He came to David and knelt down.
David asked, “Are you Mephibosheth?”
“Yes, I am, Your Majesty.”
7 David said, “Don't be afraid. I'll be kind to you because Jonathan was your father. I'm going to give you back the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul. Besides that, you will always eat with me at my table.”
8 Mephibosheth knelt down again and said, “Why should you care about me? I'm worth no more than a dead dog.”
9 David called in Ziba, Saul's chief servant, and told him, “Since Mephibosheth is Saul's grandson, I've given him back everything that belonged to your master Saul and his family. 10 You and your 15 sons and 20 servants will work for Mephibosheth. You will farm his land and bring in his crops, so that Saul's family and servants will have food. But Mephibosheth will always eat with me at my table.”
11-13 Ziba replied, “Your Majesty, I will do exactly what you tell me to do.” So Ziba's family and servants worked for Mephibosheth.
Mephibosheth was lame, but he lived in Jerusalem and ate at David's table, just like one of David's own sons. And he had a young son of his own, named Mica.
Dawuda niŋ Mefiboseti
1 Dawuda ye ñininkaaroo ke ko, “Fo moo le tuta Sawulu la buŋo to baŋ, n si beteyaa yitandi meŋ na Yonatani la kuwo kamma la?”
2 Bituŋ Sawulu la dookuulaa doo naata tara jee, ì ka a fo meŋ ye Siba. Ì ye a kumandi Dawuda ye. Mansa ko a ye ko, “Fo ite le mu Siba ti baŋ?”
A ko a ye ko, “Haa, nte le mu, i la dookuulaa.”
3 Mansa ko, “Fo moo le tuta Sawulu la buŋo kono baŋ, n si Alla la beteyaa yitandi meŋ na?”
Siba ko mansa ye ko, “Yonatani dinkewo le tuta jee, bari a siŋolu lanjuuruta le.”
4 Mansa ko a ye ko, “A be mintoo le?”
Siba ko mansa ye ko, “A be Ammiyeli dinkewo Makiri la suwo le kono, meŋ be Lo-Deba.” 5 Wo to le Mansa Dawuda ye kiilaa kii ka taa a kamma Makiri Ammiyeli dinkewo la suwo kono, meŋ be Lo-Deba.
6 Mefiboseti Yonatani dinkewo Sawulu mamariŋo, futata waatoo meŋ na, a ñoyita Dawuda ye le. Dawuda ko a ye ko, “Mefiboseti!” A ye a jaabi ko, “Nte le mu, i la dookuulaa.”
7 Dawuda ko a ye ko, “Kana sila, kaatu m be beteyaa le yitandi la i la i faamaa Yonatani la kuwo kamma la. M be senebankoolu bee seyindi la i la le, meŋ keta i mamakewo Sawulu taa ti, aduŋ waati-wo-waati n niŋ i be domoroo ke la ñoo kaŋ ne.”
8 Mefiboseti ñoyita kotenke, a ko, “I la dookuulaa mu muŋ ne ti, hani wulu furewo le fisiyaata nte ti, i ka beteyaa yitandi nte meŋ na teŋ.” 9 Bituŋ mansa ye Sawulu la dookuulaa Siba kumandi, a ko a ye ko, “Feŋ-wo-feŋ keta Sawulu niŋ a la dimbaayaa taa ti, ŋa a dii i la keebaa mamariŋo le la. 10 Ite, i dinkewolu aniŋ i la dookuulaalu le be bankoo dookuu la a ye, ali ye fiifeŋolu kati naŋ, fo a si i munafaŋ wolu la. Aduŋ waati-wo-waati, a niŋ m be domoroo ke la ñoo kaŋ ne.” Saayiŋ Siba ye dinkee taŋ niŋ luulu le soto, aniŋ dookuulaa muwaŋ.
11 Siba ye a jaabi ko, “I ye feŋ-wo-feŋ fo, m be wo le ke la.”
Wo to le Mefiboseti niŋ Dawuda ka domoroo ke ñoo kaŋ komeŋ mansa dinkewolu. 12 Mefiboseti ye dinkewo le soto, meŋ too mu Mika ti. Siba la dimbaayaa bee naata ke Mefiboseti la dookuulaalu ti. 13 Mefiboseti be sabatiriŋ Yerusalaamu le, kaatu waati-wo-waati a niŋ mansa ka domoroo ke ñoo kaŋ ne. A siŋolu bee lanjuuruta.
