‘Show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite and let them be among those who eat at your table because they supported me when I fled from your brother Absalom.
‘Don’t be afraid,’ David said to him, ‘since I intend to show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all your grandfather Saul’s fields, and you will always eat meals at my table.’
You, your sons, and your servants are to work the ground for him, and you are to bring in the crops so your master’s grandson will have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, is always to eat at my table.’ Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
Blessed will be those servants the master finds alert when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will get ready, have them recline at the table, then come and serve them.
Don’t abandon your friend or your father’s friend, and don’t go to your brother’s house in your time of calamity; better a neighbour nearby than a brother far away.
For my grandfather’s entire family deserves death from my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table. So what further right do I have to keep on making appeals to the king? ’
and from the descendants of the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, the descendants of Barzillai #– #who had taken a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and who bore their name.