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Saturday, September 13th, 2025
the Week of Proper 18 / Ordinary 23
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World English Bible

2 Samuel 19:26

He answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me: for your servant said, I will saddle me a donkey, that I may ride thereon, and go with the king; because your servant is lame.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - David;   Mephibosheth;   Rashness;   Servant;   Slander;   Ziba;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Servants;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ziba;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prophet;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Mephibosheth;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Samuel, Books of;   Ziba;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ass;   Samuel, Books of;   Ziba;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Joram;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Mephibosheth ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Mephibosheth;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Ass;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ass;   Betray;   Mephibosheth;   Samuel, Books of;   Ziba;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“My lord the king,” he replied, “my servant Ziba betrayed me. Actually your servant said: ‘I’ll saddle the donkey for myself so that I may ride it and go with the king’—for your servant is lame.
Hebrew Names Version
He answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me: for your servant said, I will saddle me a donkey, that I may ride thereon, and go with the king; because your servant is lame.
King James Version
And he answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me: for thy servant said, I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go to the king; because thy servant is lame.
Lexham English Bible
Then he said, "My lord the king, my servant deceived me, for your servant had said, ‘Let me saddle the donkey that I may ride on her and go with the king,' for your servant is lame.
English Standard Version
He answered, "My lord, O king, my servant deceived me, for your servant said to him, ‘I will saddle a donkey for myself, that I may ride on it and go with the king.' For your servant is lame.
New Century Version
He answered, "My master, my servant Ziba tricked me! I said to Ziba, ‘I am crippled, so saddle a donkey. Then I will ride it so I can go with the king.'
New English Translation
He replied, "My lord the king, my servant deceived me! I said, ‘Let me get my donkey saddled so that I can ride on it and go with the king,' for I am lame.
Amplified Bible
He said, "My lord the king, my servant [Ziba] betrayed me; for I said, 'Saddle a donkey for me so that I may ride on it and go with the king,' for your servant is lame [but he took the donkeys and left without me].
New American Standard Bible
So he said, "My lord the king, my servant betrayed me; for your servant said, 'I will saddle the donkey for myself so that I may ride on it and go with the king,' since your servant cannot walk.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And he answered, My lorde the king, my seruant deceiued me: for thy seruant said, I would haue mine asse sadled to ride thereon, for to goe with the king, because thy seruant is lame.
Legacy Standard Bible
So he answered, "O my lord, the king, my servant deceived me; for your servant said, ‘I will saddle a donkey for myself that I may ride on it and go with the king,' because your servant is lame.
Contemporary English Version
He answered, "Your Majesty, you know I can't walk. I told my servant to saddle a donkey for me so I could go with you. But my servant left without me, and
Complete Jewish Bible
When he came to Yerushalayim to meet the king, the king said to him, "Why didn't you go with me, M'fivoshet?"
Darby Translation
And he said, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me; for thy servant said, I will saddle me the ass, and ride thereon, and go with the king; for thy servant is lame.
Easy-to-Read Version
Mephibosheth answered, "My lord and king, my servant tricked me. I am crippled so I said to my servant, Ziba, ‘Go saddle a donkey for me so that I can go with the king.'
George Lamsa Translation
Mephibosheth answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me: for I said to him, Saddle me an ass that I may ride upon it and go with my lord the king; because your servant is lame.
Good News Translation
He answered, "As you know, Your Majesty, I am crippled. I told my servant to saddle my donkey so that I could ride along with you, but he betrayed me.
Literal Translation
And he said, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me. For your servant said, I will saddle the ass for myself and ride on it and go with the king, for your servant is lame.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And he sayde: My lorde O kynge, my seruaut hath dealte vnrighteously with me: for thy seruaunt thoughte: I wyl saddell an asse and ryde theron, and go vnto the kynge: for thy seruaunt is lame,
American Standard Version
And he answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me: for thy servant said, I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go with the king; because thy servant is lame.
Bible in Basic English
And he said in answer, Because of the deceit of my servant, my lord king: for I, your servant, said to him, You are to make ready an ass and on it I will go with the king, for your servant has not the use of his feet.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
He aunswered: My lorde O king, my seruaunt deceaued me: For thy seruaunt saide, I would haue myne asse sadled to ryde thereon, for to go to the king: because thy seruaunt is lame.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And it came to pass, when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him: 'Wherefore wentest not thou with me, Mephibosheth?'
King James Version (1611)
And hee answered, My lord O king, my seruant deceiued mee; for thy seruant sayd, I will saddle me an asse that I may ride thereon, and goe to the king, because thy seruant is lame:
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Memphibosthe said to him, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me; for thy servant said to him, Saddle me the ass, and I will ride upon it, and go with the king; for thy servant is lame.
English Revised Version
And he answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me: for thy servant said, I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go with the king; because thy servant is lame.
Berean Standard Bible
"My lord the king," he replied, "because I am lame, I said, 'I will have my donkey saddled so that I may ride on it and go with the king.' But my servant Ziba deceived me,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he answeride and seide, My lord the kyng, my seruaunt dispiside me; and Y thi seruaunt seide to hym, that he schulde sadle the asse to me, and Y schulde stie, and Y schulde go with the king; for Y thi seruaunt am crokid.
Young's Literal Translation
And he saith, `My lord, O king, my servant deceived me, for thy servant said, I saddle for me the ass, and ride on it, and go with the king, for thy servant [is] lame;
Update Bible Version
And he answered, My lord, O king, my slave deceived me: for your slave said, I will saddle myself a donkey, that I may ride thereon, and go with the king; because your slave is lame.
Webster's Bible Translation
And he answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me: for thy servant said, I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride on it, and go to the king; because thy servant [is] lame.
New King James Version
And he answered, "My lord, O king, my servant deceived me. For your servant said, "I will saddle a donkey for myself, that I may ride on it and go to the king,' because your servant is lame.
New Living Translation
Mephibosheth replied, "My lord the king, my servant Ziba deceived me. I told him, ‘Saddle my donkey so I can go with the king.' For as you know I am crippled.
New Life Bible
He answered, "O my lord the king, my servant lied to me. Your servant had said to him, ‘Get a donkey ready for me to travel on, so I may go with the king.' Because your servant cannot walk.
New Revised Standard
He answered, "My lord, O king, my servant deceived me; for your servant said to him, ‘Saddle a donkey for me, so that I may ride on it and go with the king.' For your servant is lame.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he said, My lord, O king, my servant, betrayed me, - for thy servant said - I will even saddle me mine ass, that I may ride thereon, and go with the king, for, lame, is thy servant.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he answering, said: My lord, O king, my servant despised me: for I thy servant spoke to him to saddle me an ass, that I might get on and go with the king: for I thy servant am lame.
Revised Standard Version
He answered, "My lord, O king, my servant deceived me; for your servant said to him, 'Saddle an ass for me, that I may ride upon it and go with the king.' For your servant is lame.
THE MESSAGE
"My master the king," he said, "my servant betrayed me. I told him to saddle my donkey so I could ride it and go with the king, for, as you know, I am lame. And then he lied to you about me. But my master the king has been like one of God's angels: he knew what was right and did it. Wasn't everyone in my father's house doomed? But you took me in and gave me a place at your table. What more could I ever expect or ask?"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
So he answered, "O my lord, the king, my servant deceived me; for your servant said, 'I will saddle a donkey for myself that I may ride on it and go with the king,' because your servant is lame.

Contextual Overview

24 Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king; and he had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came home in peace. 25 It happened, when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said to him, Why didn't you go with me, Mephibosheth? 26 He answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me: for your servant said, I will saddle me a donkey, that I may ride thereon, and go with the king; because your servant is lame. 27 He has slandered your servant to my lord the king; but my lord the king is as an angel of God: do therefore what is good in your eyes. 28 For all my father's house were but dead men before my lord the king; yet you set your servant among those who ate at your own table. What right therefore have I yet that I should cry any more to the king? 29 The king said to him, Why speak you any more of your matters? I say, You and Ziba divide the land. 30 Mephibosheth said to the king, yes, let him take all, because my lord the king is come in peace to his own house.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I will saddle: 2 Samuel 16:2, 2 Samuel 16:3

thy servant: 2 Samuel 4:4

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 9:3 - yet a son 2 Samuel 9:11 - According 2 Samuel 19:17 - Ziba 1 Kings 13:13 - General Proverbs 30:10 - Accuse not

Cross-References

Genesis 19:17
It came to pass, when they had taken them out, that he said, "Escape for your life! Don't look behind you, neither stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountain, lest you be consumed!"
Genesis 19:31
The firstborn said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in to us after the manner of all the earth.
Genesis 19:32
Come, let's make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve our father's seed."
Numbers 16:38
even the censers of these sinners against their own lives; and let them be made beaten plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before Yahweh; therefore they are holy; and they shall be a sign to the children of Israel.
Proverbs 14:14
The unfaithful will be repaid for his own ways; Likewise a good man will be rewarded for his ways.
Hebrews 10:38
But the righteous will live by faith. If he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he answered, my lord, O king, my servant deceived me,.... His servant Ziba, who, instead of saddling an ass for him by his order, went off with that and another himself, 2 Samuel 16:1; for thy servant

said, I will saddle me an ass; he not only determined this in his own mind, but gave orders to his servant to saddle one for him:

that I may ride thereon, and go to the king, because thy servant [is] lame; and could not walk afoot, being lame of both his feet, 2 Samuel 4:4.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

What appears to have happened is, that when Mephibosheth ordered Ziba to saddle the donkeys and ride with him to join David, Ziba left him under pretence of obeying, but instead laded the donkeys with provisions, and went off alone with them, thus making it impossible for Mephibosheth to follow.


 
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