A wise person listens to both sides

and makes a fair judgment between them.

When King David was fleeing from Absalom,

Shiba, a servant of Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan and grandson of Saul,

pursued him with two donkeys loaded with 200 loaves of bread,

100 bunches of raisins, 100 fresh fruits, and a skin of wine.

 When David asked Shiba, "Where is Mephibosheth?"

Shiba answered, "He remains in Jerusalem, for he thinks the Israelites

will restore to him his grandfather's kingdom."

However, Shiba's words were not true; they were lies.

He betrayed his master Mephibosheth and slandered him before King David with lies.

Even though Mephibosheth, who was crippled,

asked his servant Ziba to saddle a donkey so he could accompany King David,

Ziba betrayed him, causing Mephibosheth not to go with David

(2 Samuel 19:26-27).

As I reflect on this passage, I think King David, lacking wisdom,

was deceived by Ziba's falsehoods.

That's why he promised Ziba all that belonged to Mephibosheth (16:4).

Later, upon hearing Mephibosheth's side of the story,

King David changed his decision, saying,

"I will divide equally the land of Saul between you and Ziba" (19:29).

A wise person listens to both sides and makes a fair judgment

(Deuteronomy 1:13, 15, 16).