³ Then ^(A)Jonathan cut a covenant with David because he loved him as his own soul.

¹² Then Jonathan said to David, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, be witness! When I have examined my father about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if there is good feeling toward David, shall I not then send to you and reveal it in your ear? ¹³ If it please my father to do you harm, ^(A)may Yahweh do so to Jonathan and more also, if I do not reveal it in your ear and send you away, that you may go in peace. And ^(B)may Yahweh be with you as He has been with my father. ¹⁴ And if I am still alive, will you not show me the lovingkindness of Yahweh, that I may not die? ^15 (C)You shall not cut off your lovingkindness from my house forever, not even when Yahweh cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.” ¹⁶ So Jonathan cut a covenant with the house of David, saying, “^(D)May Yahweh require it at the hands of David’s enemies.” ¹⁷ And Jonathan made David swear again because of his love for him, because ^(E)he loved him as he loved his own soul.

¹⁸ So ^(A)the two of them cut a covenant before Yahweh; and David stayed at Horesh while Jonathan went to his house.

David’s Lovingkindness to Mephibosheth

9 Then David said, “Is there yet ^[a]anyone left of the house of Saul, ^(A)that I may show him lovingkindness for Jonathan’s sake?” ² Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David; and the king said to him, “Are you ^(B)Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” ³ And the king said, “Is there not yet anyone of the house of Saul to whom I may show the ^(C)lovingkindness of God?” And Ziba said to the king, “^(D)There is still a son of Jonathan who is crippled in both feet.” ⁴ So the king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is ^(E)in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel in Lo-debar.” ⁵ Then King David sent and took him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar. ^6 (F)So Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, came to David and ^(G)fell on his face and prostrated himself. And David said, “Mephibosheth.” And he said, “Here is your servant!” ⁷ And David said to him, “Do not fear, for ^(H)I will surely show lovingkindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and ^(I)will restore to you all the ^[b]land of your ^[c]grandfather Saul; and ^(J)you shall ^[d]eat at my table continually.”