⁷ But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Saul’s son Jonathan, because of the oath of the Lord that was between them, between David and Jonathan son of Saul.^(A)

⁴ Saul’s son Jonathan had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, and in her haste to flee it happened that he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.^(A)

¹⁸ Then the two of them made a covenant before the Lord; David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.^(A)

¹⁵ never cut off your faithful love from my house, even if the Lord were to cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.”^(A)

³ Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as his own soul.

¹⁰ You and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, so that your master’s grandson may have food to eat, but your master’s grandson Mephibosheth shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.^(A)

⁸ Therefore deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a sacred covenant^[a] with you. But if there is guilt in me, kill me yourself; why should you bring me to your father?”^(A)

⁴² Then Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, since both of us have sworn in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord shall be between me and you and between my descendants and your descendants forever.’ ” He got up and left, and Jonathan went into the city.^[a](A)

¹⁷ Jonathan made David swear again by his love for him, for he loved him as he loved his own life.^(A)

²⁵ When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, “Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?”^(A)