David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth

9 David asked, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul to whom I may show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”^{(A) 2} Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and he was summoned to David. The king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “At your service!”^{(B) 3} The king said, “Is there anyone remaining of the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?” Ziba said to the king, “There remains a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.”^{(C) 4} The king said to him, “Where is he?” Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.”^{(D) 5} Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. ⁶ Mephibosheth son of Jonathan son of Saul came to David and fell on his face and did obeisance. David said, “Mephibosheth!” He answered, “I am your servant.”^{(E) 7} David said to him, “Do not be afraid, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan; I will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul, and you yourself shall eat at my table always.”^{(F) 8} He did obeisance and said, “What is your servant, that you should look upon a dead dog such as I?”^(G)

⁹ Then the king summoned Saul’s servant Ziba and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson.^{(H) 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.^{(I) 11} Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so your servant will do.” Mephibosheth ate at David’s^[a] table, like one of the king’s sons. ¹² Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba’s house became Mephibosheth’s servants.^{(J) 13} Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he always ate at the king’s table. Now he was lame in both his feet.^(K)

Paul in Ephesus

19 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the interior regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples.^{(A) 2} He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” They replied, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” ³ Then he said, “Into what, then, were you baptized?” They answered, “Into John’s baptism.”^{(B) 4} Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.”^{(C) 5} On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied,^{(D) 7} altogether there were about twelve of them.

⁸ He entered the synagogue and for three months spoke out boldly and argued persuasively about the kingdom of God.^{(E) 9} When some stubbornly refused to believe and spoke evil of the Way before the congregation, he left them, taking the disciples with him, and argued daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.^{[a](F) 10} This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord.^(G)

³⁴ He called the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “If any wish to come^[a] after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.^{(A) 35} For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel,^[b] will save it.^{(B) 36} For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? ³⁷ Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? ³⁸ Those who are ashamed of me and of my words^[c] in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”^(C) 9 ¹ And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with^[d] power.”^(D)