Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

To the Overcomer upon Neginah, A Psalm of David.

¹ ¶ Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.

² From the end of the earth I will cry unto thee when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

³ For thou hast been a shelter for me and a strong tower from the enemy.

⁴ I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever; I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.

⁵ ¶ For thou, O God, hast heard my vows; thou hast given an inheritance to those that fear thy name.

⁶ Thou wilt add days upon days unto the king’s life; his years shall be from generation to generation.

⁷ He shall abide before God for ever; He is aware of mercy and truth which preserve him.

⁸ So I will sing thy name for ever, performing my vows each day.

9 ¶ And David said, Is anyone left of the house of Saul that I may show him mercy for Jonathan’s sake?

² And there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy slave is he.

³ And the king said, Is there no one left of the house of Saul that I may show the mercy of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, There remains a son of Jonathan, who is lame on his feet.

⁴ And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar.

⁵ Then King David sent and took him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar.

⁶ Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face and worshipped. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy slave!

⁷ And David said unto him, Fear not; for I will surely show thee mercy for Jonathan, thy father’s sake, and will restore unto thee all the land of Saul, thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.

⁸ And he bowed himself and said, Who is thy slave, that thou should look upon such a dead dog as I am?

⁹ ¶ Then the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master’s son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house.

¹⁰ Thou, therefore, and thy sons and thy slaves shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits that thy master’s son may have bread to eat, but Mephibosheth, thy master’s son, shall eat bread always at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty slaves.

¹¹ Then Ziba said unto the king, According to all that my lord the king has commanded his slave, so shall thy slave do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table as one of the king’s sons.

¹² And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth.

¹³ So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king’s table and was lame on both his feet.

15 ¶ Then all the publicans and sinners drew near unto him to hear him.

² And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receives sinners and eats with them.

³ And he spoke this parable unto them, saying,

⁴ What man of you having a hundred sheep if he lose one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after that which is lost until he finds it?

⁵ And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

⁶ And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.

⁷ I say unto you that likewise there shall be more joy in heaven over one sinner that repents than over ninety-nine just persons, who need no repentance.