Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

David wrote this song. Tell the music leader to use stringed instruments.

God will keep me safe^[a]

David helps Mephibosheth

9 David asked, ‘Is there anyone from Saul's family who is still alive? I want to be kind to them because Jonathan was my friend.’

² Saul's family had a servant called Ziba. So they asked him to come to see David. The king said to him, ‘Are you Ziba?’

Ziba replied, ‘Yes, I am your servant.’

³ The king asked him, ‘Is there anyone from Saul's family who is still alive? I want to be kind to them because of God's faithful love for his people.’^[a]

Ziba replied, ‘One of Jonathan's sons still lives. But both his feet are weak so that he cannot walk properly.’

⁴ The king asked Ziba, ‘Where is he?’

Ziba answered, ‘He lives in the house of Ammiel's son, Makir, in Lo-Debar.’

⁵ So David sent his men to bring him from the house of Ammiel's son, Makir, in Lo-Debar.

⁶ Then Jonathan's son Mephibosheth, grandson of Saul, came to David. He bent his body down to the ground to respect David.

David said, ‘Mephibosheth!’

Mephibosheth replied, ‘Yes, I am your servant.’

⁷ David said to him, ‘Do not be afraid. I will be kind to you because your father Jonathan was my friend. I will give back to you all the land which belonged to your grandfather, Saul. You will always be able to eat here with me.’

⁸ Mephibosheth bent his body low. He said, ‘I am your servant, no better than a dead dog. I do not deserve that you should be so kind to me.’

⁹ Then David sent his men to fetch Saul's servant, Ziba. David said to him, ‘I have given everything that belonged to Saul or his family to your master's grandson, Mephibosheth. ¹⁰ You, your sons and your servants must work on the land for him. You must grow crops that will be food for your master's grandson to eat. But Mephibosheth will always be able to eat with me.’ Ziba himself had 15 sons and 20 servants.

¹¹ Ziba said to the king, ‘I am your servant. I will do everything that my lord the king has told me to do.’ So after that, Mephibosheth ate meals at the king's table. He was like one of the king's own sons.

¹² Mephibosheth had a young son called Mica. Ziba and all his family and servants became servants to Mephibosheth. ¹³ That is how Mephibosheth came to live in Jerusalem. He could always eat his meals at the king's table. He had two weak feet, so he could not walk properly.

15 One day, many bad people and men who took taxes from people were coming round Jesus. They all wanted to hear what Jesus was saying. ² The Pharisees and teachers of God's Law did not like this. ‘This man is friendly with people that do not obey God,’ they said. ‘He even eats with them in their homes.’

A story about a sheep that a man has lost^[a]

³ So Jesus told them this story: ⁴ ‘Think about a man who has 100 sheep.^[b] He may lose one of them. What does he do then? He leaves all his other sheep in the fields. Then he goes. He looks for the sheep that he has lost. He looks until he finds it. ⁵ When he finds the sheep, he is very happy. He lifts it up and he puts it across his shoulders. ⁶ Then he carries it back home. He speaks to all his friends and to the people that live near him. He says, “I have found the sheep that I lost. So come to my house and we can all be happy together.” ⁷ When one person stops doing wrong things, it is like that. It makes those that live with God in heaven very happy. They will be happier about that one person, than about 99 people who already obey God.’