Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 61

For the music leader, with stringed instruments. Of David.

David and Mephibosheth

9 David asked, “Is there anyone from Saul’s family still alive that I could show faithful love for Jonathan’s sake?” ² There was a servant from Saul’s household named Ziba, and he was summoned before David.

“Are you Ziba?” the king asked him.

“At your service!” he answered.

³ The king asked, “Is there anyone left from Saul’s family that I could show God’s kindness to?”

“Yes,” Ziba said to the king, “one of Jonathan’s sons, whose feet are crippled.”

⁴ “Where is he?” the king asked.

“He is at the house of Ammiel’s son Machir at Lo-debar,” Ziba told the king.

⁵ So King David had him brought from the house of Ammiel’s son Machir at Lo-debar. ⁶ Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son and Saul’s grandson, came to David, and he fell to the ground, bowing low out of respect.

“Mephibosheth?” David said.

“Yes,” he replied. “I am at your service!”

⁷ “Don’t be afraid,” David told him, “because I will certainly show you faithful love for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the fields of your grandfather Saul, and you will eat at my table always.”

⁸ Mephibosheth bowed low out of respect and said, “Who am I, your servant, that you should care about a dead dog like me?”

⁹ Then David summoned Saul’s servant Ziba and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything belonging to Saul and his family. ¹⁰ You will work the land for him—you, your sons, and your servants—and you will bring food into your master’s house for them to eat.^[a] But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, will always be at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

¹¹ Then Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do whatever my master the king commands.”

So Mephibosheth ate at David’s^[b] table, like one of the king’s own sons. ¹² Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica. All who lived in Ziba’s household became Mephibosheth’s servants. ¹³ Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table. He was crippled in both feet.

Occasions for celebration

15 All the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around Jesus to listen to him. ² The Pharisees and legal experts were grumbling, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

³ Jesus told them this parable: ⁴ “Suppose someone among you had one hundred sheep and lost one of them. Wouldn’t he leave the other ninety-nine in the pasture and search for the lost one until he finds it? ⁵ And when he finds it, he is thrilled and places it on his shoulders. ⁶ When he arrives home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Celebrate with me because I’ve found my lost sheep.’ ⁷ In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who changes both heart and life than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to change their hearts and lives.