¹⁷ At all times is the friend loving, And a brother for adversity is born.

²⁴ A man with friends `is' to show himself friendly, And there is a lover adhering more than a brother!

¹¹ for both he who is sanctifying and those sanctified `are' all of one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

¹⁶ And Ruth saith, `Urge me not to leave thee -- to turn back from after thee; for whither thou goest I go, and where thou lodgest I lodge; thy people `is' my people, and thy God my God.

⁷ All the brethren of the poor have hated him, Surely also his friends have been far from him, He is pursuing words -- they are not!

¹⁴ but if thou keep entirely silent at this time, respite and deliverance remaineth to the Jews from another place, and thou and the house of thy fathers are destroyed; and who knoweth whether for a time like this thou hast come to the kingdom?'

¹ And David saith, `Is there yet any left to the house of Saul, and I do with him kindness because of Jonathan?'

² And the house of Saul hath a servant, and his name `is' Ziba, and they call for him unto David; and the king saith unto him, `Art thou Ziba?' and he saith, `Thy servant.'

³ And the king saith, `Is there not yet a man to the house of Saul, and I do with him the kindness of God?' And Ziba saith unto the king, `Jonathan hath yet a son -- lame.'

⁴ And the king saith to him, `Where `is' he?' and Ziba saith unto the king, `Lo, he `is' in the house of Machir, son of Ammiel, in Lo-Debar.'

⁵ And king David sendeth, and taketh him out of the house of Machir son of Ammiel, of Lo-Debar,

⁶ and Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, son of Saul, cometh unto David, and falleth on his face, and doth obeisance, and David saith, `Mephibosheth;' and he saith, `Lo, thy servant.'

⁷ And David saith to him, `Be not afraid; for I certainly do with thee kindness because of Jonathan thy father, and have given back to thee all the field of Saul thy father, and thou dost eat bread at my table continually.'

⁸ And he boweth himself, and saith, `What `is' thy servant, that thou hast turned unto the dead dog -- such as I?'

⁹ And the king calleth unto Ziba servant of Saul, and saith unto him, `All that was to Saul and to all his house, I have given to the son of thy lord,

¹⁰ and thou hast served for him the land, thou and thy sons, and thy servants, and hast brought in, and there hath been to the son of thy lord bread, and he hath eaten it; and Mephibosheth son of thy lord doth eat continually bread at my table;' and Ziba hath fifteen sons and twenty servants.

¹¹ And Ziba saith unto the king, `According to all that my lord the king commandeth his servant, so doth thy servant;' as to Mephibosheth, `he is eating at my table (`saith the king') as one of the sons of the king.'

¹² And Mephibosheth hath a young son, and his name `is' Micha, and every one dwelling in the house of Ziba `are' servants to Mephibosheth.

¹³ And Mephibosheth is dwelling in Jerusalem, for at the table of the king he is eating continually, and he `is' lame of his two feet.

²⁶ I am in distress for thee, my brother Jonathan, Very pleasant wast thou to me; Wonderful was thy love to me, Above the love of women!

¹⁶ And Jonathan son of Saul riseth, and goeth unto David to the forest, and strengtheneth his hand in God,

¹⁷ and Jonathan addeth to cause David to swear, because he loveth him, for with the love of his own soul he hath loved him.

² and Jonathan son of Saul delighted exceedingly in David, and Jonathan declareth to David, saying, `Saul my father is seeking to put thee to death, and, now, take heed, I pray thee, in the morning, and thou hast abode in a secret place, and been hidden,

³ And Jonathan maketh -- also David -- a covenant, because he loveth him as his own soul,

¹³ greater love than this hath no one, that any one his life may lay down for his friends;

¹⁴ ye are my friends, if ye may do whatever I command you;