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Psalm 147

1  Alleluia.
      How good it is to make music for our God, ♦︎
   how joyful to honour him with praise.
2  The Lord builds up Jerusalem ♦︎
   and gathers together the outcasts of Israel.
3  He heals the brokenhearted ♦︎
   and binds up all their wounds.
4  He counts the number of the stars ♦︎
   and calls them all by their names.
5  Great is our Lord and mighty in power; ♦︎
   his wisdom is beyond all telling.
6  The Lord lifts up the poor, ♦︎
   but casts down the wicked to the ground.
7  Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; ♦︎
   make music to our God upon the lyre;
8  Who covers the heavens with clouds ♦︎
   and prepares rain for the earth;
9  Who makes grass to grow upon the mountains ♦︎
   and green plants to serve our needs.
10  He gives the beasts their food ♦︎
   and the young ravens when they cry.
11  He takes no pleasure in the power of a horse, ♦︎
   no delight in human strength;
12  But the Lord delights in those who fear him, ♦︎
   who put their trust in his steadfast love.
13  Sing praise to the Lord, O Jerusalem; ♦︎
   praise your God, O Zion;
14  For he has strengthened the bars of your gates ♦︎
   and has blest your children within you.
15  He has established peace in your borders ♦︎
   and satisfies you with the finest wheat.
16  He sends forth his command to the earth ♦︎
   and his word runs very swiftly.
17  He gives snow like wool ♦︎
   and scatters the hoarfrost like ashes.
18  He casts down his hailstones like morsels of bread; ♦︎
   who can endure his frost?
19  He sends forth his word and melts them; ♦︎
   he blows with his wind and the waters flow.
20  He declares his word to Jacob, ♦︎
   his statutes and judgements to Israel.
21  He has not dealt so with any other nation; ♦︎
   they do not know his laws.
      Alleluia.

David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth

9David asked, ‘Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul to whom I may show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?’ ²Now 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!’ ³The 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.’ ⁴The 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.’ ⁵Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. ⁶Mephibosheth^* 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.’ ⁷David 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.’ ⁸He did obeisance and said, ‘What is your servant, that you should look upon a dead dog such as I am?’

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. ¹⁰You 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. ¹¹Then 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^* table, like one of the king’s sons. ¹²Mephibosheth^* had a young son whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba’s house became Mephibosheth’s^* servants. ¹³Mephibosheth^* lived in Jerusalem, for he always ate at the king’s table. Now he was lame in both his feet.

34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ³⁵For 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,^* will save it. ³⁶For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? ³⁷Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? ³⁸Those who are ashamed of me and of my words^* 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.’ 9¹And 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^* power.’