²³ Now swear^(A) to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants.^(B) Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you.”^(C)

¹⁴ But show me unfailing kindness^(A) like the Lord’s kindness as long as I live, so that I may not be killed, ¹⁵ and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family^(B)—not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.”

¹⁶ So Jonathan^(C) made a covenant^(D) with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord call David’s enemies to account.^(E)” ¹⁷ And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath^(F) out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.

⁶ let seven of his male descendants be given to us to be killed and their bodies exposed^(A) before the Lord at Gibeah of Saul—the Lord’s chosen^(B) one.”

So the king said, “I will give them to you.”

⁷ The king spared Mephibosheth^(C) son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath^(D) before the Lord between David and Jonathan son of Saul. ⁸ But the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Aiah’s daughter Rizpah,^(E) whom she had borne to Saul, together with the five sons of Saul’s daughter Merab,^[a] whom she had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite.^(F)