²⁵ When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Mephibosheth, why didn’t you come with me?”

²⁶ “My lord the king,” he replied, “my servant Ziba betrayed me. Actually your servant said: ‘I’ll saddle the donkey for myself^[a] so that I may ride it and go with the king’—for your servant is lame.^{(A) 27} Ziba slandered your servant to my lord the king.^(B) But my lord the king is like the Angel of God,^(C) so do whatever you think best.^[b]