²⁴ Then ^(A)Mephibosheth the ^[a]son of Saul came down to meet the king; and ^(B)he had neither ^[b]cared for his feet, nor ^[c]trimmed his mustache, nor ^(C)washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came home in peace. ²⁵ It was when he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said to him, “^(D)Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?” ²⁶ So he answered, “O my lord, the king, my servant deceived me; for your servant said, ‘I will saddle a donkey for myself that I may ride on it and go with the king,’ ^(E)because your servant is lame.