Mephibosheth is a very long name for a very small boy. But Jonathan, the prince of Israel, thought it a, very good name for his little son, and soon the child grew old enough to answer when they called that name.
One day Jonathan kissed his little boy good-by and went away to the battle at Mount Gilboa. He never came back again; for in/ that battle against the Philistines he was killed. And his father, King Saul, was killed, too. Many others of; the soldiers of Israel were killed by their enemies that day.
When news from the battle (reached the city of Gibeah, every one became excited. And every one in the King’s household became very much afraid. Even the servants were afraid. They knew their own lives would not be safe after their master, the King, had been killed by the Philistines, for the Philistines would send soldiers to Gibeah to take that city and to destroy every one they could find who belonged to Saul’s family. And so the servants and all the people who lived in the palace ran away.
Mephibosheth was not big enough to run very far, for he was only five years old. He could not understand why every one was hurrying away so fast.’ He grew tired, and perhaps he began to cry. Then his nurse picked him up and carried him in her arms.; But while she was running along with the other servants she stumbled and dropped the little Prince to the ground. Both his feet were hurt so badly in that fall that he was never able to run about and play with other children again. He was taken to the home of a kind man who lived on the other side of the Jordan River, and there he lived till he grew to be a man. After David became the king of Israel he remembered his dear friend Jonathan, who had been killed by the Philistines. He remembered how Jonathan had planned to live near him after he should be-come king. And he remembered his promise always to be kind to this faithful friend and to his children.
But Jonathan was dead, and David missed him when he came back to live again in Israel, He remembered the promise he had made to Jonathan, and he began to look about to find where Jonathan’s children had gone. He could find none in Gibeah, and after a long time he heard about Mephibosheth, the lame prince who was living in the country of Israel on the other side of the Jordan River. So he sent after Mephibosheth and had him brought to the palace at Jerusalem.
Mephibosheth was now a grown man, and he had married a wife. Perhaps he felt afraid when the messenger came from Jerusalem, saying that David had sent for him. But he hurried to the palace to speak with the old-time friend of his father. When he came before David he bowed down to the ground in a very humble manner. And David said, “Mephibosheth, do not be afraid of me, for I wish to show kindness to you for your father’s sake. I want to give back to you all the land that once belonged to your grandfather, King Saul, and I want you to come and live in my palace and sit at my table every day.”
Then David called an old man who had been a servant of King Saul, and he told this servant to take care of the lands and fields that now belonged to Mephibosheth. And this old man and his sons became servants of Mephibosheth.
The lame Prince brought his wife and his little son, whose name was Micha, from their home on the other side of the Jordan River, and they lived with him at Jerusalem among the children of the King. As long as Mephibosheth lived, David was kind to him, for his friend Jonathan’s sake.