David and Mephibosheth

Once upon a time, there was a king named David. David had a very good friend named Jonathan, and Jonathan had a son named Mephibosheth. When Mephibosheth was just a little boy, both his grandfather, King Saul, and his father, Jonathan, died in a battle. Because he was from the royal family, Mephibosheth was scared and went into hiding, living in a place called Lo Debar. King David, after becoming king, remembered his promise to Jonathan. He wanted to show kindness to someone from Jonathan’s family for his friend’s sake. So, he asked if anyone from Saul’s family was still alive. They found Mephibosheth, who was now grown up but had been injured and couldn’t walk well. When Mephibosheth was brought before David, he was very scared. But King David reassured him, saying, “Don’t be afraid, for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.” From that day on, Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, treated like one of the king’s own sons, eating at the king’s table every day. This showed everyone how much David loved and honored his promise to Jonathan.