DAVID AND GOLIATH.


AND there was war with the Philistines. And the army of the Philistines was on the side of a mountain, and the army of Israel on the side of another mountain just opposite. And a valley lay between them. Now among the Philistines there was a giant, whose name was Goliath, and every day for forty days, he came down into the valley, and defied the armies of Israel. 

This man was nearly twelve feet high, more than twice as tall as an ordinary man. He wore a coat of mail that weighed one hundred and ninety pounds. His spear was like a weaver's beam, and the head of it weighed more than twenty pounds. No man could be found in the army of Israel who dared to go out and fight with this giant. At this time, David was at home, keeping his father's sheep; but his three oldest brothers were in the army, and their father sent David to take them some things, and to see how it fared with them. While he was in the camp, he saw Goliath in the valley, crying aloud for some one to come and fight with him. 

David thought it a shame that this man should be allowed to defy the armies of the living God in this way, and offered to go out and meet him.

When Saul heard of this, he had David brought before him, and talked with him. He thought it would be in vain for David, who was but a youth, to go out and fight with this giant, who had been a man of war all his days; but when David told him how he had with his own hands slain a lion and a bear that had attacked his father's flock, Saul consented to let him go, and placed his own armor upon him. David had never worn any such armor, and did not wish to fight in it now; so he laid it off, and taking a sling, and a staff, and five smooth stones from the brook, he drew nigh to the giant.

The Philistine was so angry at having a stripling come out to fight him, that he cursed, and said, "Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? . . . . Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 

.... And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his fore-head, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. .... And David ran and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled."