er to terrify the Israelites, asking them
to send out a man to fight with him, but he was not truly brave, for he
had carefully covered his great body with armor of brass, so that no
spear or sword could touch him. He defied Israel every morning and
evening for forty days, and no one was found who would dare to go out
alone to fight him. David's elder brothers were in camp, and Jesse,
their father, called David from the flocks to take food to them. He
found the army of Israel ready to go into battle, but Goliath came out
as he had done each day and defied the Israelites, who ran in terror at
the sight of him. The spirit of David was moved at this, and he said:

"Who is this Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living
God?" "The man who killeth him," said one, "the King will enrich him,
and, will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in
Israel."

Then Eliab, David's eldest brother, spoke sternly to David asking him
why he had left his sheep to come down and see the battle, and called
him naughty and proud, but David still talked with the men, for the
spirit of the Lord was strong within him. When Saul heard of him and
sent for him, David said:

"Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight
with the Philistine."

Saul frowned at David and said:

"Thou art not able to go against this Philistine; thou art but a youth,
and he is a man of war."

Then David told the king how he had killed both a lion and a bear that
had come down upon his father's flocks, and that he could also conquer
the Philistine.

"The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and the paw of
the bear," said David, "He will deliver me out of the hand of this
Philistine." And Saul said: "Go! and the Lord be with thee." Then
Saul armed David with his own armor, but David said:

"I can not go with these, for I have not proved them," and he put them
off.

And this was the way David armed himself to meet the giant.

He took his staff in hand, and chose five smooth stones from the brook
and put them in his shepherd's bag, and with his sling in his hand, he
drew near to the giant. Goliath came on also, his armor-bearer
carrying the shield before him, but when he saw the youth David, he
despised him, for he was without armor, or sword or spear, only his
staff.

"Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with a staff," said Goliath, and
then he told him that he would soon give his flesh