ord deliver thee into mine hand; and I
will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the
bodies of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the
air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know
that there is a God in Israel. And all this army shall know that the
Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and
He will give you into our hands."

Upon this the giant came near to meet David; and the youth made haste
and took a stone out of his bag, and slung it with such skill and force
that it smote Goliath in the forehead, and sank so deeply that the huge
warrior fell lifeless to the ground. David then ran and stood upon the
body of the giant, and having no weapon except his sling, cut off
Goliath's head with his own sword. When the Philistines saw that their
champion had fallen, they turned and ran without more ado.

Then with loud shouts the men of Israel rushed across the vale of oaks,
shooting their arrows as they ran, for they were good bowmen.
Scattering the Philistines, they drove them back to their own country,
until they took refuge in their walled towns of Gath and Ekron.

After this the men of Israel returned to their enemy's camp at Succoth,
and plundered the tents, wagons, sacks, and baggage. When this had
been done they feasted and rejoiced over the victory, and drove off the
horses and cattle of their foes, carrying everything up to their own
towns and villages in the hills. And from that day forward David was
the hero of all the young men of the army of Saul.

IV.

The tall, gloomy king now sent for David, the hero of the battle of
Succoth, and leaning on his spear among his chiefs, Saul told the young
shepherd of Bethlehem that he must not return any more to his father's
house, for he was to be one of the chief captains of the army. And
David was glad, for he loved fighting. When Jonathan, the king's son,
saw the young shepherd standing daily among the chiefs in his father's
tent, he took a strong liking for him; and as time passed his soul was
knit with David's, until he loved him as he loved himself. And the
king was pleased that his son and David were such good friends.

One day Jonathan took David into his tent, and there the young men
promised to be friends all their lives till death should part them.
Now David was very poor compared with the king's son, and had only the
rough clothing of a herdsman, thick and