sight: on the hillside of the Philistines, a warrior was
striding forward, calling out something in a taunting voice; he was a
gigantic man, the largest David had ever seen, and he was all dressed
in armor, that shone in the sun: he had a helmet of brass upon his
head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and he had greaves of brass
upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders; his spear
was so tremendous that the staff of it was like a weaver's beam, and
his shield so great that a man went before him, to carry it.

"Who is that?" asked David.

"It is Goliath, of Gath, champion of the Philistines," said the
soldiers about. "Every day, for forty days, he has come forth, so, and
challenged us to send a man against him, in single combat; and since no
one dares to go out against him alone, the armies cannot fight." (That
was one of the laws of warfare in those times.)

"What!" said David, "does none dare go out against him?"

As he spoke, the giant stood still, on the hillside opposite the
Israelitish host, and shouted his challenge, scornfully. He said, "Why
are ye come out to set your battle in array? Am I not a Philistine,
and ye servants of Saul? Choose you a man for you, and let him come
down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will
we be your servants; but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then
shall ye be our servants, and serve us. I defy the armies of Israel
this day; give me a man, that we may fight together!"

When King Saul heard these words, he was dismayed, and all the men of
Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were sore afraid.
David heard them talking among themselves, whispering and murmuring.
They were saying, "Have ye seen this man that is come up? Surely if
any one killeth him that man will the king make rich; perhaps he will
give him his daughter in marriage, and make his family free in Israel!"

David heard this, and he asked the men if it were so. It was surely
so, they said.

"But," said David, "who is this Philistine, that he should defy the
armies of the living God?" And he was stirred with anger.

Very soon, some of the officers told the king about the youth who was
asking so many questions, and who said that a mere Philistine should
not be let defy the armies of the living God. Immediately Saul sent
for him. When David came before Saul, he said to the king, "Let no
man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go an