David and the Giant
First Samuel 17
-
Two armies stood on two hills.
Between them was a valley.
Nobody would go down into it.
Read this part aloud
The army of Israel was camped on one hill and the army of the Philistines on the other, and the valley lay empty in between. For forty days neither side had moved, because of one man. Every morning he came down and shouted the same thing, and every morning the whole army of Israel went very quiet.
-
A giant came out. His name was Goliath.
He was taller than any man there.
Send someone to fight me, he shouted.
Everybody was afraid.
Read this part aloud
Goliath was enormous. His armour alone weighed more than a boy could lift, and the spear across his shoulder was like a weaver's beam. Send out your best man, he roared across the valley, and let us settle it. And the soldiers of Israel looked at each other, and looked at the ground, and nobody moved at all.
-
David was a shepherd boy.
He came to bring his brothers their food.
He heard the giant shouting.
Read this part aloud
David was the youngest of eight brothers and he was not a soldier at all. He looked after his father's sheep. His father sent him to the camp with bread and cheese for his older brothers, and while he was standing there handing it over, Goliath came out and shouted, and David heard him.
-
I will go, said David.
You are only a boy, said the king.
David said, God has helped me before.
Read this part aloud
Everyone told him no. The king said, you are only a boy, and he has been a soldier since he was young. But David said, I look after sheep, and when a lion came I went after it, and when a bear came I went after that one too. God kept me safe then. He will keep me safe now.
-
They gave David armour. It did not fit.
So he took it all off again.
He chose five smooth stones from the stream.
Read this part aloud
They put the king's own armour on him, helmet and sword and all, and David could hardly walk in it. I cannot go in these, he said, I am not used to them, and he took the whole lot off. Then he went down to the stream and picked out five smooth stones, and went to meet the giant with his sling in his hand.
-
You come with a sword, said David.
I come in the name of God.
One stone. That was all it took.
The giant fell, and the army cheered.
Read this part aloud
Goliath looked at the boy coming towards him and laughed out loud. But David called back, you come to me with a sword and a spear, and I come to you in the name of the Lord. Then he ran at him, and swung the sling once, and one small stone flew straight and true, and the giant came down in the valley.
