_The consciousness of a righteous cause gives strength and courage
to a valiant heart._
David was the son of Jesse. When he was a boy he had to watch
his father’s sheep, and often slept on the hillsides and in the
valleys, or lay awake to keep away the wild beasts.
One day the old Samuel came looking for a man to anoint king. The
Lord had told him that he must choose one of the sons of Jesse.
Jesse showed Samuel his seven sons, but Samuel said:
“The Lord hath not chosen these. Are these all thy children?” Jesse
told him: “There remaineth yet the youngest, and he keepeth the
sheep.” So they sent for David. Samuel saw he was ruddy, and of a
goodly countenance, and beautiful to look upon and said:
“Come, anoint him, for this is he.”
Now, Saul was king. He was troubled with an evil spirit and nothing
soothed him but music. One day he told his servants to find some
one to play on the harp for him. The servants told him that
David, the son of Jesse, who kept the sheep, could play the harp
wondrously well. So Saul sent for David and had him brought to the
king’s house. Whenever the evil spirit came upon Saul, David would
play upon the harp so that “Saul was refreshed and the evil spirit
departed.”
About this time the Philistines gathered an army to give battle
to the Israelites. Saul and his men went out to meet them. The
Philistines stood on one hill and the Israelites on the other and
there was a valley between them. There went out a champion from the
Philistines, a giant named Goliath, very tall and strong, who wore
a helmet of brass and a coat of mail, and who defied any Israelite
to give him battle. Every morning for three mornings he did this,
and no Israelite dared go out to meet him.
David went to Saul and said: “Thy servant will go and fight this
Philistine.”
But Saul told David that he was only a youth and the giant would
surely kill him. David insisted and prayed to go. So Saul gave
him his helmet and armor and sword to put on. David, however,
knew better how to fight the giant and did not take Saul’s armor.
Instead he took five stones from the brook and his leather sling
and went out and called on Goliath to come forth to battle.
Goliath scorned the young David, and said he would feed his flesh
to the birds and the beasts. Then he came on to where David stood.
David took out his sling and fitted a smooth stone in it. He waited
until Goliath was near enough for a good aim. Then he whirled his
sling around his head and let go. The stone flew straight and hit
Goliath in the forehead, and he fell down dead. David took his
great knife and cut off the giant’s head and held it up for the
Philistines to see. At this they were all so afraid that they all
fled in great confusion.