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The Beginning of the End
David Brought Before the King
The words of David were repeated to the king, who summoned
the youth before him. The shepherd said, “Let no man’s heart fail
because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”
Saul tried to talk David out of it, but the young man was not to be
dissuaded. “‘The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion
and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of
this Philistine.’ And Saul said to David, ‘Go, and the Lord be with
you!’”
For forty days Israel had trembled before the Philistine giant. On
his head was a helmet of bronze, he wore a metal coat that weight
five thousand shekels, and he had bronze armor on his legs. The coat
was made of bronze plates that overlaid one another, like the scales
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of a fish, and no arrow could possibly penetrate the armor. The giant
carried a huge javelin, also of bronze. “The staff of his spear was
like a weaver’s beam, and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred
shekels; and a shield-bearer went before him.”
Morning and evening, Goliath had challenged the camp of Israel,
saying, “Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to
me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then will we be your
servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be
our servants. ... I defy the armies of Israel.”
The king had little hope that David would be successful in his
brave attempt. He gave the command to clothe the young man in the
king’s own armor. The heavy bronze helmet was put on his head,
and the coat of mail was placed on his body; the king’s sword was
at his side. Thus equipped, he started toward Goliath, but soon he
came back. The worried spectators thought that David had decided
not to risk his life. But this was far from what the brave young man
was thinking. When he returned he took off the king’s armor and in
its place took only his staff and a simple sling. Choosing five smooth
stones out of the brook, he put them in his bag, and with his sling in
his hand, advanced toward the Philistine. The giant strode forward
boldly, expecting to meet the mightiest of the warriors of Israel. His
armor-bearer walked before him as if nothing could resist him. As he
came near he saw a mere youth. David’s well-knit body, unprotected