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was about to go forth, he turned and said, “I cannot go with these, for I have not proved them." So he put off Saul's helmet of brass, and the coat of mail, and laid aside his sword. And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in his shepherd's bag; and then he went forth against Goliath with his sling in his hand.

When the Philistine came on, and looked about, and saw David, he disdained him, "for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance." And he said, "Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves?" And he cursed David by his gods, and said, "Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field." Then David said to the Philistine, "Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand ... that all the world may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that

the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and He will deliver you into our hands."

Then David ran to meet the Philistine, "and he put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell upon his face to the earth."

So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone.

Then David took the sword of Goliath from out of its sheath, and cut off his head; for he had no sword himself. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. And the men of Israel arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines as far as the gates of Ekron.

1 Sam. xvii.

A cubit, is a measure about twenty-one inches in length, and a span is about ten inches; therefore, the height of Goliath, which was six cubits and a span, was about eleven feet.

To disdain, is to despise.

Armour, is a covering of any kind, worn to protect the body from being wounded in battle.

A helmet, is a covering for the head, made of brass or iron, to defend it from the weapons of the enemy.

A coat of mail, is a coat made of chain, or of pieces of iron or brass joined together, which was worn by kings or chief men when they went into battle.

A shield, was a broad flat piece of iron, which was held upon the left arm by those who fought, to defend their bodies from the enemy. Sometimes shields were made of wood, or of very thick skins of animals.

Ekron, was a city in the land of the Philistines.

Chapter CXEE.

THE PROMOTION OF DAVID TO BE A CAPTAIN IN THE ARMIES OF ISRAEL.

WHEN David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner, the captain of the army of Israel, brought him before Saul, with the head of the giant Goliath in his hand. And Saul questioned him concerning his father and his family. And he took him to live with him from that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house.

Now Jonathan, the son of Saul, was with his father, and he had heard the words which David

spoke to Saul, "and his soul was knit with the soul of David, and he loved him as his own soul." And Jonathan and David made a covenant together, and they swore to love one another all their lives, and to show kindness one to the other. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword and his bow.

Then Saul set David over his men of war; and from this time David dwelt with Saul. And he behaved himself wisely; and all the people, and the servants of Saul, loved him.

And when Saul returned with his army from the slaughter of the Philistines, the women came forth to meet him out of the cities of Israel, with singing and dancing, and instruments of music. And they answered one another as they sang, and said, "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands." Then Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, "They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands; and what can he have more but the kingdom ?"

And from that day forward Saul eyed David jealously.

When Saul was moved with envy against David, the evil spirit whom God permitted to afflict him, came upon him again. And while David was playing on his harp before him, he threw the javelin which was in his hand against him, to kill him. But David avoided the javelin, and escaped from him. Then Saul became afraid of David, for he saw that the Lord was with him; but all Israel and Judah loved him.

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Saul grew more jealous of David when he saw that the people loved him, and he wished for his death; but he feared to kill him openly. So he sent for David, and told him that he would give him his daughter to be his wife, if he would be valiant for him, and fight his battles. And he made him captain over a thousand men, and said that he desired no other dower or marriage gift for his daughter, than a hundred heads of the Philistines. For he hoped that the Philistines would kill David. So David went forth with his men against the Philistines, and slew two

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