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He chose David to be his servant,
And took him from the sheepfolds:

Yea, from following the sheep he brought
him;

To be the shepherd of his people,

That he might be their shepherd
According to the integrity of his heart.

I SAMUEL XVII

Now there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, whose height was six cubits and a span. And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was clad with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a javelin of brass between his shoulders. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron and his shield-bearer went before him. And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said, Choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to prevail, then will we be your servants; but if I prevail against him, then shall ye be our servants. And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, were sore afraid, and fled from him. But David said, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.

And this word was brought to the ear of the king, and Saul sent for David, and said to him, Thou art not able to go alone against this

Philistine; for thou are but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. So Saul clad David with his apparel, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head, and he clad him with a coat of mail, and girded his sword upon his apparel; and David assayed to go. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him. And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him. And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and withal of a fair countenance. And the Philistine cursed David. Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with sword, and with spear, and with javelin: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts; that all the earth may know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's. And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand into his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead; and 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 a stone; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

I SAMUEL XXIV

And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-Gedi. Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went into the cave to refresh himself.

Now David and his men were hiding in the innermost parts of the cave. And the men of David said unto him, Behold, the day of which the Lord said unto thee, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. And David said unto his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him! So David stayed his men with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. Howbeit David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily. And Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.

David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king! And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and did obeisance. And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearkenest thou to men's words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt? Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the Lord had de

livered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee; but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord. Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand; for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee, though thou huntest after my life to take it. The Lord judge between me and thee; but mine hand shall not be upon thee.

And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept. And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I; for thou hast rewarded unto me good, whereas I have rewarded unto thee evil. And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me, forasmuch as when the Lord had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me not. For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the Lord reward thee good for that which thou hast done unto me this day.

THE SECOND BOOK

OF SAMUEL

II SAMUEL I

Now it came to pass as David abode in the city, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul, with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and so it was, when he came unto David, that he fell to the earth and did obeisance. And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said, Out of the camp of Israel. And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, Many of the people are fallen in the battle; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also. Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him: and they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the Lord; because they were fallen by the sword.

And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son:

Thy glory, O Israel, is slain upon thine high

places!

How are the mighty fallen!

Tell it not in Gath,

Publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon;

Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice,

And the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.

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