KINGS I. (SAM. I).

17. 12 And David son of an Ephrathite said, this Ephrathite was of Bethleem Juda, and his name was Jessæ, and he had eight sons. And the man passed for an old man among men in the days of Saul. 13 And the three elder sons of Jessæ went and followed Saul to the war, and the names of his sons that went to the war were, Eliab his first-born, and his second Aminadab, and his third son Samma. 14 And David himself was the younger son, and the three elder followed Saul. 15 And David departed and returned from Saul, to feed his father’s sheep in Bethleem. 16 And the Philistine advanced morning and evening, and stood up forty days. 17 And Jessæ said to David, Take now to thy brethren an ephah of this meal, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp and give them to thy brothers. 18 And thou shalt carry to the captain of the thousand these ten cheeses of milk, and thou shalt see how thy brethren fare, and learn what they want. 19 And Saul himself and all the men of Israel were in the valley of the Oak, warring with the Philistines. 20 And David rose early in the morning, and left the sheep to a keeper, and took and went as Jessæ commanded him, and he came to the trench and to the army as it was going out to fight, and they shouted for the battle. 21 And Israel and the Philistines formed their lines one opposite the other. 22 And David deposited his burden in the hand of a keeper, and ran to the line, and went and asked his brethren how they were. 23 And while he was speaking with them, behold the Amessæan advanced, Goliath by name, the Philistine of Geth, of the armies of the Philistines, and he spoke as before, and David heard. 24 And all the men of Israel when they saw the man fled from before him, and they were greatly terrified. 25 And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that comes up? for he has reproached Israel and has come up; and it shall be that the man who shall smite him, the king shall enrich him with great wealth, and shall give him his daughter, and shall make his father’s house free in Israel. 26 And David spoke to the men who stood with him, saying, Shall it indeed be done thus to the man who shall smite that Philistine, and take away reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he has defied the army of the living God? 27 And the people spoke to him according to this word, saying, Thus shall it be done to the man who shall smite him. 28 And Eliab his elder brother heard as he spoke to the men, and Eliab was very angry with David and said, Why hast thou thus come down, and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride and the naughtiness of thine heart, for thou art come down to see the battle. 29 And David said, What have I done now? Have I no business here? 30 And he turned from him toward another, and he spoke after the same manner; and the people answered him after the former manner. 31 And the words which David spoke were heard, and were reported to Saul. And he took him to himself.

Verse 41. And the Philistine advanced and drew nigh to David, and a man bearing his shield went before him, and the Philistine looked on.

Verse 50. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and smote the Philistine and slew him, and there was no sword in the hand of David.

Verse 54. And when Saul saw David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abener the captain of the host, Whose son is this youth? and Abener said, As thy soul lives, O king, I know not. 56 And the king said, Do thou ask whose son this youth is. 57 And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abener took him and brought him in before Saul, and the head of the Philistine was in his hand. 58 And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, young man? and David said, The son of thy servant Jessæ the Bethleemite.

18. And it came to pass when he had finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2 And Saul took him in that day, and did not suffer him to return to his father’s house. 3 And Jonathan and David made a covenant because he loved him as his own soul. 4 And Jonathan stripped himself of his upper garment, and gave it to David, and his mantle and all he had upon him, even to his sword and to his bow, and to his girdle. 6 And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and acted wisely, and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was pleasing in the eyes of all the people, and also in the eyes of the servants of Saul.

Verse 8. (last part.) And what more can he have but the kingdom? 9 And Saul eyed David from that day and onward. 10 And it came to pass on the morrow that an evil spirit from God fell upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of his house. And David was playing on the harp with his hand, according to his daily custom. And Saul’s spear was in his hand. 11 And Saul took his spear and said, I will smite David even to the wall. But David escaped twice from his presence.

17 And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merob, I will give her to thee to wife, only be thou to me a mighty man and fight the wars of the Lord. And Saul said, Let not my hand be upon him, but the hand of the Philistines shall be upon him. 18 And David said to Saul, Who am I, and what is the life of my father’s family in Israel, that I should be the king’s son-in-law? 19 But it came to pass at the time when Merob Saul’s daughter should have been given to David, that she was given to Israel the Mothulathite to wife.

Verse 29. And the chief of the Philistines went forth; and it came to pass that from the sufficiency of their expedition David acted wisely above all the servants of Saul; and his name was honoured exceedingly.