Samuel & King Saul

One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a mighty man of valor, a warrior, eloquent and handsome, and the LORD is with him.”

So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.”

And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and one young goat, and sent them to Saul with his son David.

When David came to Saul and entered his service, Saul admired him greatly, and David became his armor-bearer.

Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.”

And whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would pick up his harp and play, and Saul would become well, and the spirit of distress would depart from him.

Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war at Socoh in Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim.

Saul and the men of Israel assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah, arraying themselves for battle against the Philistines.

The Philistines stood on one hill and the Israelites stood on another, with the valley between them.

Then a champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was six cubits and a span in height,

and he had a bronze helmet on his head. He wore a bronze coat of mail weighing five thousand shekels,

and he had armor of bronze on his legs and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders.

The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. In addition, his shield bearer went before him.

And Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and array yourselves for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose one of your men and have him come down against me.

If he is able to fight me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and labor for us.”

Then the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day! Give me a man to fight!”

On hearing the words of the Philistine, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and greatly afraid.

Now David was the son of a man named Jesse, an Ephrathite from Bethlehem of Judah who had eight sons in the days of Saul. And Jesse was old and well along in years.

The three older sons of Jesse had followed Saul into battle: The firstborn was Eliab, the second was Abinadab, and the third was Shammah.

And David was the youngest. The three oldest had followed Saul,

but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep in Bethlehem.

For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening to take his stand.

One day Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp.

Take also these ten portions of cheese to the commander of their unit. Check on the welfare of your brothers and bring back an assurance from them.

They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.”