David and Goliath

17 Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled^(A) at Sokoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Sokoh^(B) and Azekah.^{(C) 2} Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah^(D) and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. ³ The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them.

⁴ A champion named Goliath,^(E) who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span.^{[a] 5} He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels^[b]; ⁶ on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin^(F) was slung on his back. ⁷ His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod,^(G) and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels.^[c] His shield bearer^(H) went ahead of him.

⁸ Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose^(I) a man and have him come down to me. ⁹ If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” ¹⁰ Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy^(J) the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.^(K)” ¹¹ On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.

³² David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart^(A) on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”

³³ Saul replied,^(B) “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”

³⁴ But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion^(C) or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, ³⁵ I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized^(D) it by its hair, struck it and killed it. ³⁶ Your servant has killed both the lion^(E) and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. ³⁷ The Lord who rescued^(F) me from the paw of the lion^(G) and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with^(H) you.”

³⁸ Then Saul dressed David in his own^(I) tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. ³⁹ David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them.

“I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. ⁴⁰ Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.

⁴¹ Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer^(J) in front of him, kept coming closer to David. ⁴² He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome,^(K) and he despised^(L) him. ⁴³ He said to David, “Am I a dog,^(M) that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. ⁴⁴ “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds^(N) and the wild animals!^(O)”

⁴⁵ David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin,^(P) but I come against you in the name^(Q) of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.^{(R) 46} This day the Lord will deliver^(S) you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses^(T) of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world^(U) will know that there is a God in Israel.^{(V) 47} All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword^(W) or spear that the Lord saves;^(X) for the battle^(Y) is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

⁴⁸ As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. ⁴⁹ Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.

⁵⁰ So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling^(Z) and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

⁵¹ David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut^(AA) off his head with the sword.^(AB)

When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran.

⁸ When the field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish,^(A) he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah.^(B)

⁹ Now Sennacherib received a report that Tirhakah, the king of Cush,^[a] was marching out to fight against him. So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word: ¹⁰ “Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend^(C) on deceive^(D) you when he says, ‘Jerusalem will not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria.’ ¹¹ Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered? ¹² Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my predecessors deliver^(E) them—the gods of Gozan,^(F) Harran,^(G) Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar? ¹³ Where is the king of Hamath or the king of Arpad? Where are the kings of Lair, Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah?”^(H)

Hezekiah’s Prayer^(I)

¹⁴ Hezekiah received the letter^(J) from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. ¹⁵ And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: “Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim,^(K) you alone^(L) are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. ¹⁶ Give ear,^(M) Lord, and hear;^(N) open your eyes,^(O) Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.

¹⁷ “It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. ¹⁸ They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods^(P) but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands.^{(Q) 19} Now, Lord our God, deliver^(R) us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms^(S) of the earth may know^(T) that you alone, Lord, are God.”

Isaiah Prophesies Sennacherib’s Fall^(U)(V)

²⁰ Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I have heard^(W) your prayer concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria. ²¹ This is the word that the Lord has spoken against^(X) him:

²⁹ “This will be the sign^(AS) for you, Hezekiah:

“The zeal^(AZ) of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

³² “Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria:

³⁵ That night the angel of the Lord^(BD) went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies!^(BE)

²² “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth^(A) was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs,^(B) which God did among you through him,^(C) as you yourselves know. ²³ This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge;^(D) and you, with the help of wicked men,^[a] put him to death by nailing him to the cross.^{(E) 24} But God raised him from the dead,^(F) freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.^{(G) 25} David said about him:

²⁹ “Fellow Israelites,^(J) I can tell you confidently that the patriarch^(K) David died and was buried,^(L) and his tomb is here^(M) to this day. ³⁰ But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne.^{(N) 31} Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay.^{(O) 32} God has raised this Jesus to life,^(P) and we are all witnesses^(Q) of it. ³³ Exalted^(R) to the right hand of God,^(S) he has received from the Father^(T) the promised Holy Spirit^(U) and has poured out^(V) what you now see and hear. ³⁴ For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,

³⁶ “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord^(X) and Messiah.”^(Y)

³⁷ When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”^(Z)

³⁸ Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized,^(AA) every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.^(AB) And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.^{(AC) 39} The promise is for you and your children^(AD) and for all who are far off^(AE)—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

⁴⁰ With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”^{(AF) 41} Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number^(AG) that day.

The Fellowship of the Believers

⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching^(AH) and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread^(AI) and to prayer.^{(AJ) 43} Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.^{(AK) 44} All the believers were together and had everything in common.^{(AL) 45} They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.^{(AM) 46} Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.^(AN) They broke bread^(AO) in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.^(AP) And the Lord added to their number^(AQ) daily those who were being saved.

²² “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth^(A) was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs,^(B) which God did among you through him,^(C) as you yourselves know. ²³ This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge;^(D) and you, with the help of wicked men,^[a] put him to death by nailing him to the cross.^{(E) 24} But God raised him from the dead,^(F) freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.^{(G) 25} David said about him:

²⁹ “Fellow Israelites,^(J) I can tell you confidently that the patriarch^(K) David died and was buried,^(L) and his tomb is here^(M) to this day. ³⁰ But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne.^{(N) 31} Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay.^{(O) 32} God has raised this Jesus to life,^(P) and we are all witnesses^(Q) of it. ³³ Exalted^(R) to the right hand of God,^(S) he has received from the Father^(T) the promised Holy Spirit^(U) and has poured out^(V) what you now see and hear. ³⁴ For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,

³⁶ “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord^(X) and Messiah.”^(Y)

³⁷ When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”^(Z)

³⁸ Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized,^(AA) every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.^(AB) And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.^{(AC) 39} The promise is for you and your children^(AD) and for all who are far off^(AE)—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

⁴⁰ With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”^{(AF) 41} Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number^(AG) that day.

The Fellowship of the Believers

⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching^(AH) and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread^(AI) and to prayer.^{(AJ) 43} Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.^{(AK) 44} All the believers were together and had everything in common.^{(AL) 45} They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.^{(AM) 46} Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.^(AN) They broke bread^(AO) in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.^(AP) And the Lord added to their number^(AQ) daily those who were being saved.

Jesus Comforts His Disciples

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled.^(A) You believe^(B) in God^[a];^(C) believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there^(D) to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back^(E) and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.^{(F) 4} You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Jesus the Way to the Father

⁵ Thomas^(G) said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

⁶ Jesus answered, “I am^(H) the way^(I) and the truth^(J) and the life.^(K) No one comes to the Father except through me.^{(L) 7} If you really know me, you will know^[b] my Father as well.^(M) From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

⁸ Philip^(N) said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

⁹ Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.^(O) How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?^(P) The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority.^(Q) Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. ¹¹ Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.^{(R) 12} Very truly I tell you, whoever believes^(S) in me will do the works I have been doing,^(T) and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ And I will do whatever you ask^(U) in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.