David and Goliath

17 Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle; they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim.^{(A) 2} Saul and the Israelites gathered and encamped in the valley of Elah and formed ranks against the Philistines.^{(B) 3} The Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. ⁴ And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was four^[a] cubits and a span.^{(C) 5} He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. ⁶ He had greaves of bronze on his legs and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders.^{(D) 7} The shaft 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.^{(E) 8} He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose^[b] a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.^{(F) 9} If he is able to fight with 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 serve us.” ¹⁰ And the Philistine said, “Today I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man, that we may fight together.”^{(G) 11} When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

³² David said to Saul, “Let no one’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”^{(A) 33} Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” ³⁴ But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father, and whenever a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, ³⁵ I went after it and struck it down, rescuing the lamb from its mouth, and if it turned against me, I would catch it by the jaw, strike it down, and kill it. ³⁶ Your servant has killed both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.” ³⁷ David said, “The Lord, who saved me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine.” So Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you!”^(B)

³⁸ Saul clothed David with his armor; he put a bronze helmet on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail. ³⁹ David strapped Saul’s sword over the armor, and he tried in vain to walk, for he was not used to them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I am not used to them.” So David removed them. ⁴⁰ Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in his shepherd’s bag, in the pouch; his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine.

⁴¹ The Philistine came on and drew near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. ⁴² When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was only a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance.^{(C) 43} The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.^{(D) 44} The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the field.”^{(E) 45} But David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.^{(F) 46} This very day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head, and I will give the dead bodies of the Philistine army this very day to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel^{(G) 47} and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not save by sword and spear, for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand.”^(H)

⁴⁸ When the Philistine drew nearer to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. ⁴⁹ David put his hand in his bag, took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground.

⁵⁰ So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, striking down the Philistine and killing him; there was no sword in David’s hand. ⁵¹ Then David ran and stood over the Philistine; he grasped his sword, drew it out of its sheath, and killed him; then he cut off his head with it.

When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.^(I)

Sennacherib’s Threat

⁸ The Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he had heard that the king had left Lachish.^{(A) 9} When the king^[a] heard concerning King Tirhakah of Cush, “See, he has set out to fight against you,” he sent messengers again to Hezekiah, saying, ¹⁰ “Thus shall you speak to King Hezekiah of Judah: Do not let your God on whom you rely deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.^{(B) 11} See, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, destroying them utterly. Shall you be delivered? ¹² Have the gods of the nations delivered them, the nations that my predecessors destroyed: Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar?^{(C) 13} Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, the king of Hena, or the king of Ivvah?”^(D)

Hezekiah’s Prayer

¹⁴ Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; then Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord.^{(E) 15} And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said, “O Lord the God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, you are God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth.^{(F) 16} Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God.^{(G) 17} Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands ¹⁸ and have hurled their gods into the fire, though they were no gods but the work of human hands—wood and stone—and so they were destroyed.^{(H) 19} So now, O Lord our God, save us, I pray you, from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Lord, are God alone.”^(I)

²⁰ Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I have heard your prayer to me about King Sennacherib of Assyria.^{(J) 21} This is the word that the Lord has spoken concerning him:

²⁹ “And this shall be the sign for you: This year you shall eat what grows of itself and in the second year what springs from that; then in the third year sow, reap, plant vineyards, and eat their fruit.^{(R) 30} The surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward,^{(S) 31} for from Jerusalem a remnant shall go out and from Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.^(T)

³² “Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city, shoot an arrow there, come before it with a shield, or cast up a siege ramp against it. ³³ By the way that he came, by the same he shall return; he shall not come into this city, says the Lord.^{(U) 34} For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.”^(V)

Sennacherib’s Defeat and Death

³⁵ That very night the angel of the Lord set out and struck down one hundred eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians; when morning dawned, they were all dead bodies.^(W)

²² “Fellow Israelites,^[a] listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth,^[b] a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know^(A)— ²³ this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law.^{(B) 24} But God raised him up, having released him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power.^{(C) 25} For David says concerning him,

²⁹ “Fellow Israelites,^[c] I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.^{(F) 30} Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne.^{(G) 31} Foreseeing this, David^[d] spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah,^[e] saying,

³² “This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses.^{(I) 33} Being therefore exalted at^[f] the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you see and hear.^{(J) 34} For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

³⁶ “Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah,^[g] this Jesus whom you crucified.”

The First Converts

³⁷ Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers,^[h] what should we do?”^{(L) 38} Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.^{(M) 39} For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.”^{(N) 40} And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” ⁴¹ So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. ⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Life among the Believers

⁴³ Awe came upon everyone because many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.^{(O) 44} All who believed were together and had all things in common;^{(P) 45} they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds^[i] to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶ Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home^[j] and ate their food with glad and generous^[k] hearts,^{(Q) 47} praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.^(R)

²² “Fellow Israelites,^[a] listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth,^[b] a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know^(A)— ²³ this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law.^{(B) 24} But God raised him up, having released him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power.^{(C) 25} For David says concerning him,

²⁹ “Fellow Israelites,^[c] I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.^{(F) 30} Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne.^{(G) 31} Foreseeing this, David^[d] spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah,^[e] saying,

³² “This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses.^{(I) 33} Being therefore exalted at^[f] the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you see and hear.^{(J) 34} For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

³⁶ “Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah,^[g] this Jesus whom you crucified.”

The First Converts

³⁷ Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers,^[h] what should we do?”^{(L) 38} Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.^{(M) 39} For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.”^{(N) 40} And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” ⁴¹ So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. ⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Life among the Believers

⁴³ Awe came upon everyone because many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.^{(O) 44} All who believed were together and had all things in common;^{(P) 45} they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds^[i] to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶ Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home^[j] and ate their food with glad and generous^[k] hearts,^{(Q) 47} praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.^(R)

Jesus the Way to the Father

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe^[a] in God; believe also in me.^{(A) 2} In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?^{[b] 3} And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.^{(B) 4} And you know the way to the place where I am going.”^{[c] 5} Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” ⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.^{(C) 7} If you know me, you will know^[d] my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

⁸ Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” ⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?^{(D) 10} Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.^{(E) 11} Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, but if you do not, then believe^[e] because of the works themselves.^{(F) 12} Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If in my name you ask me^[f] for anything, I will do it.