Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Lord Is Good to His People

Goliath Challenges Israel's Army

17 The Philistines got ready for war and brought their troops together to attack the town of Socoh in Judah. They set up camp at Ephes-Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah.^{[a] 2-3} King Saul and the Israelite army set up camp on a hill overlooking Elah Valley, and they got ready to fight the Philistine army that was on a hill on the other side of the valley.

⁴ The Philistine army had a hero named Goliath who was from the town of Gath and was about three meters^[b] tall. ^5-6 He wore a bronze helmet and had bronze armor to protect his chest and legs. The chest armor alone weighed about 57 kilograms. He carried a bronze sword strapped on his back, ⁷ and his spear was so big that the iron spearhead alone weighed about seven kilograms. A soldier always walked in front of Goliath to carry his shield.

⁸ Goliath went out and shouted to the army of Israel:

Why are you lining up for battle? I'm the best soldier in our army, and all of you are in Saul's army. Choose your best soldier to come out and fight me! ⁹ If he can kill me, our people will be your slaves. But if I kill him, your people will be our slaves. ¹⁰ Here and now I challenge Israel's whole army! Choose someone to fight me!

¹¹ Saul and his men heard what Goliath said, but they were so frightened of Goliath that they couldn't do a thing.

David Decides To Challenge Goliath

¹² David's father Jesse was an old man, who belonged to the Ephrath clan and lived in Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons: ^13-14 the oldest was Eliab, the next was Abinadab, and Shammah was the third. The three of them had gone off to fight in Saul's army.

David was Jesse's youngest son. ^15 (A) He took care of his father's sheep, and he went back and forth between Bethlehem and Saul's camp.

¹⁶ Goliath came out and gave his challenge every morning and every evening for 40 days.

¹⁷ One day, Jesse told David, “Hurry and take this sack of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread to your brothers at the army camp. ¹⁸ And here are ten large chunks of cheese to take to their commanding officer. Find out how your brothers are doing and bring back something that shows that they're all right. ¹⁹ They're with Saul's army, fighting the Philistines in Elah Valley.”

²⁰ David obeyed his father. He got up early the next morning and left someone else in charge of the sheep; then he loaded the supplies and started off. He reached the army camp just as the soldiers were taking their places and shouting the battle cry. ²¹ The army of Israel and the Philistine army stood there facing each other.

²² David left his things with the man in charge of supplies and ran up to the battle line to ask his brothers if they were well. ²³ While David was talking with them, Goliath came out from the line of Philistines and started boasting as usual. David heard him.

Peter's Unusual Power

¹² The apostles worked many miracles and wonders among the people. All of the Lord's followers often met in the part of the temple known as Solomon's Porch.^{[a] 13} No one outside their group dared join them, even though everyone liked them very much.

¹⁴ Many men and women started having faith in the Lord. ¹⁵ Then sick people were brought out to the road and placed on mats. It was hoped that Peter would walk by, and his shadow would fall on them and heal them. ¹⁶ A lot of people living in the towns near Jerusalem brought those who were sick or troubled by evil spirits, and they were all healed.