Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Praise the Lord!

Goliath Challenges the Israelites

17 The Philistines gathered for battle in Socoh, a town in Judah; they camped at a place called Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah. ² Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in Elah Valley, where they got ready to fight the Philistines. ³ The Philistines lined up on one hill and the Israelites on another, with a valley between them.

⁴ A man named Goliath, from the city of Gath, came out from the Philistine camp to challenge the Israelites. He was over nine feet^[a] tall ⁵ and wore bronze armor that weighed about 125 pounds and a bronze helmet. ⁶ His legs were also protected by bronze armor, and he carried a bronze javelin slung over his shoulder. ⁷ His spear was as thick as the bar on a weaver's loom, and its iron head weighed about fifteen pounds. A soldier walked in front of him carrying his shield. ⁸ Goliath stood and shouted at the Israelites, “What are you doing there, lined up for battle? I am a Philistine, you slaves of Saul! Choose one of your men to fight me. ⁹ If he wins and kills me, we will be your slaves; but if I win and kill him, you will be our slaves. ¹⁰ Here and now I challenge the Israelite army. I dare you to pick someone to fight me!” ¹¹ When Saul and his men heard this, they were terrified.

David in Saul's Camp

¹² David was the son of Jesse, who was an Ephrathite from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and at the time Saul was king, he was already a very old man.^{[b] 13} His three oldest sons had gone with Saul to war. The oldest was Eliab, the next was Abinadab, and the third was Shammah. ¹⁴ David was the youngest son, and while the three oldest brothers stayed with Saul, ¹⁵ David would go back to Bethlehem from time to time, to take care of his father's sheep.

¹⁶ Goliath challenged the Israelites every morning and evening for forty days.

¹⁷ One day Jesse said to David, “Take a half-bushel of this roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread, and hurry with them to your brothers in the camp. ¹⁸ And take these ten cheeses to the commanding officer. Find out how your brothers are getting along and bring back something to show that you saw them and that they are well. ¹⁹ King Saul, your brothers, and all the other Israelites are in Elah Valley fighting the Philistines.”

²⁰ David got up early the next morning, left someone else in charge of the sheep, took the food, and went as Jesse had told him to. He arrived at the camp just as the Israelites were going out to their battle line, shouting the war cry. ²¹ The Philistine and the Israelite armies took positions for battle, facing each other. ²² David left the food with the officer in charge of the supplies, ran to the battle line, went to his brothers, and asked how they were getting along. ²³ As he was talking with them, Goliath came forward and challenged the Israelites as he had done before. And David heard him.

Miracles and Wonders

¹² Many miracles and wonders were being performed among the people by the apostles. All the believers met together in Solomon's Porch. ¹³ Nobody outside the group dared join them, even though the people spoke highly of them. ¹⁴ But more and more people were added to the group—a crowd of men and women who believed in the Lord. ¹⁵ As a result of what the apostles were doing, sick people were carried out into the streets and placed on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. ¹⁶ And crowds of people came in from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing those who were sick or who had evil spirits in them; and they were all healed.