Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Praise with Shofar and Cymbals

Psalm 150

David Slays Goliath with Sling and Stone

17 Now the Philistines assembled their armies to battle. They were gathered at Socoh of Judah, and camped in Ephes-dammim, between Socoh and Azekah. ² Saul and the men of Israel gathered and camped in the valley of Elah, then lined up in battle array against the Philistines. ³ The Philistines were standing on the mountain on one side, and Israel was standing on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them. ⁴ Then a champion stepped out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. ⁵ He had a bronze helmet on his head and a breastplate of scale armor; the weight of the bronze breastplate was 5,000 shekels^[a]. ⁶ He also had bronze shin-guards on his legs and a bronze javelin slung between his shoulders. ⁷ The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the head of his spear weighed 600 shekels^[b] of iron; and his shield-bearer was marching ahead of him.

⁸ Then he stood and shouted out to the ranks of Israel saying to them, “Why come out to line up in battle array? Am I not the Philistine and aren’t you Saul’s servants? Choose for yourselves a man and let him come down to me. ⁹ If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then will we become your slaves; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then will you become our slaves and serve us.” ¹⁰ The Philistine added, “Today I defy the ranks of Israel—give me a man, so we may fight together!”

¹¹ But when Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and very terrified.

¹² Now David was son of a certain Ephrathite man of Beth-lehem of Judah, whose name was Jesse. He had eight sons and during the days of Saul the man was old, advanced in years among men. ¹³ Now the three oldest sons of Jesse had already left and gone after Saul to the battle; the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and second to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. ¹⁴ David was the youngest. So the three oldest followed Saul. ¹⁵ Now David would go back and forth from Saul to tending his father’s sheep by Beth-lehem.

¹⁶ For forty days that Philistine would come out every morning and evening to present himself. ¹⁷ Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now, for your brothers, an ephah of this roasted grain and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers. ¹⁸ Also take these ten slices of cheese to the captain of their thousand—and check out the welfare of your brothers and bring back some token from them. ¹⁹ They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.”

²⁰ So David rose up early in the morning, left the flock with a keeper, took the provisions and went as Jesse had commanded him. When he reached the camp, the army was going out to the battle line shouting the war cry. ²¹ Israel and the Philistines drew up their battle lines, army against army. ²² Then David left his baggage in the care of the baggage keeper, and ran to the battle line and entered to check out his brothers’ welfare. ²³ But as he was talking with them, behold the champion, the Philistine from Gath named Goliath, was coming up from the ranks of the Philistines, and he spoke these same words; and David heard them.

Signs and Wonders, Angelic Jailbreak, and Bold Witness

¹² Meanwhile, through the hands of the emissaries many signs and wonders were happening among the people. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. ¹³ But no one else dared to join them, though the people continued to think highly of them. ¹⁴ Yet more than ever those trusting in the Lord were added—large numbers of men and women. ¹⁵ They even carried the sick into the streets and laid them on stretchers and cots, so that when Peter passed by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. ¹⁶ Crowds were also gathering from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing those who were sick or tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all being healed.