Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

¹⁹ Sha’ul and your brothers, with all the army of Isra’el, are in the Elah Valley, fighting the P’lishtim.”

²⁰ David got up early in the morning, left the sheep with a helper, took his load and set out, as Yishai had ordered him. He arrived at the barricade of the camp just as the troops were going out to their battle stations and shouting the war cry. ²¹ Isra’el and the P’lishtim had set up their battle lines facing each other. ²² David left his equipment in charge of the equipment guard, ran to the troops, went to his brothers and asked if they were well. ²³ As he was talking with them, there came the champion, the P’lishti from Gat named Golyat, from the ranks of the P’lishtim, saying the same words as before; and David heard them. ²⁴ When the soldiers from Isra’el saw the man, they all ran away from him, terrified. ²⁵ The soldiers from Isra’el said [to each other], “You saw that man who just came up? He has come to challenge Isra’el. To whoever kills him, the king will give a rich reward; he’ll also give him his daughter and exempt his father’s family from all service and taxes in Isra’el.” ²⁶ David said to the men standing with him, “What reward will be given to the man who kills this P’lishti and removes this disgrace from Isra’el? Who is this uncircumcised P’lishti anyway, that he challenges the armies of the living God?” ²⁷ The people answered with what they had been saying, adding, “That’s what will be done for the man who kills him.” ²⁸ Eli’av his oldest brother heard when David spoke to the men, and it made Eli’av angry at him. He asked, “Why did you come down here? With whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is! You just came down to watch the fighting.” ²⁹ David said, “What have I done now? I only asked a question.” ³⁰ He turned away from him to someone else and asked the same question, and the people gave him the same answer.

³¹ David’s words were overheard and told to Sha’ul, who summoned him. ³² David said to Sha’ul, “No one should lose heart because of him; your servant will go and fight this P’lishti.”

¹⁷ But the cohen hagadol and his associates, who were members of the party of the Tz’dukim, were filled with jealousy. ¹⁸ They arrested the emissaries and put them in the public jail. ¹⁹ But during the night, an angel of Adonai opened the doors of the prison, led them out and said, ²⁰ “Go, stand in the Temple court and keep telling the people all about this new life!” ²¹ After hearing that, they entered the Temple area about dawn and began to teach.

Now the cohen hagadol and his associates came and called a meeting of the Sanhedrin (that is, of Isra’el’s whole assembly of elders) and sent to the jail to have them brought. ²² But the officers who went did not find them in the prison. So they returned and reported, ²³ “We found the jail securely locked and the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened it, we found no one inside!” ²⁴ When the captain of the Temple police and the head cohanim heard these things, they were puzzled and wondered what would happen next.

²⁵ Then someone came and reported to them, “Listen! The men you ordered put in prison are standing in the Temple court, teaching the people!” ²⁶ The captain and his officers went and brought them, but not with force; because they were afraid of being stoned by the people.