A reading from 1 Samuel.

Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle,

and they were gathered at Soko, which belongs to Judah,

an encamp between Soko and Azika and Ephes Damim.

And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered,

and encamped in the valley of Ila,

and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines. And 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. And there came out

from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the

coat was 5,000 shekels of bronze, and he had bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze

slung between his shoulders. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his spear's head

weighed 600 shekels of iron, and his shield-bearer went before him. 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 salt?

Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me.

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. And the Philistine said,

I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man that we may fight together. When Saul and all Israel

heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. Now David was the son

of an Ephrothite of Bethlehem and Judah, named Jesse, who had eight sons. In the days of

Saul, the man was already old and advanced in years. The three oldest sons of

Jesse had followed Saul to the battle, and the names of his three sons who went to the battle

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