David looked to see
what the trouble was, and he saw a strange
sight: on the hillside of the Philistines, a
warrior was striding forward, calling out
something in a taunting voice; he was a
gigantic man, the largest David had ever
seen, and he was all dressed in armor,
that shone in the sun: he had a helmet of
brass upon his head, and he was armed
with a coat of mail, and he had greaves of
brass upon his legs, and a target of brass
between his shoulders; his spear was so
tremendous that the staff of it was like a
weaver's beam, and his shield so great that
a man went before him, to carry it.
"Who is that?" asked David.
"It is Goliath, of Gath, champion of
the Philistines," said the soldiers about.
"Every day, for forty days, he has come
forth, so, and challenged us to send a man
against him, in single combat; and since
no one dares to go out against him alone,
the armies cannot fight." (That was one
of the laws of warfare in those times.)
"What!" said David, "does none dare
go out against him?"
As he spoke, the giant stood still, on
the hillside opposite the Israelitish host,
and shouted his challenge, scornfully. He
said, "Why are ye come out to set your
battle in array? Am I not a Philistine,
and ye servants of Saul? Choose you a
man for you, and let him come down
to me. If he be able to fight with me,
and to kill me, then will we be your
servants; but if I prevail against him, and
kill him, then shall ye be our servants,
and serve us.
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