Act II
Reading edition
(Saul's pavilion in the Israelite encampment. The scene takes place just outside the pavilion, where may be placed a couch for the king. To the right is the army of Israel; to the left, the army of the Philistines, and the road to Bethlehem. Sound of trumpets to the left.)
(King Saul's Attendants run in, from right, shading their eyes and peering into distance. Soldiers follow.)
Attendant (cries): King Saul! Go summon the king; the king must know.
(An Attendant runs back.)
(Shouting from the left. A Messenger runs in blowing his horn.)
Messenger: News for King Saul! Where is the king? The king?
(Trumpets on the right. Enter King Saul and his Armor-bearer. The Messenger rushes to him and kneels.)
Messenger: O my lord, I bear news;
The Philistines with their thousands approach; They gather themselves together, And there is none to withstand them.
Saul:
Cursed be the day I was born, Or ever the Lord anointed me king over Israel! For a sickness is fallen upon me, And I know not where to look for help.
(He advances to couch and rests.)
Attendant: Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.
Let my lord now command his servant to seek out a man who is a cunning player on the harp, and it shall come to pass when the evil spirit is upon thee, that he shall play and sing, and thou shalt be well.
Saul:
Do so. For I would hear of peace, and not of war.
Attendant: Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse, David, a shepherd lad, that is cunning in playing. He is called "The sweet singer in Israel."
Saul: Take thou this word to Jesse. Say to him: "Send me David, thy son, who is with the sheep."
Attendant: Lord, I obey. (He bows and goes.)
Messenger: O king, there be three young men, sons of Jesse, Who came but now to serve 'gainst the Philistines.
Saul: Go, bring them hither.
(The Messenger goes out, left. At the same moment there is a loud shouting from the left, and the Second Messenger runs in.)
Second Messenger: News! News for the king!
Saul: Hither, man! Speak!
Second Messenger:
O king, I bear evil tidings: For every thousand Israelites, There are ten thousand Philistines. And there is none to withstand them.
Saul: Go ye and summon the warriors of Israel.
(Second Messenger goes out to right. Gradually the Soldiers of Israel enter and group at back. The First Messenger reenters with the three elder Sons of Jesse.)
First Messenger: Here are the sons of Jesse, lord.
Saul:
Come nearer, men. (They stand before him.) And are ye sons of Jesse the Bethlehemite?
Eliab: Yea, O lord king!
Saul:
Is one among you called by the name of "David," Or "The sweet singer in Israel"?
Eliab:
Nay, lord king, For we be men and warriors; But David is a little shepherd lad.
Saul: But shepherd lads must needs defend their flocks.
(The Attendant enters with David.)
Saul: How now, returned so soon?
Attendant:
I met him, lord. He came but now to see his brothers there. (Nods toward them.)
Eliab (angrily):
What do you here? And why art thou come down? And with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride and the naughtiness of thine heart; Thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.
David:
My father bade me seek thee with this loaf, And flask of wine. (Offers them. Eliab turns angrily away, but Abinadab accepts and eats.)
Saul:
Peace, men! And art thou he that's called "The sweet singer in Israel"?
David: My lord, I—I—
Saul: Be not ashamed, but sing thou sweetly to me.
David: What shall I sing?
Saul: Of peace and pleasantness and quiet ways. (Reclines on couch.)
David (sings as before):
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness, for his name's sake. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Saul (to attendant):
Go, bid the Princess Michal bring a crown To crown his brow. For he is the sweet singer of Israel. (Attendant goes out.) Sing yet again.
David (sings continuation of psalm):
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, For thou art with me: Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
(The Attendant enters from right and is followed by the Princess Michal and her slave girls bearing fans.)
Attendant (announces): The Princess Michal!
Saul:
Come thou, Michal, here, And crown the sweetest singer in all Israel.
Michal (bowing):
My father, as thou biddest! (She turns to David.) Sir, I crown thee, The sweetest singer in all Israel. (Crowns him.)
(Loud shouting to the left. Prince Jonathan enters running.)
Jonathan:
Where is my father? O my father, hear: The army of the Philistines is at hand. And thy people fear, O father. For lo, one of the Philistines, A champion among them, And a giant for strength, He sendeth a challenge to the people of Israel.
Saul: Admit the challenger. (Enter from the left the Challenger of Goliath of Gath. He surveys the people sneeringly.)
Challenger:
Give ear, O ye Israelites, Hear the words of Goliath of Gath: "Choose ye a man for your champion And let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me and kill me, Then will we be your servants; But if I prevail against him, Then shall ye be our servants and serve us. I defy the armies of Israel this day."
(The Israelites sway forward murmuring: Ho! Indeed! Swaggerer!)
Saul: We will consider. Go! (The Challenger goes.)
Jonathan:
This challenge hath been cried before the army, And none is found who dare hope for the victory.
Saul:
Perchance a champion for Israel is here. (Beckons.) Ho, sons of Jesse, ye are come to fight; Ye are big men. Which one of you will fight 'gainst this Philistine?
(There is a pause: all look on ground.)
Unto the champion who kills Goliath, The king will give great riches. And to that man the king will give his daughter.
(There is another pause.)
Eliab (uncertainly):
I fear, lord king, For if I fail, then Israel is doomed to servitude.
Abinadab: I am not strong.
Shammah: I am not yet full-grown.
David (steps forth):
Let no man's heart fail because of him. Thy servant will go and fight with the Philistine.
(Laughter and derision from his brothers. Smiles from others.)
Saul: Thou art but a youth, and he a man of war.
David: Thy servant kept his father's flocks, and when there came a lion or a bear and took a lamb out of the flock, I went down after it and killed it.
Eliab: O foolish one!
Abinadab: Back to thy sheep!
Shammah: Thou braggart!
David:
The Lord delivered me out of the paw of the lion, And out of the paw of the bear; He will deliver me out of the hand of the Philistine.
Saul:
Go, and the Lord be with thee. And take my armor and my sword and shield.
(The Armor-bearer advances and offers weapons.)
David:
I have not proved them. But give me rather five smooth stones from the brook; Thus will I fight.
Saul: Go, bid the champion of the Philistines come.
(The First Messenger goes out left. Michal goes to David.)
Michal:
O shepherd, O sweet psalmist of Israel, O do not let the giant get too near! Be careful, David. Jonathan, go with him. And come back safe to Michal. God go with thee.
(She goes out.)
(David stands as though in prayer, while everyone sings very softly the following lines:)
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, For thou art with me: Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
(Or, merely the music may be played.)
(The Attendant brings stones to David.)
(Enter the Challenger for Goliath followed by Philistines.)
Challenger:
Tremble, O people of Israel, For Goliath cometh. And the champion of Israel will fall down before him As barley before the sickle. Tremble, O Israelites! Have ye a champion? Have ye a man to stand before him?
(David stands forth.)
Challenger: Ha, ha, ha! Is Goliath a babe, that thou sendest forth an infant against him?
David:
He cometh against me with a sword and spear; But I come against him in the name of the God of the armies of Israel, Whom he hath defied. Come forth, Goliath, for thou diest this day.
Eliab (to David): O lad, I fear for thee; I'll take thy place.
David:
Be not afraid. Though I be little, I've the strength of ten.
Israelites:
Huzzah! Huzzah! Though he be little, he's the strength of ten.
David (cries): Come forth, Goliath!
THE CHALLENGER FOR GOLIATH
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(Goliath, a heavy man, enters like a lion loosed from his cage. He brandishes his sword, and attacks David. David dodges and flees; Goliath follows him, hacking the air with his sword. Again David dodges and runs to a sufficient distance to use his sling. Goliath crashes to earth. David runs and stands over him, seizes Goliath's sword and cuts off his head.)
(The Challenger and other Philistines flee, crying, "Woe! Woe!")
Israelites: Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah!
David (holding up Goliath's head):
Give ear, O ye people, O ye Israelites, and O ye Philistines: For so shall all they triumph Who put their trust in the Lord!
Israelites (shout):
For so shall all they triumph Who put their trust in the Lord!
First Messenger (with wild enthusiasm): Where now are the Philistines?
Israelites: They are fled.
Saul: Proclaim through Israel the mighty tidings.
(The Second Messenger takes Goliath's head from David, and repeats the tidings three times, standing at center, at right and at left of stage. While he speaks the Soldiers remove Goliath.)
Second Messenger (blowing horn):
Give ear, O ye people: Slain is Goliath of Gath by the shepherd, David. And so shall all they triumph Who put their trust in the Lord.
Jonathan (goes affectionately to David):
O David, thou who art to me as a brother, I, Jonathan, prince of Israel, ask thy friendship. Take thou my robe in token of my love.
David:
O Jonathan, I am but a shepherd of the sheep, But I return thy love. (They exchange shepherd skin and velvet.)
(Enter Michal and her dancing women, with cymbals. They chant as they dance.)
Chant:
Listen: Audio content is not currently supported on your device. Audio content is not currently supported on your device. [midi]
Sheet Music: [pdf]
Music XML: [XML]
(Repeat three times in three different keys.)
Saul (angrily):
Peace, women! Ye ascribe unto David ten thousands, And to me ye ascribe but thousands. What more can he have but the kingdom?
Michal (runs and kneels before him): O my father, be not wroth at my song.
Saul (wearily):
I have sworn thee to the man who slew Goliath; And that which the king sweareth will he do. David, I give thee Michal for thy wife. (He turns away.)
David: The king's daughter within the palace is all-glorious.
Michal (smiling upon him and extending her hand):
O David! But see, my father is wroth at my song. Come and sing thou to him. And so shall he forget the mighty warrior, In listening to the sweetest singer in all Israel.
(She runs to Saul, who is reclining on couch.)
Father, would'st hear again the shepherd's psalm?
Saul (heavily):
Yea, for I have a sickness, daughter; And the song is verily one of delight.
(Michal leans beside Saul as David sings.)
David (sings):
The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, For thou art with me: Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil: My cup runneth over—
Saul (rises threateningly):
What sayest thou? Who hath anointed thy head with oil?
David:
O king, the prophet Samuel, sent of God! O king, one day I shall be king of Israel.
(Saul's head sinks on his breast. He passes slowly out, followed by his Attendants.)
David (sings):
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
(All turn to go, singing):
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life. And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
THE JUDGMENT OF SOLOMON
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