SCENE I. THE CHALLENGE

Place: On the battlefield.

First Brother: Have ye seen this Philistine who is come up, this giant who has defied the armies of the living God?

Second Brother: Who has seen him?

Third Brother: I have seen him; he is verily a giant. His height is six cubits and a span. He weareth an helmet of brass upon his head, and he is armed with a coat of mail, and he hath greaves of brass upon his legs, and the staff of his spear is like the weaver's beam; and one bearing a shield goeth before him. Our soldiers are truly afraid. They flee as he approacheth.

Fig. 2.—A scene from David and Goliath

Goliath [apart from the king and soldiers]: Why are ye come out to gather your armies to battle? Am I not a Philistine, and ye servants to 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. I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.

[Some of the soldiers turn and flee.]

Saul: Hear the words of this Philistine. I know not what we can do. Have we no man among us with the strength or boldness to fight this giant? I will enrich him with great riches.

Second Brother: In truth, he is a mighty giant, O King. Our soldiers are greatly dismayed; no one will accept this challenge.

[The king and two soldiers go out. Enter David. He runs up to his brothers and salutes them.]

First Brother: This is David, our younger brother! How cometh it that thou art here?

Second Brother: I thought we left thee tending the sheep.

Third Brother: What news dost thou bring of our father? Is all well with him?

David: My father commanded me, saying, "Take now for thy brethren this parched corn and these ten loaves, and run to the camp of thy brethren; and carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare." And I rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and came as my father commanded.

[Brothers take food from David.]

Goliath: Why are ye come out to gather your armies to battle? Am I not a Philistine, and ye servants to 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. I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.

[David listens. The soldiers seem disturbed and frightened.]

David: What meaneth this?

Soldier [walks up to David]: Have ye seen this man who is come up? Surely to defy Israel is he come up. And it shall be that the man who killeth him the king will enrich with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.

David: Who is this Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?

First Brother [showing anger against David]: Why camest thou hither? And with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thy heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.

David: What have I now done? [He turns from his brothers and speaks to the people.] What shall be done with the man that killeth this Philistine and taketh away the reproach from Israel? For who is this Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? I will fight him, and if I prevail against him and kill him, then will the Philistines be our servants and serve us. The Lord God of Israel will deliver him into my hands.

Soldiers: Saul, the king, shall hear these words!