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people together at Gilgal. The Philistines gathered all their host to fight against Saul, with thirty thousand chariots and horsemen, and a multitude of people; and after Saul had tarried seven days in Gilgal, according to the time Samuel had appointed, he, without waiting for Samuel, offered the burnt offering. Just as he had finished the sacrifice, Samuel arrived, and said, What hast thou been doing? Thou hast not kept the commandments of the Lord thy God, and therefore thy kingdom shall not continue. And Samuel left Saul, and went unto Gibeah of Benjamin.

It appeared that the Philistines had previously removed all the smiths from throughout the land of Israel, that the Hebrews should not make swords and spears; therefore, on the day of battle, there were neither swords nor spears in the hands of the Israelites.

In consequence of the Amalekites opposing the children of Israel as they came from Egypt, Saul was ordered by Samuel to spare neither man, woman, or child of the Amalekites; and he utterly destroyed all the people. But Saul spared Agag the king. He also kept the best of the spoils, and thus did not obey the Lord's commands; therefore Samuel told Saul that for his disobedience the Lord had rent the kingdom of Israel from him, and given it to a neighbour and a better man. And Samuel had Agag hewed in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal; and Samuel left Saul. In the course of time, God sent Samuel to Saul to sacrifice; and Samuel called Jesse the Bethlehemite to the sacrifice; and he sanctified Jesse and seven of his sons,

1059 B. C.

;

passing them before him. But Samuel said, The Lord hath not chosen either of these there yet remaineth the youngest son, David, fetch him. And Samuel anointed him in the midst of his brethren; and the spirit of the Lord came upon David from that hour: but the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from God troubled him. And it came to pass that Saul's ministers sent for David, who played upon the harp, to play before Saul, which refreshed him, and the evil spirit departed from him.

The Philistines gathered again their armies to battle; and also Saul with the men of Israel. The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel on a mountain on the opposite side, there being a valley between them. A champion of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was upwards of twelve feet, and the coat of mail which he wore in weight one hundred and sixty pounds, came forward with a spear and gorget, and one before him bearing a shield. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man that we might fight together. challenge dismayed Saul and all Israel. Goliath, the Philistine, drew near both morning and evening, and presented himself before the armies of Saul forty days. Jesse ordered his youngest son, David, to carry bread and cheese to his brethren, viz., to Eliab, Abinidab, and Shammah, who were with Saul, and to see how they fared. David rose up in the morning, and left the sheep with the keeper. David arrived at the camp, and saluted his brothers. At this hour it was proclaimed by

The

Saul that the man who killed the champion, and so took away the reproach from Israel, the King would enrich him, and give him his daughter in marriage. David said to his brothers, Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the living God? His brothers were jealous of him, and wanted to send him home again to feed the sheep; but Saul, hearing of David's sayings, sent for him, and, on seeing him, said, Thou art not able to fight the Philistine. David said, Thy servant smote a lion and a bear which killed my father's sheep, and I will serve this uncircumcised Philistine after the same manner, seeing that he hath defied the armies of the living God. And Saul said, Go, and the Lord be with thee.

Now David took his staff in his hand, and also a sling, and out of the brook he took five stones; and as they drew near each other, the Philistine cursed David by his gods, and said, This day I will give thee to the fowls of the air. And David answered, I come unto thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, and the Lord will deliver thee into my hands. Then David put a stone in his sling, and slung it, and smote the Philistine in the forehead, and brought him to the ground; and David ran up and took the sword of the Philistine, and cut off his head.

1058 B. C.

Thirty-seventh
Medal.

David cutting
off the Head of
Goliath the
Philistine.

DAVID CUTTING OFF

HEAD OF

GOLIATH THE

PHILISTINE.

And when the Philistines saw their companion was dead, they fled. The army of Israel and Judah then pursued the Philistines to the gates of Ekron, the most northern city of the Philistines. Saul then took David, and said, Thou shalt not go more home to thy father's house, I will set thee over the men of war. And he was accepted in the sight of all the army and people present. And it came to pass, as Saul, with David and the army, returned from the slaughter of the Philistines, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel singing and dancing, to meet Saul, with timbrels and other instruments of music; they, however, sang out, Saul hath slain his thousands, but David his tens of thousands. And Saul eyed David with jealousy from that day forward. Nevertheless, Saul took him into his house to reside,

and made David play on the harp before him as he formerly did, in which attitude Saul considered it would be a favourable opportunity to pierce him with a javelin; but the Lord was with David, who escaped out of the way. Now Saul removed him by making him a captain over a thousand. Saul, finding that David behaved himself wisely in all his ways, was sore afraid of him; and he gave David his second daughter to wife, named Michal, that she might be made a snare to entrap him. And Saul said to his servants, Go and tell David that the king desireth not any dowry, but one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies; for Saul thought this a good opportunity to have David killed by the Philistines. David did as Saul required, even bringing to Saul two hundred instead of one hundred foreskins of the Philistines. Saul seeing that the Lord was with him, became more and more jealous of David. Saul, however, gave David his second daughter to wife. Michal loved David, and so did Jonathan (the eldest son of Saul), and Jonathan told David of his father's intention to destroy him. Jonathan went before his father Saul, and said that David had wrought a good salvation in Israel, by killing the Philistine, and said, Thou didst rejoice; wherefore, then, wouldst thou sin against innocent blood? Saul hearkened to the voice of Jonathan, and said, I swear, as the Lord liveth, he shall not be slain. There was again a war with the Philistines, and David was sent out against them; he slew them with great slaughter, and returned in triumph to Saul. The evil spirit again sat upon Saul, and

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