DAVID AND GOLIATH

CHARACTERS: David, David's Three Brothers, King Saul, Goliath, Israelite Soldiers, Philistine Soldiers.

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 G.o.d?

_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 bra.s.s upon his head, and he is armed with a coat of mail, and he hath greaves of bra.s.s upon his legs, and the staff of his spear is like the weaver's beam; and one bearing a s.h.i.+eld goeth before him. Our soldiers are truly afraid. They flee as he approacheth.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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 G.o.d?

_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 G.o.d? 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 G.o.d of Israel will deliver him into my hands.

_Soldiers:_ Saul, the king, shall hear these words!

SCENE II. DAVID BEFORE SAUL

PLACE: Saul's tent.

_David_ [_comes in and salutes the king_]: Let no man's heart fail because of this giant; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.

_Saul:_ Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.

_David:_ Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and when there came a lion or a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after him and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I caught him by the beard and smote him and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear; and this Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living G.o.d.

The Lord that hath 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 this Philistine.

_Saul:_ Go, and the Lord go with thee. [_To soldiers_]: Bring forth armor; this youth must be ready to meet the foe.

[_The soldiers bring armor._ SAUL _puts the armor, a helmet and a coat of mail, on_ DAVID. DAVID _puts on his sword, then walks a few steps. He suddenly throws the sword down and begins to take off the armor._]

_David:_ I cannot go with these, for I have not proved them.

[_He takes the armor off and keeps only his shepherd's staff and sling._] The Lord that 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 this Philistine.

[_He bows to the king and goes out._]

SCENE III. THE BATTLE

PLACE: The battlefield.

[DAVID _picks up five smooth stones and puts them into his shepherd bag._ GOLIATH _comes toward him. He is dressed in armor, and the man that bears his s.h.i.+eld comes before him._ GOLIATH _looks surprised and disgusted when he sees_ DAVID.]

_Goliath:_ Am I a dog that thou comest to me with staves?

Come to me and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air and unto the beasts of the field.

_David:_ Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear and with a s.h.i.+eld; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the G.o.d of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thy head from thee; and I will give the bodies of the Philistines unto the fowls of the air, and unto the beasts of the field, that all may know that there is a G.o.d in Israel. And all this a.s.sembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with the sword and with the spear, for the battle is the Lord's and he will give you into our hands!

[DAVID _puts his hand into his bag and takes out a stone and slings it, so that it hits the giant in the forehead. The giant falls. The Philistines flee._ DAVID _stands with his foot on the body of the giant._]

_Israelite Soldiers with David:_ The battle is the Lord's!

END

CHAPTER V