Bible Society of South Africa

Season after Pentecost: Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

First reading and Psalm

Goliath Challenges the Israelites

1The Philistines gathered for battle in Socoh, a town in Judah; they camped at a place called Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah.

4A man named Goliath, from the city of Gath, came out from the Philistine camp to challenge the Israelites. He was nearly three metres tall 5and wore bronze armour that weighed about 57 kilogrammes and a bronze helmet. 6His legs were also protected by bronze armour, and he carried a bronze javelin slung over his shoulder. 7His spear was as thick as the bar on a weaver's loom, and its iron head weighed about seven kilogrammes. A soldier walked in front of him carrying his shield. 8Goliath stood and shouted at the Israelites, “What are you doing there, lined up for battle? I am a Philistine, you slaves of Saul! Choose one of your men to fight me. 9If he wins and kills me, we will be your slaves; but if I win and kill him, you will be our slaves. 10Here and now I challenge the Israelite army. I dare you to pick someone to fight me!” 11When Saul and his men heard this, they were terrified.

1 Samuel 17:4-11GNBMaak oop in die Bybelleser

19King Saul, your brothers, and all the other Israelites are in the Valley of Elah fighting the Philistines.”

20David got up early the next morning, left someone else in charge of the sheep, took the food, and went as Jesse had told him to. He arrived at the camp just as the Israelites were going out to their battle line, shouting the war cry. 21The Philistine and the Israelite armies took up positions for battle, facing each other. 22David left the food with the officer in charge of the supplies, ran to the battle line, went to his brothers, and asked how they were getting on. 23As he was talking to them, Goliath came forward and challenged the Israelites as he had done before. And David heard him.

1 Samuel 17:19-23GNBMaak oop in die Bybelleser

32David said to Saul, “Your Majesty, no one should be afraid of this Philistine! I will go and fight him.”

33“No,” answered Saul. “How could you fight him? You're just a boy, and he has been a soldier all his life!”

34“Your Majesty,” David said, “I take care of my father's sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear carries off a lamb, 35I go after it, attack it, and rescue the lamb. And if the lion or bear turns on me, I grab it by the throat and beat it to death. 36I have killed lions and bears, and I will do the same to this heathen Philistine, who has defied the army of the living God. 37The LORD has saved me from lions and bears; he will save me from this Philistine.”

“All right,” Saul answered. “Go, and the LORD be with you.” 38He gave his own armour to David for him to wear: a bronze helmet, which he put on David's head, and a coat of armour. 39David strapped Saul's sword over the armour and tried to walk, but he couldn't, because he wasn't used to wearing them. “I can't fight with all this,” he said to Saul. “I'm not used to it.” So he took it all off. 40He took his shepherd's stick and then picked up five smooth stones from the stream and put them in his bag. With his sling ready, he went out to meet Goliath.

David Defeats Goliath

41The Philistine started walking towards David, with his shield-bearer walking in front of him. He kept coming closer, 42and when he got a good look at David, he was filled with scorn for him because he was just a nice, good-looking boy. 43He said to David, “What's that stick for? Do you think I'm a dog?” And he called down curses from his god on David. 44“Come on,” he challenged David, “and I will give your body to the birds and animals to eat.”

45David answered, “You are coming against me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the Israelite armies, which you have defied. 46This very day the LORD will put you in my power; I will defeat you and cut off your head. And I will give the bodies of the Philistine soldiers to the birds and animals to eat. Then the whole world will know that Israel has a God, 47and everyone here will see that the LORD does not need swords or spears to save his people. He is victorious in battle, and he will put all of you in our power.”

48Goliath started walking towards David again, and David ran quickly towards the Philistine battle line to fight him. 49He put his hand into his bag and took out a stone, which he slung at Goliath. It hit him on the forehead and broke his skull, and Goliath fell face downwards on the ground.

1 Samuel 17:32-49GNBMaak oop in die Bybelleser

9The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,

a place of safety in times of trouble.

10Those who know you, LORD, will trust you;

you do not abandon anyone who comes to you.

11Sing praise to the LORD, who rules in Zion!

Tell every nation what he has done!

12God remembers those who suffer;

he does not forget their cry,

and he punishes those who wrong them.

13Be merciful to me, O LORD!

See the sufferings my enemies cause me!

Rescue me from death, O LORD,

14that I may stand before the people of Jerusalem

and tell them all the things for which I praise you.

I will rejoice because you saved me.

15The heathen have dug a pit and fallen in;

they have been caught in their own trap.

16The LORD has revealed himself by his righteous judgements,

and the wicked are trapped by their own deeds.

17Death is the destiny of all the wicked,

of all those who reject God.

18The needy will not always be neglected;

the hope of the poor will not be crushed for ever.

19Come, LORD! Do not let human beings defy you!

Bring the heathen before you

and pronounce judgement on them.

20Make them afraid, O LORD;

make them know that they are only mortal beings.

10The next day an evil spirit from God suddenly took control of Saul, and he raved in his house like a madman. David was playing the harp, as he did every day, and Saul was holding a spear. 11“I'll pin him to the wall,” Saul said to himself, and he threw the spear at him twice; but David dodged each time.

12Saul was afraid of David because the LORD was with David but had abandoned him. 13So Saul sent him away and put him in command of a thousand men. David led his men in battle 14and was successful in all he did, because the LORD was with him. 15Saul noticed David's success and became even more afraid of him. 16But everyone in Israel and Judah loved David because he was such a successful leader.

1 Samuel 18:10-16GNBMaak oop in die Bybelleser

In Praise of Living in Peace

1How wonderful it is, how pleasant,

for God's people to live together in harmony!

2It is like the precious anointing oil

running down from Aaron's head and beard,

down to the collar of his robes.

3It is like the dew on Mount Hermon,

falling on the hills of Zion.

That is where the LORD has promised his blessing —

life that never ends.

Psalms 133:1-3GNBMaak oop in die Bybelleser
Bible Society of South Africav.4.17.10
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