00:00♪
00:28Many, many years ago, when the people of Israel were a great nation ruled by King Saul,
00:32they fought a long and bitter war against their ancient enemies, the Philistines.
00:37In those days, soldiers used swords and spears and bows and arrows,
00:42and they wore heavy armor and carried shields to protect themselves in battle,
00:46so that only the biggest and strongest men were taken into the army.
00:50♪
00:56Well, in this war, the Israelites and the Philistines were pretty evenly matched.
01:01They fought many hard battles, and each side lost many men,
01:05but neither side could completely conquer the other.
01:08Then one day, while the Philistines were camped on one side of the Great Valley
01:12and the Israelites on the other, there came out of the camp of the Philistines
01:17a champion of their cause, a huge giant, taller and stronger and bigger
01:25than any man anyone had ever seen.
01:27♪
01:33He wore very heavy armor, and his face was fierce and cruel,
01:37so fierce and cruel that it would strike fear into the hearts of the bravest.
01:42This was Goliath, the giant of Gath.
01:45He strode to the center of the valley, faced the armies of Israel,
01:49and in a voice like thunder, he hurled his defiance at them.
01:53I am Goliath, the giant of Gath, and the Philistines have chosen me as their champion.
02:00You soldiers of Israel, choose a man for you, and let him come down here and fight with me.
02:07If he kills me, we will be the servants of Israel.
02:11If I kill him, you will be slaves to the Philistines.
02:16I defy any man to accept my challenge.
02:18♪
02:24When the men of Israel saw Goliath and heard his defiant challenge,
02:29they were afraid, for they had no one to match his size and strength.
02:35Not one among them dared go down and do battle with the giants.
02:39♪
02:42Not that is, until the shepherd boy David heard Goliath's challenge.
02:47Now David was just a boy, he knew nothing about swords and spears and fighting wars,
02:54but he was a thoughtful boy too, and a good boy, because he believed in God and trusted in him.
03:01So, when he heard Goliath defying King Saul's army, he turned to his brothers and said,
03:08in defying the army of Israel, Goliath defies God.
03:12Is there no one here to go out and do battle against the enemy of the Lord?
03:16♪
03:21David's brothers were first surprised and then angry at him.
03:24Go back to your flocks and leave wars to fighting men.
03:26♪
03:28But David wouldn't be put off.
03:31I will do it, he said.
03:32Send word to King Saul.
03:34Tell him that I will go down into the valley and do battle with Goliath the giant.
03:38♪
03:40When the king saw how determined David was, he gave him his blessing
03:45and offered him his own royal armor and sword.
03:47But David wouldn't take them, he wasn't a soldier.
03:50Instead, he went to a nearby stream and selected five smooth stones.
03:56He put these in his shepherd's bag.
03:58He took his stick in his left hand and in his right hand he held a slingshot, that's all.
04:03With both armies looking on, excited and expectant,
04:06David went down into the valley to meet Goliath.
04:08♪
04:12They met in the middle of the valley.
04:13David looking up at the giant, confident and unafraid,
04:16and Goliath looking down on the unarmed boy with eyes full of hatred.
04:21Suddenly, the giant Philistine roared in a terrible fury.
04:26I have defied all the armies of Israel to give me a man to fight
04:29and they have sent a boy against me.
04:31What? Am I a dog that you come against me with a stick?
04:35♪
04:39David answered him calmly.
04:41I come against you in the name of the Lord of hosts,
04:44the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
04:48Your sword and your spear and your shield will not save you, Goliath.
04:52For this day, you shall learn that the Lord fights on the side of right.
04:57Goliath let out an angry snarl.
05:00So be it, defend yourself boy.
05:02♪
05:06Goliath the giant rushed forward to make quick work of the boy champion of the army.
05:11He was the strongest man of all the Israelites.
05:14David stood his ground.
05:16He reached into a shepherd's bag, took out one stone.
05:20He fixed it in his slingshot and he let it fly.
05:22♪
05:32The giant was dead.
05:34And the simple shepherd boy who trusted in God
05:37hadn't been able to do. David lifted his eyes to heaven and he whispered a prayer.
