David and the Giant

Long ago there lived a young shepherd boy named David.

All day long he would watch his father's sheep as they ate sweet grass on the hillside. Although David was only a boy, he was strong and brave.

At that time, there was a great war between the people of Israel and men called the Philistines. All the strong men in David's town went to join the army of Israel, but David could not go, as he had to tend the sheep, but his three older brothers went to the war.

One day, David's dad asked him to take some food to his brothers and find out how the war was going, so David took the corn and the loaves of bread and went to the camp where his brothers were, on one side of a large valley.

When David got there, he could see the Philistine army on the other side of the valley, facing the army of Israel.

While David was talking to his brothers, out came a giant Philistine soldier dressed in shining armour and carrying a huge spear and shield.

David asked who this giant was, and his brothers explained that every day this giant called Goliath would come out and shout at the army of Israel. He would say terrible things about Israel and about God, but everyone from Israel was really scared of Goliath cos he was so big and strong, so nobody would go out to fight him.

Just then the giant shouted with a loud voice, and dared the army of Israel to choose a man to fight him.

David was very brave, and asked his brothers why nobody would go to fight this man. "Our God is bigger than this giant", David said. "With God on our side, we could easily win."

Everyone heard David's brave words, but because he was only a boy, they all laughed at him. His brothers told him to go back home.

David said to the king of Israel, "Once, when I was guarding my father's sheep, I killed a lion and a bear without help from any one but the God. He will help me fight this man."

So David went to a river near by and chose five smooth stones. With only these five stones and his sling, he went bravely out to meet the giant with his huge sword and shield.

Do you think David was scared? Would you have been scared?

The giant goliath shouted at David and told him that he would kill him.

David looked goliath straight in the eye, which must have been quite difficult for such a small boy! "You think you are so big cos you are a giant with a huge sword", David said, "but God is with me, and he is much bigger and stronger than even you."

David fitted one of the five stones to his sling, and whirled it quickly above his head. When he let go, the stone flew straight to the target and hit goliath right on the head.

The huge giant took one step and, with a loud groan, fell to the ground. David had won!

David took goliath's own sword and cut off the head. When the Philistines saw that their best fighter was dead, they were terrified and tried to run away, but the army of Israel followed them and won a great victory, because David had trusted in God.