Speaker 1: He says, dead, mam, come on your story.
Speaker 2: Hours are presenting your story, hour building for a better tomorrow.
Speaker 3: Today's story.
Speaker 4: Samuel says, God has rejected me, as King rejected me me.
I've made mistakes, of course, a few like anyone made,
but your majesty is an injustice. I've been a good king,
and the throne should remain with my posterity. I am
a man of valor and courage. Everyone says so, and
I have vanquished many an enemy of Israel. Those things
should offset the few mistakes I've made. I don't care
what anyone says. I'll kill anyone who tries to get
in my way. Anyone you may.
Speaker 5: You will recall that you wanted us to find me.
Speaker 4: I don't care what I ordered who to do what
right now? I order you to keep still while I
speak my mind. Understand I am king. I'll have you
remember that anyone who forgets it and doesn't show me
the proper respect and dumage will have his I I
am king. My rule Israel.
Speaker 3: My word is law.
Speaker 4: I mean to be obeyed, and anyone who dares disobey
will What is that.
Speaker 6: Sound that your Majesty is the half player you requested, Oh.
Speaker 4: Who who told anyone to play? I didn't. I will
not be interrupted, even with music that is lovely music.
But I didn't tell him to play. Off with his head?
Whoever he is? Oh, dare he play without my permission?
Off with his head? Dear?
Speaker 7: Hello everyone, and welcome.
Speaker 8: Wow, Aunt Carol, sounds like there was a crazy king
in power.
Speaker 7: You're right, Uncle Dan. This famous Bible story is about
a king, a shepherd, boy and a giant.
Speaker 6: Oh.
Speaker 8: I know this story well. It's found in the Book
of First Samuel, chapter seventeen.
Speaker 7: It's right, we call it the Boy and the Giant.
Speaker 4: I don't just stand there, do as I set off
with that fellow's head, whoever he is.
Speaker 6: You sent for him, your majesty, I sent for him.
Who ordered us to find and bring to your court
a clever player of the harp?
Speaker 4: But why why I want a harp player?
Speaker 6: Because your majesty, you were having spells of mental depression,
and your counsel is thought.
Speaker 4: Keep still, keep still. I want to listen to that music.
Speaker 9: Yes, your majesty.
Speaker 4: And fellas certainly can play the harp. It's the best
music I've ever heard. Who did you say his name?
Speaker 6: Your majesty.
Speaker 4: Well, just bring him here. I want to meet him.
His music does something for me. Quiet's my nerves.
Speaker 6: David the harp player, son of Jesse the benjer Mike
to see his majesty, Great and mighty King, Come forward, David.
Speaker 9: Long live the King.
Speaker 4: Arise David, my son. Why why you're just a lad?
Are you a professional player?
Speaker 5: No, your majesty, I'm just a shepherd.
Speaker 4: A shepherd. Well, be that as it may, Hey, I
wish you'd play some more for me.
Speaker 9: As you wish, your majesty. Surely God shall deliver me
from the smear of the foul and from the noise
and pestilence. He shall cover me with his feathers, and
under his wings shall I trost.
Speaker 1: And thus it was in the providence of God David,
as a skillful performer, upon the harp, was brought before
the king. His lofty and heaven inspired strains had the
desired effect. The brooding melancholy that had settled like a
dark cloud over the mind of King Saul was charmed away.
When David's services were not required at the court of Saul,
he returned to his flock among the hills.
Speaker 5: Hello there, I'm back. So I see, I thought you
were supposed to stay at the King's palace. I'm not
needed right now, so they let me come home.
Speaker 3: How do you like being in the royal palace?
Speaker 10: It certainly is an honor, and I've seen and learned
many things. There are many temptations put in the way
of the king, and for that I feel sorry for
King Saul. The king has many difficulties and responsibilities, responsibilities
ordinary folk would never dream about. I've seen the glory
of royalty shattered with a dark cloud of sorrow. It's
made me think more about the harassments and troubles of men. Meditation, prayer, music,
These things, by the help of God, are the things
that will elevate the mind and drive away the dark clouds.
Speaker 1: God teaching young David lessons of trust. As Moses was
trained for his work, so the Lord was fitting the
son of Jesse to become the guide of his chosen
people in the court of the king. He was learning
of the great responsibilities that rested upon the King of
Israel in his watch care over his father's flocks. David
was gaining an appreciation of the care that the Great
Shepherd of Heaven has for the sheep.
Speaker 5: Of his pasture.
Speaker 1: All these things brought new thoughts to David and a new,
greater and more serious theme to his music.
Speaker 10: There's an evil which I've seen. It's common among men,
a man to whom God hath given riches and honor,
so that he wanteth nothing.
Speaker 9: Surely, oppression maketh the wise.
Speaker 8: Man mad, and.
Speaker 11: A gift destroyeth the hah.
Speaker 4: Is everyone here, yes, Your Majesty, I will speak to them.
Speaker 6: Yes, Sir, Princess, lords, ministers of His Majesty's court quiet, Please,
King Saul of Israel and Judah wishes to speak.
Speaker 4: You are all members of my court. Each of you
has been chosen because of your particular talent in your
chosen field. Gentlemen, we are in trouble, deep trouble. This
you well know. General Abner, come forward up here by me.
Speaker 3: Yes, long live the King.
Speaker 4: You are commander in chief of all my.
Speaker 3: Armies, Am your Majesty?
Speaker 4: Tell me the Philistines are they prepared for battle against us?
Speaker 3: They are, your Majesty. Their armies are camped on the
side of a mountain near Shoko in Judah, directly across
from their camp on the other side of the valley
of Elah is a good camp site for our army.
If we elect to fight them, there would be.
Speaker 4: A valley between their camp and our.
Speaker 3: A deep valley. Yes, your majesty, a frontal attack, either
by the Philistines or by us is almost impossible.
Speaker 4: How do they propose to decide the conflict.
Speaker 3: By personal combat? Your majesty?
Speaker 4: Well, now that's not such a bad IDEA many a
tribal war is decided that way. Do we have a
champion who is willing to fight their champion?
Speaker 6: Oh?
Speaker 3: We have many, your majesty. I am thinking, for instance,
of a very brave soldier named eliab He is tall
and impressive and fears nothing.
Speaker 4: Well, get the army ready to move. We shall camp
across from the Philistine.
Speaker 3: Yes, sir, your majesty, long live the king lie.
Speaker 4: I have another serving of mutton brought into General Abner
and myself. Yes, your majesty.
Speaker 3: This camp life seems to agree with my king.
Speaker 4: Yes, I always feel better when there's a battle to
be won. What is that?
Speaker 3: I hear a voice, Your majesty?
Speaker 4: Whose voice I don't know, sir? What is he saying?
Speaker 3: I can't quite understand him, Your majesty.
Speaker 4: I'll go and find out who he is and what
he wants immediately, your majesty, come in, Come in, abner.
What did you find out?
Speaker 3: It was the Philistine Champion speaking, your majesty, challenging one
of the our champions to come forth and fight him.
Speaker 4: Which one of our champions did you choose?
Speaker 3: Well? None, your majesty, none.
Speaker 4: Why not? But that's why we're here.
Speaker 3: Remember, I ask for volunteers, sir, but no one came forward.
Speaker 4: None of our men will fight their champion cowards. What
do they expect that I myself should go out and
fight him? Well, perhaps I shall.
Speaker 3: First, to your majesty, let me tell you about him.
Speaker 4: The Philistine Champion. Why he's just a man, isn't he?
Speaker 3: He's a giant?
Speaker 4: So am I? I am head and shoulders taller than
any man in Israel.
Speaker 3: The Philistine Giant is even taller than you, your majesty.
He is at least ten feet tall, ten feet, yes,
and he wears a helmet of brass and a coat
of mail. The coat of mail alone weighs over one
hundred pounds a hundred pounds. A spear he carries is
like a to a weaver's beam. It has a head
of iron, weighing thirteen pounds.
Speaker 4: What a man. Now, I wish i'd gone out myself
and seen him.
Speaker 3: He'll be down there in the valley again tomorrow, so
he said.
Speaker 4: Well, as soon as he appears, let me know. I
want to see him for myself.
Speaker 3: Why I come out to set you off? Lad little array?
Speaker 2: Am not I a philistin and you servants of your
king's soul.
Speaker 5: I defy the armies of Israel west day.
Speaker 2: Send now the man that we may fight together. If
you have such a man, choose you a man, a champion.
Speaker 3: If you have such a man, and send him down
to me.
Speaker 4: He is huge, isn't he.
Speaker 3: There's no man in our army who could defeat him
your magic.
Speaker 4: You're right, Abner. As large and as brave as I am,
I wouldn't want to fight him. I can't blame any
of my men for refusing.
Speaker 3: What are we going to do, your majesty.
Speaker 4: You're my general.
Speaker 3: What do you suggest I suppose, as your chief of staff,
I should offer to fight Goliath?
Speaker 4: Don't even suggest such a thing, Abner. You're a general.
I need you to plan and execute wars, not to
fight a duel with a giant.
Speaker 3: And I have nothing further to suggest, your Majesty, We
simply do not have anyone who can overcome that giant.
Speaker 4: Nevertheless, I am not ready to give up. We'll wait
a while and see what happens. We may think of
some way.
Speaker 3: Out granted, your Majesty, Except in the meantime we will
have to take Goliath's insult.
Speaker 4: My orders general. Do nothing nothing here until I give
the word.
Speaker 8: Yes, your majesty, want to hear something special.
Speaker 7: The adventures are special alright. Special because the stories are
interesting and fun to read.
Speaker 8: And special because you'll receive wonderful audio stories on the
life of Jesus.
Speaker 7: And special because they're all for free.
Speaker 8: So if you're nine years old or older, write to
us and ask us to sign you up.
Speaker 7: Our address is your Story Hour Box eight Niles, n
I L E. S. Michigan four nine one two zero.
Speaker 8: Or you can do the adventures right online. Just sign
up on our website at your storyhour dot org. That's
your story hour dot org.
Speaker 7: Now let's return to our story, the Boy and the Giant.
Speaker 5: David, sir, there's another lion after the sheep. Well, what
are you going to do?
Speaker 10: I'm going after him, But David sir, this lion is Oh,
he's a bite.
Speaker 5: Just stay here. I'll be back shortly. There's nothing to fear,
I hope not.
Speaker 4: There.
Speaker 5: What did I tell you there was nothing to fear.
You're the bravest man I've ever seen, David, Sir, I'm
not brave at all, not really. I just well, I
trust him, the Lord and his promises.
Speaker 3: That's all.
Speaker 5: If we love the Lord and obey him and trust
him too, and do all we should do. He has
promised always to be our helper. I believe that.
Speaker 10: I know it to be true. So with God on
my side, there is nothing to fear, nothing at all.
Speaker 2: Sounds simple, but when it comes to actually look, someone's coming.
Speaker 5: Huh, Well it's one of the servants from the house.
Speaker 3: Yes it is.
Speaker 5: I wonder what he's doing way out here.
Speaker 4: He's running. He must be in an awful hurry.
Speaker 10: Yes, it's it's probably some sort of message from father,
even from my three brothers at the battlefront.
Speaker 9: Well, what are you.
Speaker 5: Doing way out here? Reading's Master David. Your father sends
me with a message, Master David is to come to
the house immediately. Is that all?
Speaker 3: Master Jesse told me to stay here and.
Speaker 5: Help to take care of the sheep. I'm fine, I'll
be on my way.
Speaker 4: And David my son.
Speaker 1: Yes, Father, here, your three elder brothers, Eliab, Benedab and
Shama joined King Saul's army to do battle with the Philistines.
That was over forty days ago. I am concerned for them.
I want you to go to Shaka and see what
has happened. Yes, father, and now you will take an
eph of parched corn for your brothers. And this cheese
is for your brother's captain, the one over there ten thousand.
It shall be done, father, and look to you and
receive your brother's pledge that all is well with them.
Then he and back here that I may learn how
they fare. You will leave early in the morning, of.
Speaker 5: Course, Father.
Speaker 3: Good morning, Captain, Good morning, sir, and you will. I
have a good morning to you.
Speaker 4: Good morning, General Abner.
Speaker 3: How are you this beautiful morning?
Speaker 4: Mine?
Speaker 6: Sir?
Speaker 12: But I well, Sir, I cannot help it be a
little worried. For almost forty days now we have had
to listen to the insults of that giant.
Speaker 4: How much longer are we to put up with it?
Speaker 3: That's what I'm here for. His Majesty has finally decided
to engage the Philistines army against army face to face
in a battle to the death.
Speaker 12: I thought the war would be won or lost by
one of our men fighting Eliath. Isn't that the usual
procedure in these personal and counter affairs.
Speaker 3: Yes, but his Majesty has decided to march against them,
engage them in actual combat this very day.
Speaker 12: Sir, I think we have a chance army against army.
Since we defeated the Philistines at Micmash, they have not
been strong enough for a full scale attack. They're smart
enough to realize this. That's why they want a personal
combat with their giant, the Lion.
Speaker 3: That's exactly the thinking of King Saul. His orders are
to prepare for combat immediately. Captain, prepare your thousand for
marching by early afternoon.
Speaker 4: Yes, Sir, I really do think the king is finally
wising up.
Speaker 3: And oh, there goes old loud health attas.
Speaker 2: For forty days now twice a day.
Speaker 3: He's right, you know, we are afraid to fight him
with a two.
Speaker 12: Year old lad fight the prone man's it's just as
useless for any of us to fight that ten foot
of goliath.
Speaker 3: Cowards.
Speaker 12: No, we're just too wise to want to take an
impossible task.
Speaker 3: We can a lie him.
Speaker 12: Well, well, if it isn't the little shepherd.
Speaker 5: The voice I hear, isn't he insulting Israel and Israel's king?
Speaker 3: Yes, he comes out each morning and hurls those insults.
Speaker 5: Ats, So why do you permit such a vile thing?
Why doesn't someone answer his challenge and fighting.
Speaker 12: General Abner, Sir, this is my youngest brother.
Speaker 3: He is equated with the ways of sheep.
Speaker 4: Not of men of war.
Speaker 12: So so overlook is crazy talk if you care.
Speaker 5: But generally, sir, God is on our side. Has he
not repeatedly delivered us from many enemies under impossible circumstances?
Why doesn't someone go out and fight this bragging philistine?
Speaker 3: I'm afraid you've not seen this particular philistine seen him?
Speaker 5: Who is this philistine that he should defy the armies
of the living God?
Speaker 3: He is a giant ten feet tall?
Speaker 5: Ten feet tall? Is that so tall that God fears him?
Speaker 12: Well, perhaps you will sally forth and fight the giant
with your bare hand.
Speaker 5: Yes, what shall be done for the man who kills
this giant philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel, well.
Speaker 3: Young man, not that it could possibly interest you. But
the man who would be brave enough and able to
kill that giant should receive great riches and honor from
the king. Not only that, but the king would give
his own daughter to the man in marriage, and he
and his house should be free in Israel.
Speaker 5: There's no limit to what God can do.
Speaker 3: Are you seriously thinking of going forth to fight that giand.
Speaker 12: Parsey is ab nur sir? At least he thinks he is.
Why he's just a lad and knows not where.
Speaker 5: Of he speaks as the God of Israel can and will.
Speaker 12: Now listen, David, I'm your eldest brother and have the
right to command you in the first place. Why have
you come down here? And with whom have you left
those few sheep that Father trust you with. I know
all about your pride and your bragging in.
Speaker 4: The evil of your heart.
Speaker 12: I know why you're here merely to watch the battle
from the sidelines at a safe distance.
Speaker 5: What have I done other than what any true blooded
Israelite would do? Have I not cause to be indignant
that our army lets this giant felistine continue day after
day to hurl insults at is reel that.
Speaker 12: God, no, Sir, I beg of you, do not listen
to these words of my sheep tending brother.
Speaker 1: And David turned from his brother and went to another
group of soldiers and said the same things to them.
But they too answered in the same manner as had
his brother relied. Now all the things that David had
said were told to the king, and Saul sent for David.
Speaker 4: Word has come to me that you are telling all
over camp that someone should have gone forth to fight
the giant Goliath. Yes, Sir, your majesty, Well, young man,
there is no one in Israel valiant and brave enough
to kill that giant.
Speaker 5: There's no limit to what God can do, your majesty.
Speaker 4: But a man, some one of my soldiers must face
the giant.
Speaker 10: Let no man's heart fail him, Your majesty, because of
the Philistine giant, your servant will go and fight the Phalistine.
Speaker 1: You.
Speaker 4: Yes, your majesty, you aren't able to fight that giant.
You are but a youth, and he is a man
of war and tall and powerful.
Speaker 10: King, your servant was watching over his father's sheep, and
there came a lion and a bear and took a
lamb out of the flock, and I went out after
them and delivered the lamb from them and smote them.
This bragging giant of a philistine shall be as that
lion and bear. Seeing he has defied the armies of
the Living God over which you are shepherd, even as
I was shepherd over my father's sheep.
Speaker 4: That it would be suicide, my boy, and I can't let.
Speaker 9: You do it.
Speaker 5: O King, 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.
Speaker 4: Would that I had such faith and courage once I
did as a young king, I had faith and trust
and courage.
Speaker 3: But now I.
Speaker 4: Go, my son, fight the heathen philistine, and may God
be with you and give you victory.
Speaker 3: I'm a better, yes, your majesty.
Speaker 4: Yet my armor and helmet and coat of mail. Put
them on this youth, that he may go forth to
meet the giant, fully protected by my own armor, and
place my sword by his side.
Speaker 3: Yes, your majesty.
Speaker 1: The heavy helmet of brass was placed upon the head
of David, the coat of mail upon his body, and
the monarch's sword at his side. Thus equipped, David started
out upon his heir.
Speaker 3: You know, of course, your Majesty, that he hasn't a
chance against that giant.
Speaker 4: I'm quite sure of that, abner, But what else is
there to do? Oh, I realize that I should fight Goliath.
I am the leader of Israel, the king, but I
shake with fear, for I wouldn't have a chance to win.
And yes, it's a guilty conscience that may makes me fearful.
Speaker 3: Your majesty. If you had refused to let David fight Goliath,
the pholice teams would expect you to fight him.
Speaker 4: But you realize that I am king and must protect
my reputation in fighting that giant.
Speaker 3: Certainly is, your majesty. David is returning.
Speaker 4: Yes, yes, so I see apparently he's decided not to
risk his life by fighting the giant.
Speaker 5: Your majesty.
Speaker 10: Yes, son, Your Majesty, I can't go forth to fight
the giant in this coat of armor.
Speaker 5: I just can't do it.
Speaker 10: Never before have I worn armor, and I can do
nothing with it on. If it pleases Majesty, I should
like to remove it.
Speaker 4: Permission granted, Lackey, help the lad off with the armor.
Speaker 10: Your majesty, I would like still to have the privilege
and honor of ridding Israel of this heathen giant.
Speaker 4: All right, it's up to you. But what weapons will
you use?
Speaker 5: I shall take with me only those I used in
protecting my father's sheep, A shepherd's rod and my sling.
Speaker 3: A shepherd's rod and a sling against that giant, Oh,
your majesty, it would be murder. I beg of you.
Speaker 5: Not.
Speaker 4: You have my permission, David, May God be your shield
and sword.
Speaker 5: Thank you, your majesty, Long live the king.
Speaker 1: With courteous gestures, David leaves the presence of the king,
then descends rapidly the hilly slope to the bottom of
the ravine which separates the two camps from the brook.
He chooses for himself five smooth stones and puts them
in a shepherd's bag, which he carries. Then he draws
near to the giant Goliath. When Goliath sees David, he
is filled with amazement and anger.
Speaker 2: Ay you, perhaps the champion Israelied army has send out
to fight me?
Speaker 6: I am.
Speaker 2: They send a boy to fight a man, A boy
still ruddy and of a fair countenance.
Speaker 3: Ha ha ha ha ha.
Speaker 2: Ha am i a dog that you come to me
with sticks, By all the gods of Felistia, I curse
you and your family after.
Speaker 5: You, Goliath, champion of the heathen Philistines. You come to
me with a sword and with a spear, with a javel.
Speaker 2: And what do you come to me with a shepherd's
rod and a boy's plaything, a sling?
Speaker 4: Ha ha, I.
Speaker 5: Come to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts,
the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
Speaker 3: Why you praise a little this day?
Speaker 5: Will the Lord deliver you into my hands. I will
strike you down and cut off your head, and I
will give the dead bodies and the host of the
Philistines this day to the birds of the air and
to the wild beasts of the earth. Then shall all
the earth know that there is a god in Israel.
But the battle is the Lord's.
Speaker 2: Come here to me, little boy, and I will show.
Speaker 3: You a thing.
Speaker 1: As the thousands of soldiers on both sides watch, David
pauses a moment to take a stone from his shepherd's bag,
placing it in his sling, then whirling it around and
around over his head. He rushes toward the giant and
slings a stone straight as an arrow. It whizzes through
the air, finding its mark and Golias forehead. The mighty
giant trembles and reaches out his hands as if he
were struck with sudden blindness. Staggers then falls to the ground,
waiting not an instant. David springs upon the prostrate form
of the felistine, and with both hands lays hold of
Golias heavy sword, and slays the giant.
Speaker 11: Only a boy named David, Only a little sleep, Only
a boy named David, but he could pray and see.
Speaker 13: Only a boy named David. Only a little brook, Only
a boy named David.
Speaker 9: But five little stones he took.
Speaker 13: And one leaddle stonemade in the sling, and the sling
went round and round, and one leaddle stone wade in
the sling, and the sling went round and.
Speaker 1: Round and round and round.
Speaker 13: And round and round and round and round and round,
And one leaddlestone.
Speaker 6: Way up in the air, and the giant came tomb,
and the giant came, and the giant came tumbling down,
came tumbling.
Speaker 13: Davy sleep, little sleep, boy, Davy, David, pray and see
and see.
Speaker 3: Boy Davy, a little brook, only a boy named Davy.
Speaker 13: Little stones he took, and one little stone wading the sling,
and the swing went round and road, and one little
stonewad in the sling, and the sling went round and
round and round and round and round and round and round,
and one little stoneware up in the air.
Speaker 3: And the giant came home, and the giant came tom.
Speaker 13: The giant came bling, tumbling, the tom bling, tumbling, tumbling, tumbling, tumbling, tumbly.
Speaker 8: This has been your story hour, building for a better tomorrow.
This is Ann Carroll and Uncle Ann saying.
Speaker 5: Goodbye everyone, see you again next time.
Speaker 2: The