164 BOYS OF THE BIBLE.

side, provided only he could preserve his precision of aim and
steadiness of hand. He was like one armed with a rifle, while
his enemy had only a spear and a sword; and if only he could
take sure aim, the result was absolutely certain.

‘Goliath, however, despised his simple weapons, and in
spiteful indignation cursed him by his gods, saying also, ‘Come
to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and
to the beasts of the field.” Nothing daunted, David made reply:
‘Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and
with a shield; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord
of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast
defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand;
and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I
will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day
unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth;
that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not
with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will
give you into our hands.’

‘But now the time for parley is at an end; Goliath is
advancing to meet his antagonist, and David, seeing that his
only opportunity is to strike him while yet he is at a distance,
makes haste and runs. As he runs, he re-adjusts the stone in
his sling; and taking unerring aim, he sends it whizzing to its
mark in the forehead of the giant, who forthwith fell with his
face to the ground. Then rushing forward, he took the sword
of his adversary and cut off his head, which he carried with
him as a trophy of victory. When the Philistines saw that
their champion was dead, they turned and fled; but the Israelites
pursued them hotly even to the gates of Ekron, and the victory
was complete.”

From that day David was famous. He had won the battle