And the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that time forward.
By and by the Philistines, who were enemies of Israel, gathered their armies together to battle, and Saul and the men of Israel went out to meet them; and the two armies stood on two mountain sides, opposite to each other with a valley between them, ready to begin to fight.
Then the Philistines sent out a great giant as a champion, and he defied the armies of Israel, telling them to choose one of their men to fight with him; and promising if their champion was able to kill him, then the Philistines would be their servants: but if he killed their champion, the Israelites would have to serve the Philistines.
When Saul and his soldiers heard these words, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
And day after day for forty days, the giant came out and defied the Children of Israel.
David's father, Jesse, had three sons at the war, and one day Jesse told David to go and see how his brothers were, and to carry a present of food to the captain of their thousand.
When David got near to the trench, he found that the armies were preparing for a battle.
Then his brothers told him about the giant and his threats, and how Saul had made great promises to any one who should be brave enough to kill him.
And David said indignantly to every one he met: "Who is this Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?"
At length Saul heard of the words that David had said in the camp, and he had him brought before him; but when he saw how young he was, he told him it would be impossible for him to fight the giant.