Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 150

Praise the Lord

David versus Goliath

17 The Philistines^(A) gathered their forces for war at Socoh in Judah and camped between Socoh^(B) and Azekah^(C) in Ephes-dammim.^{(D) 2} Saul and the men of Israel gathered and camped in the Valley of Elah;^(E) then they lined up in battle formation to face the Philistines.

³ The Philistines were standing on one hill, and the Israelites were standing on another hill with a ravine between them. ⁴ Then a champion named Goliath, from Gath,^(F) came out from the Philistine camp. He was nine feet, nine inches tall^{[a][b] 5} and wore a bronze helmet^[c] and bronze scale armor that weighed 125 pounds.^{[d] 6} There was bronze armor on his shins, and a bronze sword^(G) was slung between his shoulders. ⁷ His spear shaft^(H) was like a weaver’s beam, and the iron point of his spear weighed 15 pounds.^[e] In addition, a shield-bearer^(I) was walking in front of him.

⁸ He stood and shouted to the Israelite battle formations: “Why do you come out to line up in battle formation?” He asked them, “Am I not a Philistine and are you not servants of Saul?^(J) Choose one of your men and have him come down against me. ⁹ If he wins in a fight against me and kills me, we will be your servants. But if I win against him and kill him, then you will be our servants and serve us.”^{(K) 10} Then the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel today.^(L) Send me a man so we can fight each other!” ¹¹ When Saul and all Israel heard these words from the Philistine, they lost their courage and were terrified.

¹² Now David was the son of the Ephrathite^(M) from Bethlehem of Judah named Jesse. Jesse had eight sons^(N) and during Saul’s reign was already an old man. ¹³ Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war, and their names^(O) were Eliab, the firstborn, Abinadab, the next, and Shammah, the third, ¹⁴ and David was the youngest.^(P) The three oldest had followed Saul, ¹⁵ but David kept going back and forth from Saul^(Q) to tend his father’s flock in Bethlehem.

¹⁶ Every morning and evening for 40 days the Philistine came forward and took his stand. ¹⁷ One day Jesse had told his son David: “Take this half-bushel^[f] of roasted grain along with these 10 loaves of bread^(R) for your brothers and hurry to their camp. ¹⁸ Also take these 10 portions of cheese to the field commander.^[g] Check on the welfare of your brothers^(S) and bring a confirmation from them. ¹⁹ They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah fighting with the Philistines.”

²⁰ So David got up early in the morning, left the flock with someone to keep it, loaded up, and set out as Jesse had instructed him.

He arrived at the perimeter of the camp^(T) as the army was marching out to its battle formation shouting their battle cry. ²¹ Israel and the Philistines lined up in battle formation facing each other. ²² David left his supplies in the care of the quartermaster^(U) and ran to the battle line. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were. ²³ While he was speaking with them, suddenly the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, came forward from the Philistine battle line and shouted his usual words,^(V) which David heard.

Apostolic Signs and Wonders

¹² Many signs and wonders were being done among the people through the hands of the apostles.^(A) By common consent they would all meet in Solomon’s Colonnade.^{(B) 13} None of the rest dared to join them, but the people praised them highly.^{(C) 14} Believers were added to the Lord in increasing numbers—crowds of both men and women. ¹⁵ As a result, they would carry the sick out into the streets and lay them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow^(D) might fall on some of them. ¹⁶ In addition, a large group came together from the towns surrounding Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.