d to them: I bring reproach unto the armies of Israel. Choose out a
man of you, and let him come down and fight hand to hand.

"Now David had gone to feed his Father's sheep at Bethlehem. But he
arose in the morning and gave the charge of the flock to the keeper.
And he came to the place of Magala and to the army which was going out
to fight. And, seeing Goliath, he asked: 'Who is this uncircumcised
Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?'

"And the words which David spoke, were rehearsed before Saul; and he
sent for him. David said to Saul, 'Let not any man's heart be dismayed
in him; I, thy servant, will go and fight against this Philistine.'
And Saul said to David 'Thou art not able to withstand this Philistine
nor to fight against him; for thou art but a boy, but he is a warrior
from his youth.' And David made answer, 'I will go against him and I
will take away the reproach from Israel.' Then Saul said to David, 'Go
and the Lord be with thee.'

"And David took his staff which he had always in his hands, and chose
him five smooth stones out of the brook, and he took a sling in his
hand; and went forth against the Philistine.

"And when the Philistine looked and beheld David, he despised him. For
he was a young man, and ruddy, and of a comely countenance. And the
Philistine said to David: 'Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with a
staff?' Then said David to the Philistine: '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, which thou
hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand that
all the earth may know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear:
for it is his battle, and he will deliver you into our hands.'

"And when the Philistine arose and was coming and drew nigh to meet
David, David made haste and ran to the fight to meet the Philistine.
And he put his hand into his scrip and took a stone, and cast it with
the sling and fetching it about struck the Philistine in the forehead,
and the stone was fixed in his forehead and he fell on his face upon
the earth."[1535]

[Footnote 1535: 1 Samuel xvii. Where the author quotes direct from the
Vulgate the translator has followed the Douai version (W.S.).]

Then the clerk, meditating on these words of the Book, would reflect
how God, the Unchanging, who saved Israel and struck down Goliath by
the sling of a shepherd lad,