He chose his servant David, calling him from the sheep pens.

又拣选他的仆人大卫，从羊圈中将他召来，

他拣选他的仆人大卫，从羊圈中将他召来，

他拣选他的仆人大卫，从羊圈中将他召来，

祂拣选了祂的仆人大卫，把他从羊圈中召来，

他拣选了自己的仆人大卫，把他从羊圈中召出来；

他拣选了自己的仆人大卫，从羊圈中把他挑选出来，

又揀選他的僕人大衛，從羊圈中將他召來，

他揀選他的僕人大衛，從羊圈中將他召來，

他揀選他的僕人大衛，從羊圈中將他召來，

祂揀選了祂的僕人大衛，把他從羊圈中召來，

他揀選了自己的僕人大衛，把他從羊圈中召出來；

他揀選了大衛做他的僕人，從羊圈中選取了他，

他揀選了自己的僕人大衛，從羊圈中把他挑選出來，

簡其僕大衛、出之於羊牢、

遴選大闢為僕、不使守群畜、

又特選僕人大衛、召之於羊牢中、

復拔大維。充其忠僕。

He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens;

He chose his servant David. He took him from the sheep pens.

He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds;

He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens;

He also chose His servant David And took him from the sheepfolds;

He also chose David His servant, And took him from the sheepfolds;

He chose David also his servant, And took him from the sheepfolds:

He chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds;

He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:

He chose David, his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds.

He also chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds;

Then Samuel asked,“ Are these all the sons you have?”“ There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied.“ But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.”“ Send for him at once,” Samuel said.“ We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.”So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes. And the Lord said,“ This is the one; anoint him.”

But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said,‘ I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’

Now is the time! For the Lord has said,‘ I have chosen David to save my people Israel from the hands of the Philistines and from all their other enemies.’”

David retorted to Michal,“ I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord, so I celebrate before the Lord.

One day Moses was tending the flock of his father in law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God.

So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field. There were twelve teams of oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away.Elisha left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah, and said to him,“ First let me go and kiss my father and mother good bye, and then I will go with you!” Elijah replied,“ Go on back, but think about what I have done to you.”

Long ago you spoke in a vision to your faithful people. You said,“ I have raised up a warrior. I have selected him from the common people to be king.I have found my servant David. I have anointed him with my holy oil.

But Amos replied,“ I’m not a professional prophet, and I was never trained to be one. I’m just a shepherd, and I take care of sycamore fig trees.But the Lord called me away from my flock and told me,‘ Go and prophesy to my people in Israel.’

Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.”

“ Now go and say to my servant David,‘ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel.

but David went back and forth so he could help his father with the sheep in Bethlehem.For forty days, every morning and evening, the Philistine champion strutted in front of the Israelite army.One day Jesse said to David,“ Take this basket of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread, and carry them quickly to your brothers.And give these ten cuts of cheese to their captain. See how your brothers are getting along, and bring back a report on how they are doing.”David’s brothers were with Saul and the Israelite army at the valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.So David left the sheep with another shepherd and set out early the next morning with the gifts, as Jesse had directed him. He arrived at the camp just as the Israelite army was leaving for the battlefield with shouts and battle cries.Soon the Israelite and Philistine forces stood facing each other, army against army.David left his things with the keeper of supplies and hurried out to the ranks to greet his brothers.As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, came out from the Philistine ranks. Then David heard him shout his usual taunt to the army of Israel.As soon as the Israelite army saw him, they began to run away in fright.“ Have you seen the giant?” the men asked.“ He comes out each day to defy Israel. The king has offered a huge reward to anyone who kills him. He will give that man one of his daughters for a wife, and the man’s entire family will be exempted from paying taxes!”David asked the soldiers standing nearby,“ What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his defiance of Israel? Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?”And these men gave David the same reply. They said,“ Yes, that is the reward for killing him.”But when David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was angry.“ What are you doing around here anyway?” he demanded.“ What about those few sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and deceit. You just want to see the battle!”“ What have I done now?” David replied.“ I was only asking a question!”He walked over to some others and asked them the same thing and received the same answer.Then David’s question was reported to King Saul, and the king sent for him.“ Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul.“ I’ll go fight him!”“ Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied.“ There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.”But David persisted.“ I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said.“ When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock,I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death.I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God!The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” Saul finally consented.“ All right, go ahead,” he said.“ And may the Lord be with you!”Then Saul gave David his own armor— a bronze helmet and a coat of mail.David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before.“ I can’t go in these,” he protested to Saul.“ I’m not used to them.” So David took them off again.He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine.Goliath walked out toward David with his shield bearer ahead of him,sneering in contempt at this ruddy faced boy.“ Am I a dog,” he roared at David,“ that you come at me with a stick?” And he cursed David by the names of his gods.“ Come over here, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!” Goliath yelled.David replied to the Philistine,“ You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies— the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel!And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!”As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him.Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground.So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword.Then David ran over and pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath. David used it to kill him and cut off his head. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they turned and ran.Then the men of Israel and Judah gave a great shout of triumph and rushed after the Philistines, chasing them as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron. The bodies of the dead and wounded Philistines were strewn all along the road from Shaaraim, as far as Gath and Ekron.Then the Israelite army returned and plundered the deserted Philistine camp.( David took the Philistine’s head to Jerusalem, but he stored the man’s armor in his own tent.)

One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers— Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew— throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living.Jesus called out to them,“ Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”And they left their nets at once and followed him.A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too.They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.