Léctio libri primi Samuélis (17,32-33,37,40-51)
In diébus illis: cum addúctus fuísset David ad Saul, locútus est ei: “Non concídat cor cuiúsquam in eo; ego servus tuus vadam et pugnábo advérsus Philisthǽum istum.” Et ait Saul ad David: “Non vales resístere Philisthǽo isti nec pugnáre advérsus eum, quia puer es; hic autem vir bellátor ab adulescéntia sua.” Et ait David: “Dóminus, qui éruit me de manu leónis et de manu ursi, ipse liberábit me de manu Philisthǽi huíus.” Dixit autem Saul ad David: “Váde, et Dóminus tecum sit.” Et tulit báculum suum in manu sua; et elégit sibi quinque levíssimos lápides de torrénte et misit eos in peram pastorálem, qua ut sácculo lápidum utebátur, et fundam manu tulit et procéssit advérsum Philisthǽum. Ibat autem Philisthǽus incédens et appropínquans advérsum David, et ármiger eíus ante eum. Cumque inspexísset Philisthǽus et vidísset David, despéxit eum; erat enim aduléscens rufus et pulcher aspéctu. Et dixit Philisthǽus ad David: “Númquid ego canis sum, quod tu venis ad me cum báculo?” Et maledíxit Philisthǽus David in diis suis; dixítque ad David: “Veni ad me, et dabo carnes tuas volatílibus cæli et béstiis terræ.” Dixit autem David ad Philisthǽum: “Tu venis ad me cum gládio et hasta et acináce; ego autem vénio ad te in nómine Dómini exercítuum, Dei ágminum Israel, quibus exprobrásti. Hódie dabit te Dóminus in manu mea, et percútiam te et áuferam caput tuum a te; et dabo cadáver tuum et cadávera castrórum Philísthim hódie volatílibus cæli et béstiis terræ, ut sciat omnis terra quia est Deus in Israel, et nóverit univérsa ecclésia hæc quia non in gládio nec in hasta salvat Dóminus: ipsíus enim est bellum, et tradet vos in manus nostras.” Cum ergo surrexísset Philisthǽus et veníret et appropinquáret contra David, festinávit David et cucúrrit ad pugnam advérsum Philisthǽum. Et misit manum suam in peram tulítque unum lápidem et funda iécit; et percússit Philisthǽum in fronte, et infíxus est lapis in fronte eíus, et cécidit in fáciem suam super terram. Prævaluítque David advérsum Philisthǽum in funda et in lápide; percussúmque Philisthǽum interfécit. Cumque gládium non habéret in manu, David cucúrrit et stetit super Philisthǽum; et tulit gládium eíus et edúxit eum de vagína sua et interfécit eum præcidítque caput eíus. Vidéntes autem Philísthim quod mórtuus esset fortíssimus eórum fugérunt.
In those days: After Saul had summoned him to appear before him, David said to him: Let not any man's heart be discouraged in him: I thy servant will go, and will fight against the Philistian. And Saul said to David: Thou art not able to resist this Philistian, nor to fight against him, because thou art a child, but he is a man of war from his youth. And David said to Saul: Thy servant did feed his father's flock, and there came a lion, or a bear, and took a ram out of the midst of the flock: and I pursued them, and struck them, & plucked them out of their mouth, and they arose up against me, and I caught their chin, & I strangled and slew them. For both the lion and the bear did I thy servant kill: therefore this uncircumcised Philistian also shall be as it were one of them. Now will I go & take away the reproach of the people: for who is this uncircumcised Philistian, which hath been so hardy to curse the host of the living God? And David said: Our Lord which hath delivered me from the hand of the lion, and of the bear, he will deliver me from the hand of this Philistian. And Saul said to David: Go, & our Lord be with thee. And Saul clothed David with his raiments, & put an helmet of brass upon his head, and vested him with a coat of mail. David therefore being girded with his sword over his raiment, began to prove if he could go armed: for he was not accustomed. And David said to Saul: I cannot go so, because I am not used, & he laid them off. And he took his staff, which he had always in his hands, & he chose him five most bright stones out of the torrent, and cast them into the shepherd's scrip, which he had with him, & he took a sling in his hand, & went forth against the Philistian. And the Philistian went, going, & approaching against David, and his esquire before him. And when the Philistian had seen and beheld David, he despised him. And he was a young man red, and beautiful to behold. And the Philistian said to David: Why am I a dog, that thou comest to me with a staff? And the Philistian cursed David in his gods, and said to David: Come to me, & I will give thy flesh to the fowls of the air and the beasts of the earth. And David said to the Philistian: Thou comest to me with a sword & spear, & shield, but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the bands of Israel, whom thou hast defied this day, and our Lord shall give thee in my hand, & shall strike thee, and take away thy head from thee: and I shall give the carcasses of the camp of the Philisthiims this day, to the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the earth: that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know, that not in sword, nor in spear, doth our Lord save, for it is his battle, & he will deliver you into our hands. When the Philistian therefore was risen up, & came & approached against David, David made haste, & ran to the battle against the Philistian. And he put his hand into his scrip, and took one stone, and cast it with the sling, and fetching it about struck the Philistian in the forehead, and he fell on his face upon the earth. And David prevailed against the Philistian with sling and stone, and he struck, and slew the Philistian. And whereas David had no sword in his hand, he ran, and stood upon the Philistian, and took his sword, and drew it out of the scabbard, and slew him, & cut off his head. And the Philisthiims seeing that the strongest of them was dead, did fly.