01x07 - David and Goliath (1)

[bunniefuu]

[Achish] Previously
on House of David...

[Achish] It has been many weeks.
I feared you wouldn't come.

Together we can find vengeance.

One condition. Your throne.

Let me show you freedom.

My future is not mine to decide.

- [Mirab] Going somewhere?
- I can do no good here.

Greetings from
the house of Saul.

Goliath!

- [grunts, screams]
- No! No!

Let me fight their king.

[Jonathan] The Philistines
have assembled.

We shall do what we
have always done. Fight!

[David singing in Hebrew]

[harp playing]

[music stops]

- [Nathaneel] Father, please.
- [Jesse] Nathaneel.

You know the king has
called for every able man.

[Nathaneel] I am not
able. I am no warrior.

Father, I will be
the first to die.

- [Jesse] You will have your brothers.
- What is this?

Father is sending us all to w*r.

- w*r? What w*r?
- [sibling 1] The Philistines.

They have rallied against us.

Father, this is madness.
I-I will not go.

- I will take his place. Send me.
- He will take my place.

- Send him.
- He cannot go.

Why not? You said every man.

- He is not yet a man.
- [Nathaneel] Neither am I.

- If there is a w*r, I will fight.
- Do as I say.

Travel to the king.

- David must remain with me.
- Nathaneel, come on.

- Come.
- Remove your hands from me.

Father. Father.

Father, you send me to my grave.

For a king you despise.

[Jesse] Nathaneel,
come. Come, come, come.

I send you to fight
alongside your brothers. Mmm?

For God, and for Israel.

Understand?

- [Nathaneel] Yes. [sniffles]
- [kisses]

[Jesse] Go.

[sibling 2] Enough, brother.
You embarrass yourself.

[David] Why?

- Do not.
- [David] Give me an answer.

Not today, David.

Not as I've just sent
all my sons to w*r.

I am also your son.

That is not what I meant.

- I deserve...
- What is it

you believe you deserve, David?

What do you deserve?

Honesty.

For once.

I deserve to know why you
keep me in these hills.

And I have told you many times.

[sighs] Deep calls to deep.

- Didn't she say this?
- Deep calls to deep.

I know in my soul, you have
never told me the truth.

[crying] No. Please.

Please.

- Tend to the sheep, David.
- [sighs] No.

[Jesse scoffs]

[exhales sharply]

[screams]

Let me go!

{\an8}[bird calling]

[indistinct chattering]

[horses whinny]

The day I've long dreamed of.

What dream is that?

Our forces unified.

We shall see.

{\an8}[Saul] Thirty years.

Thirty years I have
served these people.

Led them.

Fought for them.

I grow weary.

[Abner] What's on
your mind, Saul?

I'm taking stock.

[smacks lips] Ah.

You're complaining.

Do I not have the right?

No, by all means.

By all means.

[chuckles]

I pray only you do it quickly
before our enemies arrive.

- [chuckles]
- There's quite a lot of them this time.

What happened to the days when you
would build me up before battle?

[Abner chuckles]

Well, I suppose
I too grow weary.

Tell me, Abner.

Tell me who I am.

You are Saul the conqueror.

First in the reign of the kings
of Israel, uniter of the tribes.

No.

Tell me who I am.

To you.

My king.

You have lifted our people
from fear to certainty.

No matter the odds,
you never wavered.

You saved me from a
life I could not escape.

Gave me purpose.

I will die without
regret if you willed it.

That's who you are
to me, my king.

[sighs]

And why was I anointed king?

For this very moment.

How was that?

- It will do.
- [chuckles]

[inhales deeply] I'm glad
you are with me, old friend.

Always, my king.

[Joab] Over 150,000
Philistines so far.

And more arrive by the day.

Philistines outnumber
us three to one.

Doesn't seem fair, does it?

I did not ask for fair.

We'll k*ll ten of theirs
for every one of ours.

And I, for one, will take
great pleasure in it.

Oh, no.

Rise.

It is a fine sword.

May I?

My, uh... My father took it
from a Philistine 20 years ago.

In the first of your
father's victories.

Yes, I remember.

What is your name?

Eliazar.

- Son of Asher of the house of Si...
- Simeon.

[chuckles] Yes.

Straight and true.

The House of Asher
has long served us.

I'm honored to fight beside you.

Eliazar?

Hmm?

What do we have to fear?

God is with us.

[chuckles]

[Eliazar] Is Samuel coming?

To bless the battle
as he always does.

[Jonathan grunts]

If God wills it.

Did you just give
that child false hope?

It's better than no hope at all.

[Saul] Courage, brothers.

Courage.

Who can stand against us?

Who?

[Adriel] My king.

As always, we have
come to fight.

Myself, and 25,000 of
the Tribe of Judah.

All is not forgotten, my king.

But today, we fight as one.

- We fight as one.
- [chuckles] As one.

Brothers!

Behold the king!

[soldiers cheering, clamoring]

[harp playing]

[Jesse] We thank you, God,
for our many blessings.

For this house.

For our food.

For this family.

[David] Thank you, Lord,
for everything you give us.

Allow us to stay humble, to give you
the glory in everything that we do.

[sighs] And to trust in
you, every day of our lives.

Amen.

[Jesse] Our dear God,
we are your children.

We ask for your guidance, your strength,
and that you be with us, always.

- Amen.
- Amen.

[chuckles]

- Samuel.
- Hello, David.

[stammers, exclaims]

[Samuel chuckles]

I thought you'd
be at the battle.

- Hmm. I could say the same of you, yes?
- [chuckles]

And yet, here we are, at
the dawn of a new day.

- Ah?
- Hmm.

Take me to your father.

Right, he's...

- he's in the house.
- [chuckles]

[David chuckles]
It's good to see you.

[Samuel] It is good
to see you, as well.

[grunts] It will be better to
see you when I'm sitting down.

[Jesse] My... [sighs]
...apologies, great one.

I can offer very little.

I sent to the king's army
the very best of what I have.

Did you?

Huh.

Bless this fruit of the
tree to our nourishment

as we consecrate ourselves
with it to your purpose.

[smacks lips]

Hmm.

The olive tree...

In the winter the
branches give us heat,

in the summer, shade and
the oil of the olive.

Oh, it is life itself.

You see, to everything
there is a purpose.

[sighs]

- Samuel.
- David.

Uh. [clears throat]

I want to go fight.

- [blows]
- [David] I told my father...

Did you know that there is an
olive tree at the peak of Nob,

outside my home, that is said
to be a thousand years old?

I like to think that
Joshua rested beneath it

when he was entering
the holy land, yeah.

[sucks, blows] Do you
know, my wife, Hila,

she uses the oil of the
olive to tame her hair.

[clicks teeth] And can I tell
you, she taught me the same thing.

[chuckles] What do you think?

- Does it work? [chuckles]
- [chuckles]

[inhales sharply]

Holy seer, if I may,
why are you here?

[smacks lips]

I'm glad you ask
me, son of Obed.

I've come to complete what I said I
would do when I was with you last.

I've come to sacrifice.

To atone for the
sins of this house.

Hmm.

To redeem them.

[horses whinnying]

- Achish of Gath leads them.
- Hmm.

He seems angry.

[Jonathan chuckles] After what you
did to his father on the b*ttlefield,

I cannot blame him. I would be.

You would lead with
strategy, not with emotion.

Ashkelon unites.

[Saul] Ashdod and Yurza.

Didn't even plant
their own flags.

Cowards.

And what of Ekron?

[Abner] It seems he hasn't
united all five territories.

That's a good sign.

[inhales deeply, screams]

[soldiers cheering, clamoring]

How many are they?

Upwards of 200,000, with more horses
and chariots than we can count quickly.

That has never
stopped us before.

We should attack while
we have the numbers.

When have superior numbers ever
mattered when fighting Hebrews?

We must take their
spirits first.

[cheering, clamoring stops]

[horse blusters]

[horse blusters]

[footsteps approaching]

[horses whinnying]

Easy, easy, easy.

God of heaven.

Gods of earth.

Where is your king?

Send him out to face me

that I may hack him apart and feed
him and your gods to the crows.

He's just a man, Father.

And I will reclaim
these lands with blood.

- Is he?
- [Goliath] Send me your king.

Or one mightier than he, if he
should exist here in Israel.

I will call down my gods.

Have your champion call down his

so that our blood may decide
the fate of our people.

And then we will see
whose is greater.

And the victor will enslave the
other until their dying breath.

As I stand here
today, I defy Israel.

- [groans]
- [Goliath] I defy your God.

Send me your champion.

[shouts indistinctly]

[clamoring]

[chuckles]

[Saul groans, breathes heavily]

[Goliath laughs]

[grunting, panting]

- Father, gather yourself.
- [grunts]

[speaks Ugaritic, laughs]

[speaking Ugaritic]

[grunts]

[groans]

Oh, no.

Get it off me. [groans]

[grumbles]

[laughs]

- [groaning]
- [horse whinnies]

[horse whinnies]

[Saul] No!

Father!

[Saul strains] Curse you, demon.

- [Jonathan] Father. You need to get up.
- Away from me! [groaning]

Father, look at your
men. You are their king.

Get him to his tent.

- [Saul] We will die in darkness and fear!
- Now!

[Saul] Away from
me! Away from me.

Find someone willing
to fight him!

I will offer my
daughter in marriage!

Erase their debts. Anything. Go!

Go!

- [harp plays]
- [David singing in Hebrew]

[sighs, chuckles]

Samuel, why do we wait?

There is a battle.

I must go.

- [grunts]
- I am ready.

It was your mother
taught you to play, yes?

Hmm. Do you miss her?

A woman of purpose, I think.

[chuckles] There are few things
more potent in this world than that.

[mumbles]

My own mother, she
prayed so fervently

at the temple that the priests
thought that she was drunk.

[chuckles] But no, it was deep
purpose, it was faithfulness.

And it is the reason
that I am here now.

The influence of a mother
is greater than a king,

a thousand kings.

So beautiful.

She sewed this for me when I was
born and then she wrapped it...

[chuckles] ...around me when I was
sent to live among the priests.

- I was two years old.
- Mmm.

I wear this to honor her memory.

I thought it looked old.

[laughs] You're...

Yeah...

Hmm.

Can I tell you something?

Anything.

I've been seeing things.

Huh?

Or dreams.

Visions.

But they feel so real.

[Samuel] Mmm.

It's as if...

- As if...
- As if you are somewhere else entirely.

- Yes.
- Hmm.

[grunts]

It's a place I've never been.

But it feels like home.

Ah.

Peace, beyond understanding.

Tell me.

I see a stream
beneath mountains.

And it's so beautiful.

I've never seen
anything like it before.

And a warrior.

His sword drawn.

What is this place?

Protecting the stream.

[Samuel] Ah.

I know of this. It is written.

It is Joshua.

Yes.

The night before the
great battle at Jericho,

Joshua encountered... [stammers] ...a
figure, a warrior with a drawn sword.

Who was he?

Ah.

And Joshua asked the warrior,

"Are you for us

or are you for our enemies?"

And the warrior
replied, "Neither.

As captain of the armies of
the lord of hosts, I now come."

You see, what men forget,
they ask, "Is God for us?

Is God with us?"

But the question they
should be asking is,

"Are we with God?"

And then Joshua asked him, "What do
you call upon your servants to do?"

And this is the correct
question to ask.

And the warrior replied,

"Remove the shoes
from your feet,

for you stand on holy ground."

And Joshua did and he fell
upon his face and worshipped.

And perhaps this is the reason

that the walls of Jericho
fell down before him.

[chuckles]

[grunts] But, why show
these visions to me?

Well, because

you have a role to play
in this grand design.

How can I do that
trapped in a field?

David, you speak as if
today is yesterday. Huh?

As if they are the same.

Listen, to everything,
there is a season

and a time for every... [sighs]
...purpose under heaven.

So when will my time come?

Too many questions.

Play me another song.

If you don't mind.

Yes.

[harp plays]

I make this offer to
you again today...

Choose a man.

Send him down to me.

And if he strikes me down,
we will be your sl*ves!

But if he dies at my hand,
you will be our sl*ves!

Well?

I'll see you tomorrow.

[banging on drums]

How many days must we do this?

Is there no champion in Israel?

Day after day after
day, I defy Israel!

[Nathaneel] Why
must they do that?

My head hurts.

That is why.

Nine days and still no
one who will face me!

Are you not servants
of your God?

Come and fight me!

[Philistine army
shouting, clamoring]

I will get my revenge.

[Kezia] My queen.

News from the battle.

- [Mychal] What? What is it?
- [Ahinoam] News from Abner.

"The Philistines have united
their armies against us.

Some 250,000 men."

What?

And they have a giant.

[Mirab] A giant?

How?

Mother?

What does it say?

Father is again
trapped in darkness.

Worse than before.

What should we do?

There is nothing left to do.

There's... There's
always something.

At the very least we pray.

To whom?

You know to whom.

I will save my breath.

Mother... [inhales sharply] ...Hashem
has answered our cry before, he...

He will answer again.

I do not wish to hear
that name in my presence.

Ever again.

I am weary of it.

No, we... [breathes
shakily] We-We have to...

We have to do something.

[breathes shakily]

[Mychal sniffles]

[Mirab] Mychal?

I'm going to see Father.

To battle? Have
you lost your mind?

- He needs me.
- I need you!

Mychal, our brothers are
gone, our mother has given up.

- It is only us.
- [Mychal sighs]

Come with me then.

Don't be a fool.

What could we possibly do?

If Father is in his
right mind, he...

[inhales deeply]
He will lead them.

He will defeat our
enemies as he always has.

And you believe you
can bring him back?

[horse blusters]

Do you know which way Elah is?

It's north. [inhales deeply]

- North?
- I will ride north and I will find it.

I have to.

[Mirab sighs]

All right. Come on.

- What are you doing?
- Just help me, please.

If you die there will be no
one left to entertain me.

Well, we can't have
that. [chuckles]

Hey. Thank you.

[clicks tongue]
He's my father too.

And I disagree with Mother.

There is always hope.

Come on.

- An entire tribe of cowards and traitors.
- Watch your tongue.

You plan to hide in caves while
your brethren face this enemy?

What they face is certain death.

Eliab. What is this?

The Tribe of Zebulun has chosen to
abandon our battle and our king.

- How many?
- All of them.

They have a giant.

We have nothing.

Zebulun fights for God.

And God is not with our king.

Let all of Israel know that Zebulun
has surrendered to their own fear.

And when we fight this
battle, and when we win,

our sons and their sons will
tell the tale of how you fled.

If you believe victory so certain, why
don't you face the giant, son of Jesse?

I do not blame them, sitting here day
after day after day doing nothing.

We'll starve before we ever
set foot on the b*ttlefield.

This is no strategy.

- This is cowardice.
- [Abner] Adriel.

This is your prince
you're speaking to.

[Adriel] Oh, yes.

Son of a deranged king,
heir to a dying legacy.

Enough.

If your father will
not lead, then I will.

I say we fight!

[soldiers] Yeah! We fight.

And even if we cannot win, we
will at least die in the trying!

[soldiers] Yeah!

For God and Israel!

- For God and Israel!
- [soldiers shouting, clamoring]

[Adriel] Ah, that's
it. Flee, flee!

Hide in your tent
with your father!

One more word and
it'll be your last.

Anyone else with
words of treason?

- What are you doing?
- I'm going to face the giant.

- No, you're not.
- Adriel speaks the truth.

Someone must do it.

Let it be me.

And what do you think
is going to happen, hmm?

God will decide.

That thing is going
to tear you apart.

He's gonna rip you in half

- before the eyes of our brethren.
- There is no other way!

Yes, there is.

There is.

[Mychal humming]

By now Mother must
know we're gone.

If there were any decent
horsemen left in the palace,

she would send them
to stop us, but...

Or not.

I think she's lost
patience with me.

Take comfort in knowing you lost
something she never offered me.

[Mychal] Hmm.

Are you afraid?

There is no time for it now.

[Mychal humming]

Mychalie.

Hard to forget, eh?

The song?

No.

David.

He abandoned our father, I...

I don't want to think about him.

[Mychal humming]

[chuckling]

[sighs]

Blessed are you,
Jesse, son of Obed.

The sins of your house
are atoned by blood.

A worthy sacrifice.

How did you choose it?

- In accordance with our laws.
- [Samuel] Tell me.

The best of the flock.

One without spot or blemish.

Is that not the law of Moses?

[Samuel] Yes. Yes, indeed.

Now, go away.

I must speak with your father.

- [David] I will be in the east fields.
- [Samuel] Ah.

Join me when you've
finished, great one.

I will teach you how
to be a shepherd.

[laughs]

This should be an
offering of thanksgiving.

The blessing of the most
high is upon your house.

But your spirit is heavy.

[grunts]

There is no weight
so great as a lie.

Is that not so, Jesse?

When Saul called
your sons to w*r

you gave them up.

When I demanded your
sons you did not hesitate

to bring them forth,
to offer them all.

All but for one.

So why do you cling to him, huh?

- I keep him from himself.
- [sighs]

And shame from this family.

Jesse, speak the truth.

My David.

David is young, wild, restless.

His heart is like a deep fire.

He's headstrong, unbroken.

Yes. Yes, he is.

You are the mouth of the Lord.

You must know that
David cannot be king.

Surely you must see this.

Shall I tell you what I see?

You are right.

You are right to dread the fire in your
son's heart, for it burns very hot.

Like the Lord's own.

And he is beloved by
God because of this,

and perhaps it is the very
reason that he was chosen.

So, you, a man, you
stand in the way of God.

Is it because you begat
your son in sin, huh?

The son of Jesse.

The sin of Jesse.

Anointed for all to see.

- Is it shame that compels you?
- [sighs]

No, it is not. It
is something else.

It is something deeper.

And yet these are words
that you have never spoken.

Have God ask anything of me,

anything else, I will give all.

You have given God many things,
but you have not given your all.

You have not given
what is most precious.

You have not offered
the best of the flock.

Hmm?

It is these sacrifices
that are the greatest.

It is this that
God requires of us.

To give what we love the most.

If you try to cling to him...

your fingers will break.

Send me your champion!

Or you shall all be slain!

Cowards!

All of you, cowards!

Remember when the Philistines
assembled at Michmash?

There was courage in no man,
brothers hiding in caves.

[horse whinnies]

You attacked by night.

Alone, only with
your armor-bearer.

You confused them,
disoriented them.

Hashem gave us that victory.

Yes, yes, but you started it.

You gave us hope.

These are not men of Israel.

Hunters from Asher.

Best mercenaries.
Assassins from Egypt.

You will attack by night.

And if God is with you, you will
slay that giant in his sleep.

[Jonathan] And you will
stay by my father's side?

I will.

I will do all I can.

Till the end.

Come.

[water running]

What would you have
your servant do?

[inhales sharply]

[breathes heavily]

Why?

Why choose me for
something I'll never do?

[sighs]

I wish I understood you.

[Jesse] David!

David. Come.

- [grunts]
- Father, where are you going?

I am not going anywhere.

Come, David.

[sighs]

[sighs, chuckles]

There are things I've
wanted to say for so long,

and suddenly I have
no words to say them.

[inhales sharply]

[Nitzevet] David, come.

Come here.

[Jesse] David.

Please.

[sighs]

I took my first
wife in prudence.

Mmm. Our union was wise.

[inhales sharply] For
her tribe and mine.

My bloodline was... [inhales
sharply] ...tainted.

Because of grandmother Ruth?

Yes, she was a Moabite.

[inhales deeply] But
my wife, she was pure.

She bore me mighty
sons, your brothers.

It was after she returned to
the dust that I met your mother.

She... [sighs, grunts]
She was so different.

The opposite of... [inhales sharply]
...everything I was taught to seek.

Born an enemy of our people.

Yet, her spirit, her warmth,
something I had never known.

I took her in haste.

Married unlawfully.

But I loved her, David.

With a love I did not
know was possible.

[sighs] And she loved me.

Your mother's final
words to me...

I know. She said
to keep me safe.

[Jesse] No.

That is not what she said.

[sighs deeply]

"Let him rise."

Let him rise.

[Jesse] Those were her words.

She saw visions, your mother.

She had dreams about you.

About what you would become.

Dreams of violence.

Both beautiful and terrifying.

[breathes shakily, cries]

And her last request to me...

was for me to release
you to those dreams.

Forgive me, son.

Forgive me.

I have kept you here because you are
the last part of her that remains.

I don't send you to the fields
because I am ashamed of you.

I keep you here because...

David, because I love
you as I loved her.

Forgive me, son.

Come.

I have loaded the donkey
with food and supplies.

I need you to take them.

Where?

To the b*ttlefield.

To your brothers.

[David breathes heavily]

[grunting]

[sighs]

The night of the shepherds.

It is a heavy burden to be
a king before your time.

Leave us.

What are you doing here?

To offer counsel in
your hour of need.

To serve you, as
I did your father.

You serve no one
but yourself, Doeg.

And you believe in nothing.

[Doeg chuckles]

I believe you have a bigger
problem than that giant.

Words travel vast distances if
one listens carefully enough.

Stories of the great
seer journeying

to the Tribe of Judah,
to the city of Bethlehem.

I could be of great
service to you.

Should you command it, I will
hunt and k*ll whoever it is

that has been anointed
to replace your father.

Speak of my father again.

[chuckles] All I
need is just a name.

The final piece, Jonathan.

I have no time for
your games, Doeg.

[Doeg] Fine.

Then go fight a battle
you know you cannot win.

Mark my words, Edomite.

Even if I die on that field,

it will not be before I watch
the life drain from your eyes.

[chuckles] That would
be interesting to watch.

[inhales deeply, chuckles]

[Saul grunts, sighs]

[Jonathan] I know
the truth, Father.

But I also know
that I am your son.

- I love you and I am with you, to the end.
- [whimpers]

Sleep now.

And if you wake, pray for me.

- [soldiers shouting, clamoring]
- No.

- [grunts]
- No!

[grunts] No.

No! No!

Jonathan!

No!

[Abner] God be with you.

My son.

[sighs] I love you.

- [David] I love you too.
- [sighs]

[kisses, sighs] All right.

Will we go together?

I have my own journey to make.

Do you remember the first
words that I said to you?

I said, "God does
not see as man sees.

He sees into the heart."

And you, you have
the heart of a lion.

What do lions do?

[chuckles]

- They roar.
- [chuckles]

- [roars]
- [chuckles]

Rise, my son.

Rise.

[Goliath] How many
days must we do this?

Is there no champion in Israel?

Anybody who will fight me?