17
1 Now
the Philistines
gathered together their armies
to battle; and
they were
gathered together at
Socoh, which belongs
to Judah, and
encamped between
Socoh and Azekah
in Ephesdammim.
2 Saul
and the men
of Israel were
gathered together, and
encamped in the
valley of Elah,
and set the
battle in array
against the
Philistines.
3 The
Philistines stood
on the mountain
on the one
side, and Israel
stood on the
mountain on the
other side: and
there was a
valley between them.
4 A champion
out of the
camp of the
Philistines named
Goliath of Gath,
whose height was
six cubits and a
span
went out.
5 He
had a helmet
of bronze on
his head, and
he wore a
coat of mail;
and the weight
of the coat
was five thousand
shekels
of bronze.
6 He had
bronze shin armor on
his legs and
a bronze javelin
between his
shoulders.
7 The staff
of his spear
was like a weaver’s
beam; and his
spear’s head weighed
six hundred
shekels of
iron.
His shield bearer
went before him.
8 He
stood and cried
to the armies
of Israel, and
said to them, “Why
have you come
out to set
your battle in
array? Am I not
a Philistine, and
you servants to
Saul? Choose a man
for yourselves,
and let him
come down to
me.
9 If
he is able
to fight with
me and kill
me, then will
we be your
servants; but if
I prevail against
him and kill
him, then you
will be our
servants and serve
us.”
10 The
Philistine said, “I
defy the armies
of Israel today!
Give me a
man, that we
may fight
together!”
11 When
Saul and all
Israel heard those
words of the
Philistine, they
were dismayed and
greatly afraid.
12 Now
David was the
son of
that Ephrathite of
Bethlehem Judah,
whose name was
Jesse; and he
had eight sons.
The man was
an elderly old man
in the days
of Saul.
13 The
three oldest sons
of Jesse had
gone after Saul
to the battle;
and the names
of his three
sons who went
to the battle
were Eliab the
firstborn, and
next to
him Abinadab, and
the third Shammah.
14 David
was the youngest;
and the three
oldest followed
Saul.
15 Now
David went back
and forth from
Saul to feed
his father’s sheep
at Bethlehem.
16 The
Philistine came
near morning and
evening, and
presented himself forty
days.
17 Jesse said
to David his
son, “Now take
for your brothers
an ephah
of this parched
grain and these
ten loaves, and
carry them quickly
to the camp
to your brothers;
18 and
bring these ten
cheeses to the
captain of
their thousand; and
see how
your brothers are doing,
and bring back
news.”
19 Now
Saul, and they,
and all the
men of Israel
were in the
valley of Elah,
fighting with the
Philistines.
20 David
rose up early
in the morning
and left the
sheep with a
keeper, and took
the provisions and
went, as Jesse
had commanded him.
He came to
the place of
the wagons as the
army which was
going out to
the fight shouted
for the battle.
21 Israel
and the
Philistines put
the battle in
array, army
against army.
22 David
left his baggage
in the hand
of the keeper
of the baggage
and ran to
the army, and
came and greeted
his brothers.
23 As
he talked with
them, behold,
the champion, the
Philistine of Gath,
Goliath by name,
came up out
of the ranks of
the Philistines,
and said the
same words; and
David heard them.
24 All
the men of
Israel, when they
saw the man,
fled from him
and were terrified.
25 The
men of Israel said,
“Have you seen
this man who
has come up?
He has surely
come up to
defy Israel. The
king will give
great riches to
the man who
kills him, and
will give him
his daughter, and
will make
his father’s house tax-free
in Israel.”
26 David spoke
to the men
who stood by
him, saying, “What
shall be done
to the man
who kills this
Philistine and
takes away the
reproach from
Israel? For who
is this
uncircumcised Philistine,
that he should
defy the armies
of the living
God?”
27 The
people answered
him in this
way, saying, “So
shall it be
done to the
man who kills
him.”
28 Eliab his
oldest brother heard
when he spoke
to the men;
and Eliab’s anger
burned against
David, and he
said, “Why have
you come down?
With whom have
you left those
few sheep in
the wilderness? I
know your pride
and the evil
of your heart;
for you have
come down that
you might see
the battle.”
29 David
said, “What have
I now done?
Is there not
a cause?”
30 He
turned away from
him toward another,
and spoke like
that again; and
the people
answered him again
the same way.
31 When
the words were
heard which David
spoke, they
rehearsed them
before Saul; and
he sent for
him.
32 David said
to Saul, “Let no
man’s heart fail
because of him.
Your servant will
go and fight
with this
Philistine.”
33 Saul said
to David, “You
are not able
to go against
this Philistine to
fight with him;
for you are
but a youth,
and he a
man of war
from his youth.”
34 David said
to Saul, “Your
servant was
keeping his father’s
sheep; and when
a lion or a
bear came and
took a lamb out
of the flock,
35 I
went out after
him, struck him,
and rescued it
out of his
mouth. When he
arose against me,
I caught him
by his beard,
struck him, and
killed him.
36 Your
servant struck
both the lion and
the bear. This
uncircumcised Philistine
shall be as
one of them,
since he has
defied the armies
of the living God.”
37 David said,
“The LORD, who
delivered me out
of the paw
of the lion and
out of the
paw of the
bear, will deliver
me out of
the hand of
this Philistine.”
Saul said to
David, “Go! The
LORD will be
with you.”
38 Saul
dressed David with
his clothing. He
put a helmet
of bronze on
his head, and
he clad him with
a coat of
mail.
39 David
strapped his sword
on his clothing
and he tried
to move, for
he had not
tested it.
David said to Saul,
“I can’t go
with these, for
I have not
tested them.” Then
David took them
off.
40 He
took his staff
in his hand,
and chose for
himself five
smooth stones out
of the brook,
and put them
in the pouch
of his shepherd’s
bag which he
had. His sling
was in his
hand; and he
came near to
the Philistine.
41 The
Philistine walked
and came near
to David; and
the man who
bore the shield
went before him.
42 When
the Philistine
looked around and
saw David,
he disdained him;
for he was
but a youth,
and ruddy, and had
a good looking
face.
43 The
Philistine said to
David, “Am I a
dog, that you come
to me with
sticks?” The
Philistine cursed
David by his gods.
44 The
Philistine said to
David, “Come to
me, and I
will give your
flesh to the
birds of the
sky and to
the animals of the
field.”
45 Then
David said to the
Philistine, “You
come to me
with a sword,
with a spear,
and with a
javelin; but I
come to you
in the name
of the LORD
of Armies, the
God of the
armies of Israel,
whom you have
defied.
46 Today,
the LORD will
deliver you into
my hand. I
will strike you
and take your
head from off
you. I will
give the dead
bodies of the
army of the
Philistines today
to the birds
of the sky
and to the wild
animals of the
earth, that all
the earth may
know that there
is a God
in Israel,
47 and
that all this
assembly may know
that the
LORD doesn’t save
with sword and
spear; for the
battle is the
LORD’s, and he
will give you
into our hand.”
48 When
the Philistine
arose, and walked
and came near
to meet David,
David hurried and
ran toward the
army to meet
the Philistine.
49 David
put his hand
in his bag,
took a stone and
slung it, and
struck the
Philistine in his
forehead. The stone
sank into his
forehead, and he
fell on his
face to the earth.
50 So
David prevailed
over the
Philistine with a
sling and with
a stone, and
struck the
Philistine and
killed him; but
there was no
sword in David’s
hand.
51 Then
David ran, stood
over the
Philistine, took
his sword, drew
it out of
its sheath, killed
him, and cut
off his head
with it.
When the
Philistines saw
that their
champion was dead,
they fled.
52 The
men of Israel
and of Judah
arose and shouted,
and pursued the
Philistines as far
as Gai and to
the gates of
Ekron. The wounded
of the Philistines
fell down by
the way to
Shaaraim, even to
Gath and to
Ekron.
53 The
children of Israel
returned from
chasing after the
Philistines, and
they plundered
their camp.
54 David
took the head
of the Philistine
and brought it
to Jerusalem, but
he put his
armor in his tent.
55 When
Saul saw David
go out against
the Philistine, he
said to Abner, the
captain of the
army, “Abner, whose
son is this
youth?”
Abner said, “As
your soul lives,
O king, I
can’t tell.”
56 The
king said, “Inquire
whose son the
young man is!”
57 As
David returned
from the slaughter
of the Philistine,
Abner took him and
brought him before
Saul with the
head of the
Philistine in his
hand.
58 Saul said
to him, “Whose
son are you,
you young man?”
David answered, “I am
the son of
your servant Jesse
the Bethlehemite.”