< 1 Samuel 17 >

1 Now the Philistines got their armies together for war, and came together at Socoh in the land of Judah, and took up their position between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim.
Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle; and they were gathered together at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and camped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes Dammim.
2 And Saul and the men of Israel came together and took up their position in the valley of Elah, and put their forces in order against the Philistines.
Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and camped in the Valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.
3 The Philistines were stationed on the mountain on one side and Israel on the mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.
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 And a fighter came out from the tents of the Philistines, named Goliath of Gath; he was more than six cubits tall.
There went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six feet eight inches.
5 And he had a head-dress of brass on his head, and he was dressed in a coat of metal, the weight of which was five thousand shekels of brass.
He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was clad with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze.
6 His legs were covered with plates of brass and hanging on his back was a javelin of brass.
And he had bronze shin guards on his legs, and a javelin of bronze between his shoulders.
7 The stem of his spear was as long as a cloth-worker's rod, and its head was made of six hundred shekels' weight of iron: and one went before him with his body-cover.
The staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and his shield bearer went before him.
8 He took up his position and in a loud voice said to the armies of Israel, Why have you come out to make war? Am I not a Philistine and you servants of Saul? Send out a man for yourselves and let him come down to me.
He stood and shouted 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 have a fight with me and overcome me, then we will be your servants: but if I am able to overcome him, then you will be our servants and do work for us.
If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants; but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then you will be our servants, and serve us."
10 And the Philistine said, I have put to shame the armies of Israel this day; give me a man so that we may have a fight together.
The Philistine said, "I defy the armies of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together."
11 And Saul and all Israel, hearing those words of the Philistine, were troubled and full of fear.
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 Beth-lehem-judah named Jesse, who had eight sons; and he was an old man in Saul's day, and far on in years.
Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons. And in the days of Saul the man was old and advanced in years.
13 And the three oldest sons of Jesse had gone with Saul to the fight: the names of the three who went to the fight were Eliab, the oldest, and Abinadab the second, and Shammah the third.
The three eldest sons of Jesse had gone after Saul to the battle. And the names of his sons who went to the battle were Eliab, the firstborn, and Abinadab, the second, and Shimeah, the third.
14 And David was the youngest: and the three oldest were with Saul's army.
David was the youngest; and the three eldest followed Saul.
15 Now David went to and from Saul, looking after his father's sheep at Beth-lehem.
Now David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.
16 And the Philistine came near every morning and evening for forty days.
The Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.
17 And Jesse said to his son David, Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dry grain and these ten cakes of bread, and go quickly with them to the tents to your brothers;
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 and give them to your brothers;
18 And take these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and see how your brothers are and come back with a sign to say how they are.
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.
Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
20 And David got up early in the morning, and, giving the sheep into the care of a keeper, took the things and went as Jesse had said; and he came to the lines where the carts were, when the army was going out to the fight giving their war-cry.
David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the place of the wagons, as the army which was going forth to the fight shouted for the battle.
21 And Israel and the Philistines had put their forces in position, army against army.
Israel and the Philistines put the battle in array, army against army.
22 And David gave his parcels into the hands of the keeper of the army stores, and went running to the army and came to his brothers to get knowledge about them.
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 And while he was talking to them, the fighter, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came out from the Philistines' lines and said the same words, in David's hearing.
As he talked with them, look, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the ranks of the Philistines, and spoke according to the same words: and David heard them.
24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw him, went in flight, overcome with fear.
All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were terrified.
25 And the men of Israel said, Have you seen this man? Clearly he has come out to put shame on Israel: and it is certain that if any man overcomes him, the king will give that man great wealth, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's family free in Israel.
The men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who has come up? He has surely come up to defy Israel. It shall be, that the man who kills him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house exempt in Israel."
26 And David said to the men near him, What will be done to the man who overcomes this Philistine and takes away the shame from Israel? for who is this Philistine, a man without circumcision, that he has put shame on the armies of the living God?
David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, "What shall be done to the man who kills this Philistine, and takes away this disgrace from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?"
27 And the people gave him this answer, So it will be done to the man who overcomes him.
The people answered him in this way, saying, "So shall it be done to the man who kills him."
28 And Eliab, his oldest brother, hearing what David said to the men, was moved to wrath against David, and said, Why have you come here? Into whose care have you given that little flock of sheep in the waste land? I have knowledge of your pride and the evil of your heart, you have come down to see the fight.
Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, "Why have you come down? With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart; for you have come down that you might see the battle."
29 And David said, What have I done now? was it not only a word?
David said, "What have I now done? Is there not a cause?"
30 And turning away from him to one of the other men, he said the same words: and the people gave him the same answer.
He turned away from him toward another, and spoke like that again; and the people answered him again the same way.
31 And, hearing what David said, they gave Saul word of it: and he sent for him.
When the words were heard which David spoke, they rehearsed them before Saul; and he sent for him.
32 And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart become feeble because of him; I, your servant, will go out and have a fight with this Philistine.
David said to Saul, "Let not my lord's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine."
33 And Saul said to David, You are not able to go out against this Philistine and have a fight with him: for you are only a boy, and he has been a man of war from his earliest days.
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 And David said to Saul, Your servant has been keeper of his father's sheep; and if a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock,
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, and overcame him, and took it out of his mouth: and if, turning on me, he came at me, I took him by the hair and overcame him and put him to death.
I went out after him, and struck him, and rescued it out of his mouth. When he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and struck him, and killed him.
36 Your servant has overcome lion and bear: and the fate of this Philistine, who is without circumcision, will be like theirs, seeing that he has put shame on the armies of the living God.
Your servant struck both the lion and the bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them. Should I not go and smite him, and remove this day a disgrace from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised one, since he has defied the armies of the living God?"
37 And David said, The Lord, who kept me safe from the grip of the lion and the bear, will be my saviour from the hands of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Go! and may the Lord be with you.
David said, "The LORD who delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go; and the LORD shall be with you."
38 Then Saul gave David his clothing of war, and put a head-dress of brass on his head and had him clothed with a coat of metal.
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 And David took Saul's sword and put the band round him over the metal coat, and was unable to go forward; for he was not used to them. Then David said to Saul, It is not possible for me to go out with these, for I am not used to them. So David took them off.
David strapped his sword on his clothing, and he tried to move; for he had not tested it. Then David said to Saul, "I can't go with these; for I have not tested them." So they took them off him.
40 Then he took his stick in his hand, and got five smooth stones from the bed of the stream and put them in a bag such as is used by sheep-keepers; and in his hand was a leather band used for sending stones: and so he went in the direction of the Philistine.
He took his staff in his hand, and chose for himself five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his wallet. His sling was in his hand; and he drew near to the Philistine.
41 And the Philistine came nearer to David; and the man who had his body-cover went before him.
The Philistine came on and drew near to David; and the man who bore the shield went before him.
42 And when the Philistine, taking note, saw David, he had a poor opinion of him: for he was only a boy, red-haired and good-looking.
When the Philistine looked and saw David, he despised him, for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and handsome in appearance.
43 And the Philistine said to David, Am I a dog, that you come out to me with sticks? And the Philistine put curses on David by all his gods.
The Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with a stick?" The Philistine cursed David by his gods.
44 And the Philistine said to David, Come here to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field.
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 and a spear and a javelin: but I come to you in the name of the Lord of armies, the God of the armies of Israel on which you have put shame.
Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin: but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
46 This day the Lord will give you up into my hands, and I will overcome you, and take your head off you; and I will give the bodies of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth today, so that all the earth may see that Israel has a God;
Today, the LORD will deliver you into my hand; and I will strike you, and take your head from off you. And I will give your corpse and the corpses of the Philistine army this very day to the birds of the air, and to the wild animals of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,
47 And all these people who are here today may see that the Lord does not give salvation by sword and spear: for the fight is the Lord's, and he will give you up into our hands.
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 Now when the Philistine made a move and came near to David, David quickly went at a run in the direction of the army, meeting the Philistine face to face.
It happened, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
49 And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and sent it from his leather band straight at the Philistine, and the stone went deep into his brow, and he went down to the earth, falling on his face.
David put his hand in his bag, took a stone, and slung it, and struck the Philistine in his forehead; and the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.
50 So David overcame the Philistine with his leather band and a stone, wounding the Philistine and causing his death: but David had no sword in his hand.
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 the hand of David.
51 So running up to the Philistine and putting his foot on him, David took his sword out of its cover, and put him to death, cutting off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their fighter was dead, they went in flight.
Then David ran, and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of its sheath, and killed him, and cut off his head therewith. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.
52 And the men of Israel and of Judah got up, and gave a cry, and went after the Philistines as far as Gath and the town doors of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines were falling down by the road from Shaaraim all the way to Gath and Ekron.
The men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued them as far as Gath, 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 Then the children of Israel came back from going after the Philistines, and took their goods from the tents.
The children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they plundered their camp.
54 And David took the head of the Philistine to Jerusalem, but the metal war-dress and the arms he put in his tent.
David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armor in his tent.
55 And when Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the captain of the army, Abner, whose son is this young man? And Abner said, On your life, O king, I have no idea.
When Saul saw David go forth 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 And the king said, Make search and see whose son this young man is.
The king said, "Inquire whose son the young man is."
57 And when David was coming back after the destruction of the Philistine, Abner took him to Saul, with the head of the Philistine in his hand.
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 And Saul said to him, Young man, whose son are you? And David in answer said, I am the son of your servant Jesse of Beth-lehem.
Saul said to him, "Whose son are you, you young man?" David answered, "I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite."

< 1 Samuel 17 >