1 Samuel 17
1 The Philistine armies gathered for battle at Socoh in Judah. They set up camp between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim.
Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war at Socoh in Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim.
2 Saul and the Israelites gathered and camped in the Valley of Elah and took up their positions to engage in battle with the Philistines.
Saul and the men of Israel assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah, arraying themselves for battle against the Philistines.
3 The Philistines were on one hill and the Israelites on another with the valley between them.
The Philistines stood on one hill and the Israelites stood on another, with the valley between them.
4 Then a champion came out of the Philistine camp. His name was Goliath from Gath, and he was six cubits and a span tall.
Then a champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was six cubits and a span in height,
5 He had on his head a bronze helmet and he wore a bronze coat of mail weighing five thousand shekels.
and he had a bronze helmet on his head. He wore a bronze coat of mail weighing five thousand shekels,
6 On his legs he wore bronze armor, and he carried a javelin slung between his shoulders.
and he had armor of bronze on his legs and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders.
7 The shaft of his spear was as thick as weaver's beam, with an iron tip that weighed six hundred shekels. His shield-bearer walked ahead of him carrying his shield.
The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. In addition, his shield bearer went before him.
8 Goliath stood and shouted at the lines of Israelite soldiers, “Why have you come and lined for battle? I am the Philistine, and you're Saul's servants. Pick one of your men and have him come down and fight me.
And Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and array yourselves for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose one of your men and have him come down against me.
9 If he can fight me and kill me, then we will be your slaves. But if I beat him and kill him, then you'll be our slaves and work for us.”
If he is able to fight me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and labor for us.”
10 Then the Philistine said, “I mock the battle lines of Israel today! Give me a man so we can fight each other!”
Then the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day! Give me a man to fight!”
11 Saul and all the Israelite soldiers were shattered and absolutely terrified when they heard what the Philistine said.
On hearing the words of the Philistine, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and greatly afraid.
12 David was the son of a man named Jesse. He was an Ephrathite from Bethlehem of Judah who had eight sons. At the time Saul was king, Jesse was very old.
Now David was the son of a man named Jesse, an Ephrathite from Bethlehem of Judah who had eight sons in the days of Saul. And Jesse was old and well along in years.
13 Jesse's three oldest sons had joined Saul's army war. These were Eliab (the firstborn), Abinadab (second), and Shammah (third).
The three older sons of Jesse had followed Saul into battle: The firstborn was Eliab, the second was Abinadab, and the third was Shammah.
14 David was the youngest. The three oldest were with Saul,
And David was the youngest. The three oldest had followed Saul,
15 while David went to Saul and then back again to look after his father's sheep.
but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep in Bethlehem.
16 Every morning and evening for forty days the Philistine came out to take his stand.
For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening to take his stand.
17 Jesse told his son David, “Please take your brothers this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers. Take them quickly to your brothers' camp.
One day Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp.
18 Take these ten cheese pieces to their commander. Check carefully to see how your brothers are doing and bring back their news.”
Take also these ten portions of cheese to the commander of their unit. Check on the welfare of your brothers and bring back an assurance from them.
19 They were with Saul and the whole Israelite army in the Valley of Elah, fighting the Philistines.
They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.”
20 David got up early in the morning and left the flock with a shepherd. He took the supplies and set out as Jesse had told him to. He arrived at the camp just as the army was marching out to its battle line, shouting the war cry.
So David got up early in the morning, left the flock with a keeper, loaded up, and set out as Jesse had instructed him. He reached the camp as the army was marching out to its position and shouting the battle cry.
21 The Israelites took up their battle line and the Philistines took up their battle line on the opposite side.
And Israel and the Philistines arrayed in formation against each other.
22 David left his supplies with the one responsible and ran to the battle line. When he got there he asked his brothers how they were.
Then David left his supplies in the care of the quartermaster and ran to the battle line. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were doing.
23 While he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, came up out of his lines and shouted his challenge as he had before, and David heard what he said.
And as he was speaking with them, suddenly the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, came forward from the Philistines and shouted his usual words, which David also heard.
24 All the Israelite soldiers ran away when they saw him because they were terribly afraid.
When all the men of Israel saw Goliath, they fled from him in great fear.
25 “Have you seen this man who keeps on coming out to mock Israel?” they asked. “The king will make the man who kills him really rich. He will also give him his daughter in marriage, and his family will live tax-free in Israel.”
Now the men of Israel had been saying, “Do you see this man who keeps coming out to defy Israel? To the man who kills him the king will give great riches. And he will give him his daughter in marriage and exempt his father’s house from taxation in Israel.”
26 David asked the men who were standing beside him, “What will the man receive who kills this Philistine and removes this shame from Israel? Who does this heathen Philistine think he is, mocking the armies of the living God?”
David asked the men who were standing with him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
27 The soldiers repeated what they had said, telling him, “This is what the man who kills him will receive.”
The people told him about the offer, saying, “That is what will be done for the man who kills him.”
28 When David's oldest brother Eliab heard him talking with the men, he got angry with him. “What are you doing here?” he asked. “Who have you left those few sheep with in the wilderness? I know how proud and wicked you are! You've just come to watch the battle!”
Now when David’s oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men, his anger burned against David. “Why have you come down here?” he asked. “And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and wickedness of heart—you have come down to see the battle!”
29 “What have I done now?” David asked. “Can't I even ask a question?”
“What have I done now?” said David. “Was it not just a question?”
30 He went over to some others and asked the same question, and they gave the same answer as before.
Then he turned from him toward another and asked about the offer, and those people answered him just as the first ones had answered.
31 Someone overheard what David said and reported it to Saul who sent for him.
Now David’s words were overheard and reported to Saul, who called for him.
32 David told Saul, “No one should lose heart because of this Philistine. I, your servant, will go and fight him!”
And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail on account of this Philistine. Your servant will go and fight him!”
33 “You can't go out and fight this Philistine,” Saul replied. “You're just a boy, and he's a warrior trained from his youth.”
But Saul replied, “You cannot go out against this Philistine to fight him. You are just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”
34 David replied, “Your servant has been looking after his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock,
David replied, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep, and whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock,
35 I would chase after it, knock it down, and save the lamb from its mouth. If it turned to attack me, I would grab its hair, hit it, and kill it.
I went after it, struck it down, and delivered the lamb from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur, strike it down, and kill it.
36 I have killed lions and bears, and this heathen Philistine will be just like one of them, for he has mocked the armies of the living God.”
Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.”
37 David concluded, “The Lord who saved me from the claws of the lion and the bear will save me from this Philistine.” “Go, and may the Lord be with you,” Saul responded.
David added, “The LORD, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” “Go,” said Saul, “and may the LORD be with you.”
38 Saul gave David his own battle clothes to wear, placed a bronze helmet on his head, and put armor on him.
Then Saul clothed David in his own tunic, put a bronze helmet on his head, and dressed him in armor.
39 David strapped his sword on over the armor but he couldn't walk because he wasn't used to it. “I can't walk in all this,” David told Saul. “I ‘m not used to it.” So David took all the armor off.
David strapped his sword over the tunic and tried to walk, but he was not accustomed to them. “I cannot walk in these,” David said to Saul. “I am not accustomed to them.” So David took them off.
40 He picked up his stick, chose five smooth stones from the stream, and put them in his shepherd's bag. Carrying his sling in his hand, he approached the Philistine.
And David took his staff in his hand, selected five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag. And with his sling in hand, he approached the Philistine.
41 The Philistine came towards David, closer and closer, with his shield-bearer in front of him.
Now the Philistine came closer and closer to David, with his shield-bearer before him.
42 When the Philistine looked closely he could see that David was just a red-faced handsome youth, and so he treated David with contempt.
When the Philistine looked and saw David, he despised him because he was just a boy, ruddy and handsome.
43 “Do you think I'm a dog, coming to fight me with a stick?” the Philistine asked David, and he cursed David by his gods.
“Am I a dog,” he said to David, “that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
44 Then the Philistine shouted at David, “Come over here, and I'll feed your flesh to the birds and the wild animals.”
“Come here,” he called to David, “and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”
45 David replied to the Philistine, “You come to attack me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin. But I come to attack you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel—the one you have mocked.
But David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
46 Today the Lord will hand you over to me, and I will strike you down, cut off your head, and give the dead bodies of the Philistine soldiers to the birds and the wild animals. Then all the world will know that there is a God who acts for Israel.
This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand. This day I will strike you down, cut off your head, and give the carcasses of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the creatures of the earth. Then the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.
47 Everyone gathered here will realize that the Lord saves, but not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord's, and he will hand all of you over to us.”
And all those assembled here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give all of you into our hands.”
48 As the Philistine moved forward to attack him, David raced toward the battle line to confront him.
As the Philistine started forward to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.
49 David reached into his bag, took out a stone, and fired it from his sling, hitting the Philistine on the forehead. The stone went into his forehead, and he collapsed facedown on the ground.
Then David reached into his bag, took out a stone, and slung it, striking the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.
50 This is how David defeated the Philistine with just a sling and a stone; with no sword in his hand David knocked the Philistine down and killed him.
Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.
51 David ran and stood over the Philistine. He took the Philistine's sword and pulled it out of its sheath. He killed him and then he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they turned and ran away.
David ran and stood over him. He grabbed the Philistine’s sword and pulled it from its sheath and killed him; and he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran.
52 Then the men of Israel and Judah rushed forward shouting the war-cry and chased the Philistines all the way to Gath and to the gates of Ekron. Their bodies were scattered along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron.
Then the men of Israel and Judah charged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. And the bodies of the Philistines were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron.
53 When the Israelites returned from their hot pursuit of the Philistines, they plundered their camps.
When the Israelites returned from their pursuit of the Philistines, they plundered their camps.
54 David took the Philistine's head and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put the Philistine's weapons in his own tent.
David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, and he put Goliath’s weapons in his own tent.
55 When Saul had watched David going out to fight the Philistine, he'd asked Abner the army commander, “Abner, whose son is that young man?” “On your life, Your Majesty, I do not know,” Abner replied.
As Saul had watched David going out to confront the Philistine, he said to Abner the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?” “As surely as you live, O king,” Abner replied, “I do not know.”
56 “Find out whose son this young man is,” the king ordered.
“Find out whose son this young man is!” said the king.
57 As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul. David was still clutching the Philistine's head in his hand.
So when David returned from killing the Philistine, still holding his head in his hand, Abner took him and brought him before Saul.
58 “Whose son are you, young man?” Saul asked. “I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem,” David replied.
“Whose son are you, young man?” asked Saul. “I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem,” David replied.
