1 Samuel 17
1 Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war at Socoh in Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim.
Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle. And they were gathered together at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim.
2 Saul and the men of Israel assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah, arraying themselves for battle against the Philistines.
And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and encamped in the vale of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.
3 The Philistines stood on one hill and the Israelites stood on another, with the valley between them.
And 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 Then a champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was six cubits and a span in height,
And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
5 and he had a bronze helmet on his head. He wore a bronze coat of mail weighing five thousand shekels,
And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was clad with a coat of mail. And the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.
6 and he had armor of bronze on his legs and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders.
And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a javelin of brass between his shoulders.
7 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.
And 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 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.
And he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, Why have ye come out to set your battle in array? Am I not a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? Choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.
9 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.”
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 ye shall be our servants, and serve us.
10 Then the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day! Give me a man to fight!”
And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.
11 On hearing the words of the Philistine, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and greatly afraid.
And when Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.
12 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.
Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem-judah, whose name was Jesse. And he had eight sons, and the man was an old man in the days of Saul, stricken in years among men.
13 The three older sons of Jesse had followed Saul into battle: The firstborn was Eliab, the second was Abinadab, and the third was Shammah.
And the three eldest 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 And David was the youngest. The three oldest had followed Saul,
And David was the youngest, and the three eldest followed Saul.
15 but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep in Bethlehem.
Now David went to and fro from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.
16 For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening to take his stand.
And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.
17 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.
And Jesse said to David his son, Take now for thy brothers an ephah of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to thy brothers.
18 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.
And bring these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand. And look how thy brothers fare, and take their pledge.
19 They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.”
Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
20 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.
And 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 arrayed in formation against each other.
And Israel and the Philistines put the battle in array, army against army.
22 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.
And David left his baggage in the hand of the keeper of the baggage, and ran to the army, and came and saluted his brothers.
23 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.
And as he talked with them, behold, 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 When all the men of Israel saw Goliath, they fled from him in great fear.
And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were greatly afraid.
25 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.”
And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man who has come up? Surely to defy Israel he has come up. And 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 free in Israel.
26 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?”
And 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 told him about the offer, saying, “That is what will be done for the man who kills him.”
And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that kills him.
28 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!”
And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why have thou come down? And with whom have thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the mischief of thy heart, for thou have come down that thou might see the battle.
29 “What have I done now?” said David. “Was it not just a question?”
And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?
30 Then he turned from him toward another and asked about the offer, and those people answered him just as the first ones had answered.
And he turned away from him toward another, and spoke after the same manner, and the people answered him again after the former manner.
31 Now David’s words were overheard and reported to Saul, who called for him.
And when the words were heard which David spoke, they repeated them before Saul, and he sent for him.
32 And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail on account of this Philistine. Your servant will go and fight him!”
And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him. Thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.
33 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.”
And Saul said to David, Thou are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for thou are but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
34 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,
And David said to Saul, Thy servant was keeping his father's sheep, and when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock,
35 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.
I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth. And when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and killed him.
36 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.”
Thy servant smote both the lion and the bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.
37 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.”
And David said, Jehovah 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. And Saul said to David, Go, and Jehovah shall be with thee.
38 Then Saul clothed David in his own tunic, put a bronze helmet on his head, and dressed him in armor.
And Saul clad David with his apparel, and he put a helmet of brass upon his head, and he clad him with a coat of mail.
39 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.
And David girded his sword upon his apparel, and he attempted to go, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them. And David put them off of him.
40 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.
And he took his staff in his hand, and chose for him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his wallet. And his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine.
41 Now the Philistine came closer and closer to David, with his shield-bearer before him.
And the Philistine came on and drew near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him.
42 When the Philistine looked and saw David, he despised him because he was just a boy, ruddy and handsome.
And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.
43 “Am I a dog,” he said to David, “that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
And the Philistine said to David, Am I a dog, that thou come to me with sticks? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
44 “Come here,” he called to David, “and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”
And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh to the birds of the heavens, and to the beasts of the field.
45 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.
Then David said to the Philistine, Thou come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin, but I come to thee in the name of Jehovah of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou have defied.
46 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.
This day Jehovah will deliver thee into my hand, and I will smite thee, and take thy head from off thee. And I will give the dead bodies of the armies of the Philistines this day to the birds of the heavens, and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,
47 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.”
and that all this assembly may know that Jehovah saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is Jehovah's, and he will give you into our hand.
48 As the Philistine started forward to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.
And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew near to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
49 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.
And David put his hand in his bag, and took from there a stone, and slung it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell upon his face to the earth.
50 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.
So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David.
51 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.
Then David ran, and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath of it, and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.
52 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.
And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines until thou come to Gai, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath, and to Ekron.
53 When the Israelites returned from their pursuit of the Philistines, they plundered their camps.
And the sons 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, and he put Goliath’s weapons in his own tent.
And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent.
55 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.”
And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the captain of the army, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul lives, O king, I cannot tell.
56 “Find out whose son this young man is!” said the king.
And the king said, Inquire thou whose son the stripling is.
57 So when David returned from killing the Philistine, still holding his head in his hand, Abner took him and brought him before Saul.
And 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 “Whose son are you, young man?” asked Saul. “I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem,” David replied.
And Saul said to him, Whose son are thou, young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.
