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.
And the Philistines assembled their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Sochoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Sochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim.
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.
And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and encamped in the valley of terebinths, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.
3 The Philistines were on one hill and the Israelites 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 the ravine was 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.
And there went out a champion from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
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 helmet of bronze upon his head, and he was clothed with a corselet of scales; and the weight of the corselet was five thousand shekels of bronze.
6 On his legs he wore bronze armor, and he carried a javelin slung between his shoulders.
And he had greaves of bronze upon his legs, and a javelin of bronze 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.
And the shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and the 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 he stood and cried to the ranks of Israel, and said to them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I the Philistine, and ye servants of Saul? choose for yourselves a man, and let him come down to 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 be able to fight with me, and to smite me, then will we be your servants; but if I overcome and smite him, then shall ye be our servants and serve us.
10 Then the Philistine said, “I mock the battle lines of Israel today! Give me a man so we can fight each other!”
And the Philistine said, I have defied the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.
11 Saul and all the Israelite soldiers were shattered and absolutely terrified when they heard what the Philistine said.
And Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, and they 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 that Ephrathite of Bethlehem-Judah whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons; and the man was old in the days of Saul, advanced [in years] among men.
13 Jesse's three oldest sons had joined Saul's army war. These were Eliab (the firstborn), Abinadab (second), and Shammah (third).
And the three eldest of the sons of Jesse had gone and followed Saul to the battle; and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and the second to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.
14 David was the youngest. The three oldest were with Saul,
And David was the youngest; and the three eldest had followed Saul.
15 while David went to Saul and then back again to look after his father's sheep.
But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.
16 Every morning and evening for forty days the Philistine came out to take his stand.
And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.
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.
And Jesse said to David his son, Take, I pray, for thy brethren, this ephah of parched [corn] and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to thy brethren;
18 Take these ten cheese pieces to their commander. Check carefully to see how your brothers are doing and bring back their news.”
and carry these ten cheeses to the captain of the thousand, and visit thy brethren to see how they are, and take a pledge of them.
19 They were with Saul and the whole Israelite army in the Valley of Elah, fighting the Philistines.
Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel [were] in the valley of terebinths, 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.
And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took his charge and went, as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the wagon-defence; and the host which was going forth to the battle-array shouted for the fight.
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 put the battle in array, rank against rank.
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.
And David left the things he was carrying in the hand of the keeper of the baggage, and ran into the ranks, and came and saluted his brethren.
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 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 All the Israelite soldiers ran away when they saw him because they were terribly afraid.
And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were greatly afraid.
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.”
And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that comes up? for to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who smites him, him will the king enrich 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 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?”
And David spoke to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that smites 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 soldiers repeated what they had said, telling him, “This is what the man who kills him will receive.”
And the people told him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that smites 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!”
And Eliab, his eldest brother, heard while he spoke to the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why art thou come down? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride and the naughtiness of thy heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.
29 “What have I done now?” David asked. “Can't I even ask a question?”
And David said, What have I now done? Was it not laid upon me?
30 He went over to some others and asked the same question, and they gave the same answer as before.
And he turned from him to another, and spoke after the same manner; and the people answered him again after the former manner.
31 Someone overheard what David said and reported it to Saul who sent for him.
And the words were heard which David spoke, and they rehearsed them before Saul; and he sent 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 because of him: thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.
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.”
And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war 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,
And David said to Saul, Thy servant fed his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and also a bear, and took a lamb out of 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.
And I went after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth; and when he arose against me, I seized him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
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.”
Thy servant smote both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, because 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.
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 be with thee.
38 Saul gave David his own battle clothes to wear, placed a bronze helmet on his head, and put armor on him.
And Saul clothed David with his dress, and put a helmet of bronze upon his head, and clothed him with a corselet.
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.
And David girded his sword upon his dress, and endeavoured to go; for he had not yet tried [it]. And David said to Saul, I cannot go in these; for I have never tried [them]. And David put them off him.
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 he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag that he had, into the pocket; and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.
41 The Philistine came towards David, closer and closer, with his shield-bearer in front of him.
And the Philistine came on and approached David; and the man that bore the shield was 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.
And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was a youth, and ruddy, and besides of a beautiful countenance.
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.
And the Philistine said to David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? 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.”
And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh to the fowls of the heavens and to 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.
And David said to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with sword, and with spear, and with javelin; but I come to thee in the name of Jehovah of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast 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 will Jehovah deliver thee up into my hand; and I will smite thee, and take thy head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the camp of the Philistines this day to the fowl of the heavens and to the wild beasts of the earth. And all the earth shall know that Israel has a God;
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 this congregation shall know that Jehovah saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is Jehovah's, and he will give you into our hands.
48 As the Philistine moved forward to attack him, David raced toward the battle line to confront him.
And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and advanced to meet David, that David hasted, and ran towards the ranks to meet the Philistine.
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.
And David put his hand into the bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, and the stone sank into his forehead; and he fell on his face to the earth.
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.
So David overcame the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and smote the Philistine and killed him; and there was no sword in the hand of David.
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.
And David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of its sheath, and killed him completely, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they fled.
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.
And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou comest to the ravine and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down on the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath, and to Ekron.
53 When the Israelites returned from their hot pursuit of the Philistines, they plundered their camps.
And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they pillaged 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.
And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his 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.
And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this young man? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell.
56 “Find out whose son this young man is,” the king ordered.
And the king said, Inquire thou whose son this youth is.
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.
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?” Saul asked. “I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem,” David replied.
And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, young man? And David said, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Beth-lehemite.
