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 gathered together their hosts, unto battle, and they were gathered together unto Socoh, which belongeth unto Judah, —and they encamped 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.
and, Saul and the men of Israel, gathered themselves together, and encamped in the vale of Elah, and set the army 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, were standing near the hill on one side, and, the Israelites, were standing near the hill on the other side, —while, the valley, 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 came forth a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, Goliath, his name, from Gath, —his height, 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.
with a helmet of bronze on his head, and, with a scaly coat of mail, was he clad, —the weight of the coat, being five thousand shekels of bronze;
6 On his legs he wore bronze armor, and he carried a javelin slung between his shoulders.
and, greaves of bronze, on his feet, —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, the flashing head of his spear, was six hundred shekels of iron, —and, his shield-bearer, was coming on 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 took his stand, and cried unto the ranks of Israel, and said unto them, Wherefore should ye come out, to set in array for battle? Am not, I, a Philistine, while, ye, are servants unto Saul? Choose you a man, and let him come down unto 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 prevail in fighting with me, and smite me, then will we become your servants, —but, if, I, prevail over him, and smite him, then shall ye become 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, reproach 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.
When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and feared exceedingly.
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, who, had eight sons, —and, the man, in the days of Saul was old, advanced in years.
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 sons of Jesse had followed Saul to the battle, —and, the names of his three sons who went into the battle, were Eliab the firstborn, and, the next to him, Abinadab, and, the third, Shammah.
14 David was the youngest. The three oldest were with Saul,
But, as for David, he, was the youngest, —and, the three eldest, followed Saul;
15 while David went to Saul and then back again to look after his father's sheep.
whereas, David, kept going and returning from Saul, —to tend 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 unto David his son, Take, I pray thee, unto thy brethren—this ephah of parched corn, and these ten loaves, —and run to the camp unto 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.”
also these ten slices of soft cheese, shalt thou take to the captain of their thousand, —and, as for thy brethren, give good heed to their welfare, their pledge, also shalt thou receive.
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 vale of Elah, ready to fight with 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 then David rose up early in the morning, and entrusted the sheep to a keeper, and took up [the provisions] and went his way, as Jesse had commanded him, —and came into the circular rampart, as, the force, was going forth into the ranks, and shouted for the fight.
21 The Israelites took up their battle line and the Philistines took up their battle line on the opposite side.
So Israel and the Philistines set in array for battle, army against army.
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 entrusted the provisions that were upon him to the care of the keeper of the stores, and ran unto the ranks, —and came and asked for the welfare of 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.
Now, as he was speaking with them, lo! the champion coming up, Goliath the Philistine, by name, of Gath, [coming up] out of the ranks of the Philistines, and he spake according to these words, —and David heard [them].
24 All the Israelite soldiers ran away when they saw him because they were terribly afraid.
Now, all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from before him, and feared exceedingly.
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 is coming up? For, to reproach Israel, is he coming. So then it shall be, that, the man that shall smite him, the same, will the king enrich with great riches, and, his own daughter, will give him, and, his father’s house, will he make 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?”
Then spake David unto the men that were standing by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that shall smite yonder Philistine, and so shall take away reproach from off Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he hath reproached the ranks of a 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 answered him, according to this word saying, —So, shall it be done to the man that shall smite 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 Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men, —then was kindled the anger of Eliab against David, and he said—Wherefore is it that thou hast come down? and to whom hast thou entrusted those few sheep in the wilderness? I, know thy pride, and the foolishness of thy heart, for, to see the battle, hast thou come down.
29 “What have I done now?” David asked. “Can't I even ask a question?”
And David said, What have I done, now? Was there not, a cause?
30 He went over to some others and asked the same question, and they gave the same answer as before.
Then turned he from him unto another, and said—according to this word, —and the people returned him an answer, like the first.
31 Someone overheard what David said and reported it to Saul who sent for him.
And the words which David spake were overheard, —and, when they told them before Saul, he summoned 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 unto Saul, Let not the heart of my lord 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 unto David—Thou art not able to go against this Philistine, to fight with him, —for, a youth, art, thou, but, 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,
Then said David unto Saul, Thy servant used to tend his father’s sheep, —and there would come a lion, or a bear, and carry off 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 would go out after him, and smite him, and rescue it out of his mouth, —and, if he rose against me, I would catch him by his beard, and smite him, and slay 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 could slay, either a lion or a bear, —and, this uncircumcised Philistine, shall become, as one of them, for he hath reproached the ranks of a 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, Yahweh, who hath rescued me out of the power of the lion, and out of the power of the bear, he, will rescue us out of the hand of this Philistine. Then said Saul unto David—Go! and, Yahweh, will 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 clad David with his own military coat, and set a helmet of bronze upon his head, —and clad him with a coat of mail.
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 above his military coat, but was reluctant to go, for he had not proved them, —so David said unto Saul—I cannot go in these, for I have not proved 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.
Then took he his stick in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the torrent-bed, and put them in the shepherd’s-pouch which he had—even in the wallet, and had his sling in his hand, —and so drew near unto 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 on, and drew near unto David, —and the man carrying 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, a stripling of fair 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.
Then said the Philistine unto David, A dog, am, I, that thou art coming unto me, with sticks? And the Philistine cursed David, by his god.
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 unto David, —Come, unto me, that I may give thy flesh to the birds of heaven, 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.
Then said David unto the Philistine—Thou, art coming unto me with sword, and with spear, and with javelin, —but, I, am coming unto thee in the name of Yahweh of hosts, God of the ranks of Israel which thou hast reproached.
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 Yahweh deliver thee into my hand, and I will smite thee, and take thy head from off thee, and will give thy dead body and the dead bodies of the host of Philistines, this day, unto the birds of heaven, and unto the wild beasts of the earth, —that all the earth may know that Israel hath 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 that all this gathered host may know that, not with sword and with spear, doth Yahweh save, —for, unto Yahweh, belongeth the battle, and he will deliver you into our hand.
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 drew near to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward 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 thrust his hand into his pouch, and took from thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine, in his forehead, —that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell upon 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.
Thus David prevailed over the Philistine, with the sling and with the stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him, —but, sword, was there none 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.
So David ran, and stood by the Philistine, and took his sword and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off, therewith, his head, —and, when the Philistines saw that their hero was slain, 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.
Then arose the men of Israel and Judah, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, as far as the entrance into Gath, and as far as the gates of Ekron, —and the slain of the Philistines fell in the way to the two gates, even as far as Gath and as far as Ekron.
53 When the Israelites returned from their hot pursuit of the Philistines, they plundered their camps.
And the sons of Israel returned from hotly pursuing the Philistines, —and 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.
And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it into Jerusalem, —but, his armour, put he into 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 going forth to meet the Philistine, he said unto Abner, prince of the host, Whose son is the young man, Abner? And Abner said, By the life of thy soul, O king! I know not.
56 “Find out whose son this young man is,” the king ordered.
Then said the king, —Ask, thou, whose son the stripling 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, when David returned from smiting 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 unto him, Whose son art, thou, O young man? And David said, Son of thy servant Jesse, the Bethlehemite.
