1 Samuel 17
1 The Philistines gathered their army [to fight the Israeli army]. They gathered together near Socoh, in the area where the descendants of Judah lived. They set up their tents at Ephes-Dammim, which is between Socoh and Azekah.
Forsothe Filisteis gaderiden her cumpenyes in to batel, and camen togidere in Socoth of Juda, and settiden tentis bitwixe Socoth and Azecha, in the coostis of Domyn.
2 Saul gathered the Israeli army near Elah Valley, and they set up their tents. Then they all took their places, ready to fight the Philistines.
Sotheli Saul and the men of Israel weren gaderid, and camen in to the valey of Terebynte, and dressiden scheltrun to fiyte ayens Filisteis.
3 So the Philistine and Israeli armies faced each other. They were on two hills, with a valley between them.
And Filisteis stoden aboue the hil on this part, and Israel stood on the hil on the tother part of the valey, that was bitwixe hem.
4 Then Goliath, from Gath [city], came out from the Philistine camp. He was a champion warrior/soldier. He was (over 9 feet/3 meters) tall.
And a man, `sone of a widewe, whos fadir was vncerteyn, yede out of the `castels of Filisteis, Goliath bi name of Geth, of sixe cubitis heiy and a spanne; and a brasun basynet on his heed;
5 He wore a helmet made of bronze [to protect his head], and he wore a coat made of metal plates [to protect his body]. The coat weighed (125 pounds/56 kg.).
and he was clothid with `an haburioun hokid, ether mailid; forsothe the weiyte of his haburioun was fyue thousynde siclis of bras;
6 He wore bronze guards/protectors on his legs. He had a long bronze dagger fastened on his back.
and he hadde `bootis of bras in the hipis, and a `scheld of bras hilide hise schuldris.
7 He also had a big spear. It had a cord on it to enable him to throw it better (OR, which was as thick as a weaver’s beam). The tip of the spear was made of iron and weighed (15 pounds/almost 7 kg.). A soldier carrying a huge shield walked in front of him.
Forsothe `the schaft of his spere was as the beem of webbis; forsothe thilke yrun of his spere hadde sixe hundrid siclis of yrun; and his squier yede bifor hym.
8 Goliath stood there and shouted to the Israeli army, “Why are you all lined up for battle? I am the great Philistine [soldier], and I think [RHQ] you are [merely] Saul’s slaves. Choose one man to fight for all of you, and send him down here to me!
And he stood, and cried ayens the cumpenyes of armed men of Israel, and seide to hem, Why camen ye redi to batel? Whether Y am not a Filistei, and ye ben the seruauntis of Saul? Chese ye a man of you, and come he doun to syngulere batel;
9 If he fights with me and kills me, then my fellow Philistines will all be your slaves. But if I defeat him and kill him, then you Israelis will all be our slaves.
if he may fiyte with me, and sleeth me, we schulen be `seruauntis to you; forsothe if Y haue the maystry, and sle hym, ye schulen be boonde, and `ye schulen serue vs.
10 I defy/challenge you men of the Israeli army. Send me a man who will fight with me!”
And `the Filistei seide, Y haue `seyd schenschip to dai to the cumpenyes of Israel; yyue ye a man, and bigynne he `synguler batel with me.
11 When Saul and all the Israeli soldiers heard that, they were extremely terrified [DOU].
Sotheli Saul and alle men of Israel herden siche wordis of `the Filistey, and thei weren astonyed, and dredden greetli.
12 David was the son of Jesse. Jesse was from the clan of Ephrath. He lived in Bethlehem, in the area where the descendants of Judah lived. Jesse had eight sons. When Saul [was king], Jesse had already become a very old man [DOU].
Forsothe Dauid was `the sone of a man of Effrata, of whom it is `biforseid, of Bethleem of Juda, to `which man the name was Isay, which hadde eiyte sones; and `the man was eld in the daies of Saul, and of greet age among men.
13 Jesse’s three oldest sons, Eliab and Abinadab and Shammah, had gone with Saul to fight [the Philistines].
Sotheli thre grettere sones of Ysai yeden after Saul in to batel; and the names of hise thre sones, that yeden to batel, Heliab, the firste gendryd, and the secounde, Amynadab, and the thridde, Samma.
14 David was Jesse’s youngest son. While his three oldest brothers were with Saul,
Forsothe Dauid was the leeste. Therfor while thre grettere sueden Saul, Dauid yede,
15 David went back and forth: Sometimes he went to Saul’s camp, and sometimes he stayed in Bethlehem to take care of his father’s sheep.
and turnede ayen fro Saul, that he schulde kepe the floc of his fadir in Bethleem.
16 For 40 days Goliath came out from the Philistine camp and stood there [taunting the Israeli army/telling the Israelis to choose one man to fight with him]. He did it twice each day, once in the morning and once in the evening.
Forsothe the Filistey cam forth in the morewtid, and euentid; and stood `bi fourti daies.
17 [One day], Jesse said to David, “Here is a sack of roasted grain and ten loaves of bread. Take these quickly to your [older] brothers.
Sotheli Ysai seide to Dauid his sone, Take thou to thi britheren meete maad of meele, the mesure of ephi, and these ten looues, and renne thou in to the castels to thi britheren;
18 And here are ten large chunks of cheese. Take them to their commander. And see how things are going with your [older] brothers. Then [if they are okay, ] bring back something to show they are all right.”
and thou schalt bere to the tribune these ten `litil formes of chese; and thou schalt visite thi britheren, whether thei doon riytli, and lurne thou, with whiche men thei ben ordeyned.
19 His brothers were with Saul and all the other Israeli soldiers, camped alongside Elah Valley, [preparing to] fight the Philistines.
Forsothe Saul, and thei, and alle the sones of Israel in the valei of Terebynte fouyten ayens Filisteis.
20 So David arranged for another shepherd to take care of the sheep. Early the next morning he took the food and went to the Israeli camp, as Jesse told him to do. He arrived there just as the Israeli soldiers were forming their ranks and going out to the battlefield. As they went, they were shouting a war cry.
Therfor Dauid roos eerli, and bitook the floc to the kepere, and he yede chargid, as Ysai `hadde comaundid to hym; and he cam to the place Magala, and to the oost, which oost yede out to the batel, and criede in `the batel.
21 The Philistine army and the Israeli army stood [on the hillsides], facing each other, ready for the battle.
For Israel hadde dressid scheltrun; `but also Filisteis weren maad redi `euen ayens.
22 David gave the food to the man who was taking care of the war equipment. [He told him to take care of the food that he brought], and then he went and greeted his older brothers.
Therfor Dauid lefte the vessels, whiche he hadde brouyt, vndur the hond of a kepere `at the fardels, and he ran to the place of batel, and he axyde, if alle thingis weren `doon riytli anentis hise britheren.
23 While he was talking with them, he saw Goliath coming out from among the Philistine soldiers, shouting [to the Israelis], challenging them [to send a man to fight him]. David heard what Goliath was saying.
And whanne he spak yit to hem, thilke bastard apperide, Goliath bi name, a Filistei of Geth, and stiede fro the castels of Filisteis; and `while he spak these same wordis, Dauid herde.
24 When all the Israeli soldiers saw Goliath, they were terrified and started to ran away.
And whanne alle men of Israel hadden seyn `the man, thei fledden fro his face, and dredden hym greetli.
25 They were saying to each other, “Look at him coming up toward us! And listen to him as he defies us Israelis! The king says that he will give a big reward to whoever kills this man. He also says that he will give his daughter to that man for him to marry her, and that he will no longer require that man’s family to pay taxes.”
And ech man of Israel seide, Whether thou hast seyn this man that stiede? for he stiede to seie schenship to Israel; therfor the kyng schal make riche with greet richessis `the man that sleeth thilke Filistei; and the kyng schal yyue his douyter to that man, and schal make the hows of his fader with out `tribut in Israel.
26 David talked to some of the men who were standing near him. He said, “What will be given to whoever kills this Philistine and frees us Israelis from this shame/disgrace? And who [does] this heathen Philistine [think he] is, defying/ridiculing the army that serves the all-powerful God?”
And Dauyd spak to the men that stoden with hym, and seide, What schal be youun to the man that sleeth this Filistei, and doith awei schenschip fro Israel? for who is this Filistei vncircumcidid, that dispiside the scheltruns of God lyuynge?
27 They told him the same thing that the other men had said, about what the king would do for anyone who killed Goliath.
Forsothe the puple tolde to hym the same word, and seide, These thingis schulen be youun to the man that sleeth hym.
28 But when David’s oldest brother Eliab heard David talking to the men, he was angry. He said to David, “Why have you come down here? Is someone taking care of those few sheep that you left in the desert? I know you are just a (smart-aleck/brat)! You just want to watch the battle!”
And whanne Heliab, `his more brother, had herd this, while he spak with othere men, he was wrooth ayens Dauid, and seide, Whi camest thou, and whi `leftist thou tho fewe scheep in deseert? Y knowe thi pride, and the wewardnesse of thin herte; for thou camest doun to se the batel.
29 David replied, “Have I done something wrong? I was merely asking a question!”
And Dauid seide, What haue Y do? Whether it is not a word?
30 Then he walked over to another man and asked him the same question, but the man gave him the same answer. Each time he asked someone, he received the same answer.
And Dauid bowide a litil fro hym to another man; and Dauid seide the same word, and the puple answeride to hym al word as bifore.
31 Finally, someone told king Saul what David had asked, and Saul sent someone to bring David to him.
Forsothe these wordis weren herd, whiche Dauid spak, and weren teld `in the siyt of Saul.
32 David told king Saul, “No one should (worry/become a coward) because of that Philistine man. I will go and fight with him!”
And whanne Dauyd was brouyt to Saul, Dauyd spak to hym, The herte of ony man falle not doun for `that Filistei, Y thi seruaunt schal go, and `Y schal fiyte ayens the Filistei.
33 Saul said to David, “You are only a young man, and he has been a very capable soldier all his life. So you are not able to go and fight with him!”
And Saul seide to Dauid, Thou maist not ayenstonde this Filistei, nether fiyte ayens hym, for thou art a child; forsothe this man is a werriour fro his yong wexynge age.
34 David replied, “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep [for many years]. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried away a lamb,
And Dauid seide to Saul, Thi seruaunt kepte `the floc of his fadir, and a lioun cam, ether a bere, and took awei a ram fro the myddis of the floc;
35 I went after the lion or the bear and attacked it and rescued the lamb from the wild animal’s mouth. Then I grabbed the animal by its jaw/throat and struck it and killed it.
Y pursuede, and killide hem, and rauyschide fro `the mouth of hem; and thei risiden ayens me, and I took the nether chaule `of hem, and Y stranglide, and killide hem.
36 I have killed both lions and bears. And [I will do] the same to this heathen Philistine, because he has defied/ridiculed the army of the all-powerful God!
For Y thi seruaunt killide bothe a lioun and a bere; therfor and this Filistei vncircumcidid schal be as oon of hem. Now Y schal go, and Y schal do awey the schenschip of the puple; for who is this Filistei vncircumcidid, that was hardi to curse the oost of God lyuynge?
37 Yahweh has rescued me from paws of lions and bears, and he will rescue me from this Philistine!” Then Saul said to David, “All right, go [and fight him], and [I hope/desire] that Yahweh will help you!”
And Dauid seide, The Lord that delyuerede me fro the `mouth of the lioun, and fro the `hond, that is, power, of the bere, he schal delyuere me fro the hond of this Filistei. Forsothe Saul seide to Dauid, Go thou, and the Lord be with thee.
38 Then Saul gave to David his own clothes that he always wore in battles, and he gave him a bronze helmet and a coat made of metal plates.
And Saul clothide Dauid with hise clothis, and puttide a brasun basynet on his heed, and clothide hym with an haburioun.
39 David [put these things on. Then he] fastened his sword over them, and tried to walk. But he could not walk, because he was not accustomed to wearing those things. So David said to Saul, “I cannot fight wearing all these things, because I am not accustomed to [wearing] them!” So he took them off.
Therfor Dauid was gird with his swerd on his cloth, and bigan to asaie if he myyte go armed; for he hadde not custom. And Dauid seide to Saul, Y may not go so, for Y haue not vss. And Dauid puttide awei tho,
40 Then he took his walking/shepherd’s stick, and he picked up five smooth stones from the brook/stream. He put them in the pouch of his shoulder-bag. Then he put his sling in his hand and started walking toward Goliath.
and he took his staaf, which he hadde euere in the hondis. And he chees to hym fyue clereste stonys, that is, harde, pleyn, and rounde, of the stronde; and he sente tho in to the schepherdis scrippe, which he hadde with hym; and he took the slynge in the hond, and yede forth ayens the Filistei.
41 Goliath walked toward David, with the soldier who was carrying his shield walking in front of him. When he got near David,
Sotheli the Filistei yede, `goynge and neiyyng ayens Dauid; and his squyer yede bifor hym.
42 he looked at David closely. He saw that David had a handsome face and healthy body, but that he was only a young man. So he sneered at David.
And whanne `the Filistei hadde biholde Dauid, and hadde seyn hym, he dispiside Dauid; forsothe Dauid was a yong wexynge man, rodi, and feir in siyt.
43 He said to David, “Are you coming to me with a stick because [you think that] I am a dog?” Then he called out to his gods to harm David.
And `the Filistei, seide to Dauid, Whether Y am a dogge, for thou comest to me with a staf? And `the Filistei curside Dauid in hise goddis; and he seide to Dauid,
44 He said to David, “Come here to me, and I will [kill you and] give your dead body to the birds and wild animals to eat!”
Come thou to me, and Y schal yyue thi fleischis to the `volatilis of heuene, and to the beestis of erthe.
45 David replied, “You are coming to me with a sword and a dagger and a spear. But I am coming to you (in the name/with the authority) of almighty Yahweh. He is the God whom the army of Israel [worships], and he is the God whom you have defied/ridiculed.
Sotheli Dauid seide to `the Filistei, Thou comest to me with swerd, and spere, and scheeld; but Y come to thee in the name of the Lord God of oostis, of God of the cumpanyes of Israel, to whiche thou seidist schenschip to dai.
46 Today Yahweh will enable me to defeat you. I will strike you down and cut off your head. And [we Israelis will kill] many Philistine [soldiers and] give their bodies to the birds and wild animals to eat. And everyone in the world will [hear about it and] know that we Israeli people worship an [all-powerful] God.
And the Lord schal yyue thee in myn hond, and Y schal sle thee, and Y schal take awey thin heed fro thee; and I schal yyue the deed bodies of the castels of Filisteis `to day to the volatils of heuene, and to the beestis of erthe; that al the erthe wite, that the Lord God is in Israel,
47 And everyone here will know that Yahweh can rescue people without a sword or a spear. Yahweh always wins his battles, and he will enable us to defeat all of you [Philistines].”
and that al this chirche knowe, that the Lord saueth not in swerd nether in spere; for the batel is his, and he schal bitake you in to oure hondis.
48 As Goliath came closer to attack David, David ran quickly toward him.
Therfor whanne the Filistei hadde rise, and cam, and neiyede ayens Dauid, Dauid hastide, and ran to batel ayens `the Filistei.
49 He put his hand into his shoulder-bag and took out one stone. He [put it in his sling and] hurled it toward Goliath. The stone hit Goliath on the forehead and penetrated his skull, and he fell face down onto the ground.
And Dauid putte his hond `in to his scrippe, and he took o stoon, and he castide with the slynge, `and ledde aboute, and smoot `the Filistei in the forheed; and the stoon was fastned in his forheed, and he felde doun in to his face on the erthe.
50 Then David ran and stood over Goliath. He pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath and killed him with it, and then cut off his head. In that way David defeated the Philistine without having his own sword. He used [only] a sling and a stone! When the other Philistines saw that their great warrior was dead, they ran away.
And Dauid hadde the maistrie ayens `the Filistei `in a slyng and stoon, and he killide `the Filistei smytun. And whanne Dauid hadde no swerd in the hond,
he ran, and stood on `the Filistei, and took his swerd; and Dauid drow out the swerd of his schethe, and `killide him, and kittide awei his heed. Forsothe the Filisteis sien, that the strongeste of hem was deed, and thei fledden.
52 The Israeli men shouted and ran after them. They pursued them all the way to Gath and to the gates of Ekron [city]. They struck them as they went, with the result that dead/wounded Philistines were lying on the road all the way from Shaaraim to Gath and Ekron [towns].
And the sones of Israel and of Juda risiden to gidere, and crieden, and pursueden Filisteis, `til the while thei camen in to the valei, and `til to the yate of Accaron. And woundid men of Filisteis felden in the weye of Sarym, and `til to Geth, and `til to Accaron.
53 When the Israelis returned from chasing the Philistines, they (plundered/took everything from) the Philistine camp.
And the sones of Israel turneden ayen, aftir that thei hadden pursuede Filisteis, and thei assailiden `the tentis of hem.
54 David later took the head of Goliath to Jerusalem, but he kept Goliath’s weapons in his own tent.
Forsothe Dauid took the heed of `the Filistei, and brouyte it in to Jerusalem; sotheli he puttide hise armeris in the `tabernacle of the Lord.
55 As Saul watched David going toward Goliath, he said to Abner, the commanded of his army, “Abner, whose son is that young man?” Abner replied, “(As sure as you are alive/Truly) [IDM], I do not know.”
Forsothe in that tyme in which Saul siy Dauid goynge out ayens `the Filistei, he seide to Abner, prince of his chiualrie, Abner, of what generacioun `cam forth this yong waxynge man? And Abner seide, Kyng, thi soule lyueth, I knowe not.
56 Then the king said, “Find out whose son he is!”
And the kyng seide, Axe thou, whos sone this child is.
57 [Later, ] as David returned from killing Goliath, Abner took him to Saul. David was carrying Goliath’s head.
And whanne Dauid hadde come ayen, whanne `the Filistei was slayn, Abner took Dauid, and brouyte hym in, hauynge in the hond the heed of `the Filistei, `bifor Saul.
58 Saul asked him, “Young man, whose son are you?” David replied, “[Sir, perhaps you have forgotten that] I am the son of your servant Jesse, who has served you faithfully, who lives in Bethlehem.”
And Saul seide to hym, Of what generacioun art thou, yong waxynge man? And Dauid seide, Y am the sone of thi seruaunt, Isai of Bethleem.
