< 1 Samuel 17 >

1 Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. They were gathered at Sokoh, which belongs to Judah. They had encamped between Sokoh and Azekah, in Ephes Dammim.
And the Philistines gather their camps to battle, and are gathered to Shochoh, which [is] to Judah, and encamp between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephes-Dammim;
2 Saul and the men of Israel gathered and encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines.
and Saul and the men of Israel have been gathered, and encamp by the Valley of Elah, and set in array [for] battle to meet the Philistines.
3 The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side with a valley between them.
And the Philistines are standing on the mountain on this [side], and Israel is standing on the mountain on that [side], and the valley [is] between them.
4 A strong man came out of the Philistines' camp, a man named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
And a man goes out, the champion from the camps of the Philistines, his name [is] Goliath, from Gath; his height [is] six cubits and a span [[or four cubits and a span]],
5 He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of chainmail. The coat weighed five thousand shekels of bronze.
and a helmet of bronze [is] on his head, and he is clothed [with] a scaled coat of mail, and the weight of the coat of mail [is] five thousand shekels of bronze,
6 He had bronze armor on his legs and a javelin of bronze between his shoulders.
and a frontlet of bronze [is] on his feet, and a javelin of bronze between his shoulders,
7 The staff of his spear was large, with a loop of cord for throwing it like the cord on a weaver's beam. His spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. His shield bearer went before him.
and the wood of his spear [is] like a weavers’ beam, and the flame of his spear [is] six hundred shekels of iron, and the bearer of the buckler is going before him.
8 He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am not I a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me.
And he stands and calls to the ranks of Israel, and says to them, “Why do you come out to set in array for battle? [Am] I not the Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me;
9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then will we be your servants. But if I defeat him and kill him, then you will be our servants and serve us.”
if he is able to fight with me, and has struck me, then we have been for servants to you; and if I prevail against him, and have struck him, then you have been for servants to us, and have served us.”
10 Again the Philistine said, “I challenge the ranks of Israel today. Give me a man so we may fight together.”
And the Philistine says, “I have reproached the ranks of Israel this day; give a man to me and we fight together!”
11 When Saul and all Israel heard what the Philistine said, they were discouraged and greatly afraid.
And Saul hears—and all Israel—these words of the Philistine, and they are broken down and greatly afraid.
12 Now David was the son of the Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, whose name was Jesse. He had eight sons. Jesse was an old man in the days of Saul, very old among men.
And David [is] son of this Ephraimite of Beth-Lehem-Judah, whose name [is] Jesse, and he has eight sons, and the man has become aged among men in the days of Saul;
13 The three oldest sons of Jesse had followed Saul to the battle. The names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, second to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.
and the three eldest sons of Jesse go, they have gone after Saul to battle; and the name of his three sons who have gone into battle [are] Eliab the firstborn, and his second Abinadab, and the third Shammah.
14 David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul.
And David is the youngest, and the three eldest have gone after Saul,
15 Now David went back and forth between Saul's army and his father's sheep at Bethlehem, in order to feed them.
and David is going and returning from Saul, to feed the flock of his father at Beth-Lehem.
16 For forty days the Philistine strong man came near morning and evening to present himself for battle.
And the Philistine draws near, morning and evening, and stations himself [for] forty days.
17 Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take to your brothers an ephah of this roasted grain and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp for your brothers.
And Jesse says to his son David, “Now take an ephah of this roasted [grain] and these ten loaves for your brothers, and run to the camp to your brothers;
18 Also bring these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand. See how your brothers are doing and bring back some proof that they are doing well.
and take these ten cuttings of the cheese to the head of the one thousand, and inspect your brothers for welfare, and receive their pledge.”
19 Your brothers are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting the Philistines.”
And Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, [are] in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
20 David got up early in the morning and left the flock in the care of a shepherd. He took the supplies and left, as Jesse commanded him. He came to the camp as the army was going out to the battlefield shouting the war cry.
And David rises early in the morning, and leaves the flock to a keeper, and lifts up, and goes, as Jesse commanded him, and he comes to the path, and to the force which is going out to the rank, and they have shouted for battle;
21 Then Israel and the Philistines lined up for battle, army against army.
and Israel and the Philistines set in array rank to meet rank.
22 David left his belongings with the keeper of supplies, ran to the army, and greeted his brothers.
And David lets down the goods from off him on the hand of a keeper of the goods, and runs into the rank, and comes and asks of his brothers of [their] welfare.
23 As he talked with them, the strong man, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, and he came out of the ranks of the Philistines, and said the same words as before, and David heard them.
And he is speaking with them, and behold, a man, the champion, is coming up, his name [is] Goliath the Philistine, from Gath, out of the ranks of the Philistines, and he speaks according to those words, and David hears;
24 When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fled from him and were very afraid.
and all the men of Israel, when they see the man, flee from his presence, and are greatly afraid.
25 The men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? He has come to challenge Israel. The king will give great riches to the man who kills him, and he will give his daughter to him in marriage, and will make his father's house free from taxation in Israel.”
And the men of Israel say, “Have you seen this man who is coming up? For he is coming up to reproach Israel, and it has been—the man who strikes him, the king enriches him with great riches, and he gives his daughter to him, and makes his father’s house free in Israel.”
26 David said to the men who stood by him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
And David speaks to the men who are standing by him, saying, “What is done to the man who strikes this Philistine, and has turned aside reproach from Israel? For who [is] this uncircumcised Philistine that he has reproached the ranks of the living God?”
27 Then the people repeated what they had been saying and told him, “So it will be done for the man who kills him.”
And the people speak to him according to this word, saying, “Thus it is done to the man who strikes him.”
28 Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, “Why did you come down here? With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride, and the mischief in your heart; for you have come down here so that you might see the battle.”
And Eliab, his eldest brother, hears when he speaks to the men, and the anger of Eliab burns against David, and he says, “Why [is] this—[that] you have come down? And to whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I have known your pride, and the evil of your heart—for you have come down to see the battle.”
29 David said, “What have I done now? Was it not just a question?”
And David says, “What have I done now? Is it not a word?”
30 He turned away from him toward another, and spoke in the same way. The people answered the same thing as before.
And he turns around from him to another, and says according to this word, and the people return him word as the first word.
31 When the words that David said were heard, soldiers repeated them to Saul, and he sent for David.
And the words which David has spoken are heard, and they declare [them] before Saul, and he receives him;
32 Then David said to Saul, “Let no man's heart fail because of that Philistine; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”
and David says to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fall because of him, your servant goes, and has fought with this Philistine.”
33 Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are only a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”
And Saul says to David, “You are not able to go to this Philistine, to fight with him, for you [are] a youth, and he [has been] a man of war from his youth.”
34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock,
And David says to Saul, “Your servant has been a shepherd among the sheep for his father, and the lion has come—and the bear—and has taken away a sheep out of the drove,
35 I chased after him and attacked him, and rescued it out of his mouth. When he rose up against me, I caught him by his beard, struck him, and killed him.
and I have gone out after him, and struck him, and delivered [it] out of his mouth, and he rises against me, and I have taken hold on his beard, and struck him, and put him to death.
36 Your servant has killed both a lion and a bear. This uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has challenged the armies of the living God.”
Your servant has struck both the lion and the bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine has been as one of them, for he has reproached the ranks of the living God.”
37 David said, “Yahweh rescued me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear. He will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Then Saul said to David, “Go, and may Yahweh be with you.”
And David says, “YHWH, who delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, He delivers me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul says to David, “Go, and YHWH is with you.”
38 Saul clothed David with his armor. He put a helmet of bronze upon his head, and he clothed him with a coat of chainmail.
And Saul clothes David with his long robe, and has put a helmet of bronze on his head, and clothes him with a coat of mail.
39 David strapped his sword on his armor. But he was not able to walk, because he had not trained with them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot go out to fight with these, for I have not trained with them.” So David put them off.
And David girded his sword above his long robe, and begins to go, for he has not tried [it]; and David says to Saul, “I am not able to go with these, for I had not tried”; and David turns them aside from off him.
40 He took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones out of the brook; he put them in his shepherd's pouch. His sling was in his hand as he approached the Philistine.
And he takes his staff in his hand, and chooses five smooth stones for himself from the brook, and puts them in the shepherds’ vessel that he has, even in the leather pouch, and his sling [is] in his hand, and he draws near to the Philistine.
41 The Philistine came and approached David, with his shield bearer in front of him.
And the Philistine goes on, going and drawing near to David, and the man carrying the buckler [is] before him,
42 When the Philistine looked around and saw David, he despised him, for he was only a boy, and ruddy, with a handsome appearance.
and the Philistine looks attentively, and sees David, and despises him, for he was a youth, and ruddy, with a handsome appearance.
43 Then the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?,” and the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
And the Philistine says to David, “Am I a dog that you are coming to me with sticks?” And the Philistine reviles David by his gods,
44 The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the heavens and to the beasts of the field.”
and the Philistine says to David, “Come to me, and I give your flesh to the bird of the heavens, and to the beast of the field.”
45 David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin. But I come to you in the name of Yahweh of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
And David says to the Philistine, “You are coming to me with sword, and with spear, and with buckler, and I am coming to you in the Name of YHWH of Hosts, God of the ranks of Israel, which you have reproached!
46 Today Yahweh will give me victory over you, and I will kill you and remove your head from your body. Today I will give the dead bodies of the Philistine army to the birds of the heavens and to the wild beasts of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,
This day YHWH shuts you up into my hand—and I have struck you, and turned aside your head from off you, and given the carcass of the camp of the Philistines this day to the bird of the heavens, and to the beast of the earth, and all the earth knows that God is for Israel!
47 and that all this gathering may know that Yahweh does not give victory with sword or spear. For the battle is Yahweh's, and he will give you into our hand.”
And all this assembly knows that YHWH does not save by sword and by spear, for the battle [is] YHWH’s, and He has given you into our hand.”
48 When the Philistine rose and approached David, then David ran quickly toward the enemy army to meet him.
And it has come to pass, that the Philistine has risen, and goes, and draws near to meet David, and David hurries and runs to the rank to meet the Philistine,
49 David put his hand in his bag, took a stone from it, slung it, and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank into the Philistine's forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.
and David puts forth his hand into the vessel, and takes a stone from there, and slings, and strikes the Philistine on his forehead, and the stone sinks into his forehead, and he falls on his face to the earth.
50 David defeated the Philistine with a sling and with a stone. He hit the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in David's hand.
And David is stronger than the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and strikes the Philistine, and puts him to death, and there is no sword in the hand of David,
51 Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword, drew it out of the sheath, killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their strong man was dead, they fled.
and David runs and stands over the Philistine, and takes his sword, and draws it out of its sheath, and puts him to death, and cuts off his head with it; and the Philistines see that their hero [is] dead, and flee.
52 Then the men of Israel and of Judah rose with a shout, and chased after the Philistines as far as the valley and the gates of Ekron. The dead Philistines lay along the way to Shaaraim, all the way to Gath and Ekron.
And the men of Israel rise—also Judah—and shout, and pursue the Philistines until you enter the valley, and to the gates of Ekron, and the wounded of the Philistines fall in the way of Shaaraim, even to Gath, and to Ekron,
53 The people of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their camp.
and the sons of Israel return from burning after the Philistines, and spoil their camps.
54 David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent.
And David takes the head of the Philistine, and brings it to Jerusalem, and he has put his weapons in his own tent.
55 When Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the captain of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?” Abner said, “As you live, king, I do not know.”
And when Saul sees David going out to meet the Philistine, he has said to Abner, head of the host, “Whose son [is] this—the youth, Abner?” And Abner says, “Your soul lives, O king, I have not known.”
56 The king said, “Ask those who might know, whose son the boy is.”
And the king says, “Ask whose son this [is]—the young man.”
57 When David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.
And when David turns back from striking the Philistine, then Abner takes him and brings him in before Saul, and the head of the Philistine [is] in his hand;
58 Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”
and Saul says to him, “Whose son [are] you, O youth?” And David says, “Son of your servant Jesse, the Beth-Lehemite.”

< 1 Samuel 17 >