1 Samuel 17
1 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;
The Philistine armies gathered for battle at Socoh in Judah. They set up camp between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim.
2 and Saul and the men of Israel have been gathered, and encamp by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array to meet the Philistines.
Saul and the Israelites gathered and camped in the Valley of Elah and took up their positions to engage in battle with the Philistines.
3 And the Philistines are standing on the mountain on this side, and the Israelites are standing on the mountain on that side, and the valley [is] between them.
The Philistines were on one hill and the Israelites on another with the valley between them.
4 And there goeth out a man of the duellists from the camps of the Philistines, Goliath [is] his name, from Gath; his height [is] six cubits and a span,
Then a champion came out of the Philistine camp. His name was Goliath from Gath, and he was six cubits and a span tall.
5 and a helmet of brass [is] on his head, and [with] a scaled coat of mail he [is] clothed, and the weight of the coat of mail [is] five thousand shekels of brass,
He had on his head a bronze helmet and he wore a bronze coat of mail weighing five thousand shekels.
6 and a frontlet of brass [is] on his feet, and a javelin of brass between his shoulders,
On his legs he wore bronze armor, and he carried a javelin slung between his shoulders.
7 and the wood of his spear [is] like a beam of weavers', and the flame of his spear [is] six hundred shekels of iron, and the bearer of the buckler is going before him.
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.
8 And he standeth and calleth unto the ranks of Israel, and saith to them, 'Why are ye come out to set in array the battle? [am] not I the Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose for you a man, and let him come down unto me;
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.
9 if he be able to fight with me, and have smitten me, then we have been to you for servants; and if I am able for him, and have smitten him, then ye have been to us for servants, and have served us.'
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.”
10 And the Philistine saith, 'I have reproached the ranks of Israel this day; give to me a man, and we fight together.'
Then the Philistine said, “I mock the battle lines of Israel today! Give me a man so we can fight each other!”
11 And Saul heareth — and all Israel — these words of the Philistine, and they are broken down and greatly afraid.
Saul and all the Israelite soldiers were shattered and absolutely terrified when they heard what the Philistine said.
12 And David [is] son of this Ephrathite of Beth-Lehem-Judah, whose name [is] Jesse, and he hath eight sons, and the man in the days of Saul hath become aged among men;
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.
13 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 first-born, and his second Abinadab, and the third Shammah.
Jesse's three oldest sons had joined Saul's army war. These were Eliab (the firstborn), Abinadab (second), and Shammah (third).
14 And David is the youngest, and the three eldest have gone after Saul,
David was the youngest. The three oldest were with Saul,
15 and David is going and returning from Saul, to feed the flock of his father at Beth-Lehem.
while David went to Saul and then back again to look after his father's sheep.
16 And the Philistine draweth nigh, morning and evening, and stationeth himself forty days.
Every morning and evening for forty days the Philistine came out to take his stand.
17 And Jesse saith to David his son, 'Take, I pray thee, to thy brethren, an ephah of this roasted [corn], and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren;
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.
18 and these ten cuttings of the cheese thou dost take in to the head of the thousand, and thy brethren thou dost inspect for welfare, and their pledge dost receive.'
Take these ten cheese pieces to their commander. Check carefully to see how your brothers are doing and bring back their news.”
19 And Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel [are] in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
They were with Saul and the whole Israelite army in the Valley of Elah, fighting the Philistines.
20 And David riseth early in the morning, and leaveth the flock to a keeper, and lifteth up, and goeth, as Jesse commanded him, and he cometh in to the path, and to the force which is going out unto the rank, and they have shouted for battle;
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.
21 and Israel and the Philistines set in array rank to meet rank.
The Israelites took up their battle line and the Philistines took up their battle line on the opposite side.
22 And David letteth down the goods from off him on the hand of a keeper of the goods, and runneth into the rank, and cometh and asketh of his brethren of welfare.
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.
23 And he is speaking with them, and lo, a man of the duellists is coming up, Goliath the Philistine [is] his name, of Gath, out of the ranks of the Philistines, and he speaketh according to those words, and David heareth;
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.
24 and all the men of Israel when they see the man flee from his presence, and are greatly afraid.
All the Israelite soldiers ran away when they saw him because they were terribly afraid.
25 And the men of Israel say, 'Have ye seen this man who is coming up? for, to reproach Israel he is coming up, and it hath been — the man who smiteth him, the king doth enrich him with great riches, and his daughter he doth give to him, and his father's house doth make free in Israel.'
“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.”
26 And David speaketh unto the men who are standing by him, saying, 'What is done to the man who smiteth this Philistine, and hath turned aside reproach from Israel? for who [is] this uncircumcised Philistine that he hath reproached the ranks of the living God?'
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?”
27 And the people speak to him according to this word, saying, 'Thus it is done to the man who smiteth him.'
The soldiers repeated what they had said, telling him, “This is what the man who kills him will receive.”
28 And Eliab, his eldest brother, heareth when he speaketh unto the men, and the anger of Eliab burneth against David, and he saith, 'Why [is] this — thou hast come down! and to whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I have known thy pride, and the evil of thy heart — for, to see the battle thou hast come down.'
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!”
29 And David saith, 'What have I done now? is it not a word?'
“What have I done now?” David asked. “Can't I even ask a question?”
30 And he turneth round from him unto another, and saith according to this word, and the people return him word as the first word.
He went over to some others and asked the same question, and they gave the same answer as before.
31 And the words which David hath spoken are heard, and they declare before Saul, and he receiveth him;
Someone overheard what David said and reported it to Saul who sent for him.
32 and David saith unto Saul, 'Let no man's heart fall because of him, thy servant doth go, and hath fought with this Philistine.'
David told Saul, “No one should lose heart because of this Philistine. I, your servant, will go and fight him!”
33 And Saul saith unto David, 'Thou art not able to go unto this Philistine, to fight with him, for a youth thou [art], and he a man of war from his youth.'
“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.”
34 And David saith unto Saul, 'A shepherd hath thy servant been to his father among the sheep, and the lion hath come — and the bear — and hath taken away a sheep out of the drove,
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,
35 and I have gone out after him, and smitten him, and delivered out of his mouth, and he riseth against me, and I have taken hold on his beard, and smitten him, and put him to death.
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.
36 Both the lion and the bear hath thy servant smitten, and this uncircumcised Philistine hath been as one of them, for he hath reproached the ranks of the living God.'
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.”
37 And David saith, 'Jehovah, who delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, He doth deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.' And Saul saith unto David, 'Go, and Jehovah is with thee.'
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.
38 And Saul clotheth David with his long robe, and hath put a helmet of brass on his head, and doth clothe him with a coat of mail.
Saul gave David his own battle clothes to wear, placed a bronze helmet on his head, and put armor on him.
39 And David girded his sword above his long robe, and beginneth to go, for he hath not tried [it]; and David saith unto Saul, 'I am not able to go with these, for I had not tried;' and David turneth them aside from off him.
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.
40 And he taketh his staff in his hand, and chooseth for him five smooth stones from the brook, and putteth them in the shepherds' habiliments that he hath, even in the scrip, and his sling [is] in his hand, and he draweth nigh unto the Philistine.
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.
41 And the Philistine goeth on, going and drawing near unto David, and the man bearing the buckler [is] before him,
The Philistine came towards David, closer and closer, with his shield-bearer in front of him.
42 and the Philistine looketh attentively, and seeth David, and despiseth him, for he was a youth, and ruddy, with a fair appearance.
When the Philistine looked closely he could see that David was just a red-faced handsome youth, and so he treated David with contempt.
43 And the Philistine saith unto David, 'Am I a dog that thou art coming unto me with staves?' and the Philistine revileth David by his gods,
“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.
44 and the Philistine saith unto David, 'Come unto me, and I give thy flesh to the fowl of the heavens, and to the beast of the field.'
Then the Philistine shouted at David, “Come over here, and I'll feed your flesh to the birds and the wild animals.”
45 And David saith unto the Philistine, 'Thou art coming unto me with sword, and with spear, and with buckler, and I am coming unto thee in the name of Jehovah of Hosts, God of the ranks of Israel, which thou hast reproached.
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.
46 This day doth Jehovah shut thee up into my hand — and I have smitten thee, and turned aside thy head from off thee, and given the carcase of the camp of the Philistines this day to the fowl of the heavens, and to the beast of the earth, and all the earth do know that God is for Israel.
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.
47 and all this assembly do know that not by sword and by spear doth Jehovah save, that the battle [is] Jehovah's, and He hath given you into our hand.'
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.”
48 And it hath come to pass, that the Philistine hath risen, and goeth, and draweth near to meet David, and David hasteth and runneth to the rank to meet the Philistine,
As the Philistine moved forward to attack him, David raced toward the battle line to confront him.
49 and David putteth forth his hand unto the vessel, and taketh thence a stone, and slingeth, and smiteth the Philistine on his forehead, and the stone sinketh into his forehead, and he falleth on his face to the earth.
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.
50 And David is stronger than the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smiteth the Philistine, and putteth him to death, and there is no sword in the hand of David,
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.
51 and David runneth and standeth over the Philistine, and taketh his sword, and draweth it out of its sheath, and putteth him to death, and cutteth off with it his head; and the Philistines see that their hero [is] dead, and flee.
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.
52 And the men of Israel rise — also Judah — and shout, and pursue the Philistines till thou enter the valley, and unto the gates of Ekron, and the wounded of the Philistines fall in the way of Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron,
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.
53 and the sons of Israel turn back from burning after the Philistines, and spoil their camps.
When the Israelites returned from their hot pursuit of the Philistines, they plundered their camps.
54 And David taketh the head of the Philistine, and bringeth it in to Jerusalem, and his weapons he hath put in his own tent.
David took the Philistine's head and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put the Philistine's weapons in his own tent.
55 And when Saul seeth David going out to meet the Philistine, he hath said unto Abner, head of the host, 'Whose son [is] this — the youth, Abner?' and Abner saith, 'Thy soul liveth, O king, I have not known.'
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.
56 And the king saith, 'Ask thou whose son this [is] — the young man.'
“Find out whose son this young man is,” the king ordered.
57 And when David turneth back from smiting the Philistine, then Abner taketh him and bringeth him in before Saul, and the head of the Philistine in his hand;
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.
58 and Saul saith unto him, 'Whose son [art] thou, O youth?' and David saith, 'Son of thy servant Jesse, the Beth-Lehemite.'
“Whose son are you, young man?” Saul asked. “I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem,” David replied.
