Now athe Philistines gathered
their armies
for battle
; and they were gathered
at Socoh
which
belongs to Judah
, and they camped
between
bSocoh
and cAzekah
, in dEphes-dammim
.
Saul and the men
of Israel
were gathered
and camped
in athe valley
of Elah
, and drew
up in battle
array to encounter
the Philistines
.
The Philistines stood
on the mountain
on one
side
while Israel
stood
on the mountain
on the other
side
, with the valley
between
them.
Then a champion came
out from the armies
of the Philistines
named
aGoliath
, from bGath
, whose height
was six
1cubits
and a span
.
He had a bronze helmet
on his head
, and he was clothed
with scale-armor
1which weighed
five
thousand
shekels
of bronze
.
He also had bronze 1greaves
on his legs
and a abronze
javelin
slung between
his shoulders
.
aThe shaft of his spear
was like a weaver's
beam
, and the head
of his spear
weighed six
hundred
shekels
of iron
; bhis shield-carrier
also walked
before
him.
He stood and shouted
to the ranks
of Israel
and said
to them, "Why
do you come
out to draw
up in battle
array? Am I not the Philistine
and you aservants
of Saul
? Choose
a man
for yourselves and let him come
down
to me.
" aIf he is able
to fight
with me and 1kill
me, then we will become
your servants
; but if
I prevail
against him and 1kill
him, then you shall become
our servants
and serve
us."
Again the Philistine said
, " aI defy
the ranks
of Israel
this
day
; give
me a man
that we may fight
together
."
When Saul and all
Israel
heard
these
words
of the Philistine
, they were dismayed
and greatly
afraid
.
Now David was athe son
of 1the bEphrathite
of Bethlehem
in Judah
, whose name
was Jesse
, and che had eight
sons
. And 2Jesse was old
in the days
of Saul
, advanced
in years among men
.
The three older
sons
of Jesse
had 1gone
after
Saul
to the battle
. And athe names
of his three
sons
who
went
to the battle
were Eliab
the firstborn
, and the second
to him Abinadab
, and the third
Shammah
.
aDavid was the youngest
. Now the three
oldest
followed
Saul
,
abut David went
back
and forth from Saul
bto tend
his father's
flock
at Bethlehem
.
The Philistine came
1forward
morning
and evening
for forty
days
and took
his stand
.
Then Jesse said
to David
his son
, " aTake
now
for your brothers
an ephah
of this
roasted
grain
and these
ten
loaves
and run
to the camp
to your brothers
.
" aBring also these
ten
cuts
of cheese
to the commander
of their thousand
, band look
into the welfare
of your brothers
, and bring
back 1news
of them.
"For Saul and they and all
the men
of Israel
are in the valley
of Elah
, fighting
with the Philistines
."
So David arose
early
in the morning
and left
the flock
with a keeper
and took
the supplies and went
as Jesse
had commanded
him. And he came
to the acircle
of the camp
while the army
was going
out in battle
array
shouting
the war
cry
.
Israel and the Philistines
drew
up in battle
array, army
against
army
.
Then David left
his abaggage
in the 1care
of the baggage
keeper
, and ran
to the battle
line
and entered
in order to greet
his brothers
.
As he was talking with them, behold
, the champion
, the Philistine
from Gath
named
Goliath
, was coming
up from the army
of the Philistines
, and he spoke
athese
same
words
; and David
heard
them.
When all the men
of Israel
saw
the man
, they fled
from him and were greatly
afraid
.
The men of Israel
said
, "Have you seen
this
man
who is coming
up? Surely
he is coming
up to defy
Israel
. And it will be that the king
will enrich
the man
who
kills
him with great
riches
and awill give
him his daughter
and make
his father's
house
1free
in Israel
."
Then David spoke
to the men
who were standing
by him, saying
, "What
will be done
for the man
who
kills
this
Philistine
and takes
away
athe reproach
from Israel
? For who
is this
buncircumcised
Philistine
, that he should ctaunt
the armies
of dthe living
God
?"
The people 1answered
him in accord with this
word
, saying
, " aThus
it will be done
for the man
who
kills
him."
Now Eliab his oldest
brother
heard
when he spoke
to the men
; and aEliab's
anger
burned
against David
and he said
, "Why
have you come
down
? And with whom
have you left
those
few
sheep
in the wilderness
? I know
your insolence
and the wickedness
of your heart
; for you have come
down
in order
to see
the battle
."
But David said
, "What
have I done
now
? Was it not just a 1question
?"
Then he turned 1away
from him to another
and asaid
the same
thing
; and the people
answered
the same
thing
as 2before
.
When the words which
David
spoke
were heard
, they told
them 1to Saul
, and he sent
for him.
David said
to Saul
, " aLet no
man's
heart
fail
on account
of him; byour servant
will go
and fight
with this
Philistine
."
Then Saul said
to David
, " aYou are not able
to go
against
this
Philistine
to fight
with him; for you are but a youth
while he has been a warrior
from his youth
."
But David said
to Saul
, "Your servant
was tending
his father's
sheep
. When a lion
or a bear
came
and took
a lamb
from the flock
,
I went out after
him and 1attacked
him, and arescued
it from his mouth
; and when he rose
up against
me, I seized
him by his beard
and 1struck
him and killed
him.
"Your servant has 1killed
both
the lion
and the bear
; and this
uncircumcised
Philistine
will be like one
of them, since
he has taunted
the armies
of the living
God
."
And David said
, " aThe LORD
who
delivered
me from the paw
of the lion
and from the paw
of the bear
, He will deliver
me from the hand
of this
Philistine
." And Saul
said
to David
, " bGo
, and may the LORD
be with you."
Then Saul clothed
David
with his garments
and put
a bronze
helmet
on his head
, and he clothed
him with armor
.
David girded
his sword
over
his armor
and tried
to walk
, for he had not tested
them. So David
said
to Saul
, "I cannot
go
with these
, for I have not tested
them." And David
took
them 1off
.
He took his stick
in his hand
and chose
for himself five
smooth
stones
from the brook
, and put
them in the shepherd's
bag
which
he had, even in his pouch
, and ahis sling
was in his hand
; and he approached
the Philistine
.
Then the Philistine came
on and approached
David
, with the shield-bearer
in front
of him.
When the Philistine looked
and saw
David
, ahe disdained
him; for he was but a youth
, and bruddy
, with a handsome
appearance
.
The Philistine said
to David
, " aAm I a dog
, that you come
to me with sticks
?" And bthe Philistine
cursed
David
by his gods
.
The Philistine also said
to David
, "Come
to me, and I will give
your flesh
ato the birds
of the sky
and the beasts
of the field
."
Then David said
to the Philistine
, "You come
to me with a sword
, a spear
, and a javelin
, abut I come
to you in the name
of the LORD
of hosts
, the God
of the armies
of Israel
, whom
you have taunted
.
"This day
the LORD
will deliver
you up into my hands
, and I will strike
you down
and remove
your head
from you. And I will give
the adead
bodies
of the army
of the Philistines
this
day
to the birds
of the sky
and the wild
beasts
of the earth
, bthat all
the earth
may know
that there
is a God
in Israel
,
and that all this
assembly
may know
that athe LORD
does not deliver
by sword
or by spear
; bfor the battle
is the LORD'S
and He will give
you into our hands
."
Then it happened when
the Philistine
rose
and came
and drew
near
to meet
David
, that aDavid
ran
quickly
toward the battle
line
to meet
the Philistine
.
And David put
his hand
into his bag
and took
from it a stone
and slung
it, and struck
the Philistine
on his forehead
. And the stone
sank
into his forehead
, so that he fell
on his face
to the ground
.
Thus David prevailed
over
the Philistine
with a sling
and a stone
, and he struck
the Philistine
and killed
him; but there
was no
sword
in David's
hand
.
Then David ran
and stood
over
the Philistine
and atook
his sword
and drew
it out of its sheath
and killed
him, and cut
off
his head
with it. bWhen the Philistines
saw
that their champion
was dead
, they fled
.
The men of Israel
and Judah
arose
and shouted
and pursued
the Philistines
1as far
as the valley
, and to the gates
of aEkron
. And the slain
Philistines
2lay
along the way
to bShaaraim
, even to Gath
and Ekron
.
The sons of Israel
returned
from chasing
the Philistines
and plundered
their camps
.
Then David took
the Philistine's
head
and brought
it to Jerusalem
, but he put
his weapons
in his tent
.
Now when Saul saw
David
going
out against
the Philistine
, he said
to Abner
the commander
of the army
, "Abner
, whose
son
is athis
young
man
?" And Abner
said
, "By your life
, O king
, I do not know
."
The king said
, "You inquire
whose
son
the youth
is."
So when David returned
from killing
the Philistine
, Abner
took
him and abrought
him before
Saul
with the Philistine's
head
in his hand
.
Saul said
to him, "Whose
son
are you, young
man
?" And David
answered
, " aI am the son
of your servant
Jesse
the Bethlehemite
."