Christian Standard Bible

New Living Translation

1The Philistines gathered their forces for war at Socoh in Judah and camped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim.

1The Philistines now mustered their army for battle and camped between Socoh in Judah and Azekah at Ephes-dammim.

2Saul and the men of Israel gathered and camped in the Valley of Elah; then they lined up in battle formation to face the Philistines.

2Saul countered by gathering his Israelite troops near the valley of Elah.

3The Philistines were standing on one hill, and the Israelites were standing on another hill with a ravine between them.

3So the Philistines and Israelites faced each other on opposite hills, with the valley between them.

4Then a champion named Goliath, from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was nine feet, nine inches tall

4Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was over nine feet tall!

5and wore a bronze helmet and bronze scale armor that weighed one hundred twenty-five pounds.

5He wore a bronze helmet, and his bronze coat of mail weighed 125 pounds.

6There was bronze armor on his shins, and a bronze javelin was slung between his shoulders.

6He also wore bronze leg armor, and he carried a bronze javelin on his shoulder.

7His spear shaft was like a weaver's beam, and the iron point of his spear weighed fifteen pounds. In addition, a shield-bearer was walking in front of him.

7The shaft of his spear was as heavy and thick as a weaver’s beam, tipped with an iron spearhead that weighed 15 pounds. His armor bearer walked ahead of him carrying a shield.

8He stood and shouted to the Israelite battle formations: "Why do you come out to line up in battle formation?" He asked them, "Am I not a Philistine and are you not servants of Saul? Choose one of your men and have him come down against me.

8Goliath stood and shouted a taunt across to the Israelites. “Why are you all coming out to fight?” he called. “I am the Philistine champion, but you are only the servants of Saul. Choose one man to come down here and fight me!

9If he wins in a fight against me and kills me, we will be your servants. But if I win against him and kill him, then you will be our servants and serve us."

9If he kills me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our slaves!

10Then the Philistine said, "I defy the ranks of Israel today. Send me a man so we can fight each other!"

10I defy the armies of Israel today! Send me a man who will fight me!”

11When Saul and all Israel heard these words from the Philistine, they lost their courage and were terrified.

11When Saul and the Israelites heard this, they were terrified and deeply shaken. Jesse Sends David to Saul’s Camp

12Now David was the son of the Ephrathite from Bethlehem of Judah named Jesse. Jesse had eight sons and during Saul's reign was already an old man.

12Now David was the son of a man named Jesse, an Ephrathite from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. Jesse was an old man at that time, and he had eight sons.

13Jesse's three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war, and their names were Eliab, the firstborn, Abinadab, the next, and Shammah, the third,

13Jesse’s three oldest sons—Eliab, Abinadab, and Shimea —had already joined Saul’s army to fight the Philistines.

14and David was the youngest. The three oldest had followed Saul,

14David was the youngest son. David’s three oldest brothers stayed with Saul’s army,

15but David kept going back and forth from Saul to tend his father's flock in Bethlehem.

15but David went back and forth so he could help his father with the sheep in Bethlehem.

16Every morning and evening for forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand.

16For forty days, every morning and evening, the Philistine champion strutted in front of the Israelite army.

17One day Jesse had told his son David: "Take this half-bushel of roasted grain along with these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp.

17One day Jesse said to David, “Take this basket of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread, and carry them quickly to your brothers.

18Also take these ten portions of cheese to the field commander. Check on the well-being of your brothers and bring a confirmation from them.

18And give these ten cuts of cheese to their captain. See how your brothers are getting along, and bring back a report on how they are doing. ”

19They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah fighting with the Philistines."

19David’s brothers were with Saul and the Israelite army at the valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.

20So David got up early in the morning, left the flock with someone to keep it, loaded up, and set out as Jesse had charged him. He arrived at the perimeter of the camp as the army was marching out to its battle formation shouting their battle cry.

20So David left the sheep with another shepherd and set out early the next morning with the gifts, as Jesse had directed him. He arrived at the camp just as the Israelite army was leaving for the battlefield with shouts and battle cries.

21Israel and the Philistines lined up in battle formation facing each other.

21Soon the Israelite and Philistine forces stood facing each other, army against army.

22David left his supplies in the care of the quartermaster and ran to the battle line. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were.

22David left his things with the keeper of supplies and hurried out to the ranks to greet his brothers.

23While he was speaking with them, suddenly the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, came forward from the Philistine battle line and shouted his usual words, which David heard.

23As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, came out from the Philistine ranks. Then David heard him shout his usual taunt to the army of Israel.

24When all the Israelite men saw Goliath, they retreated from him terrified.

24As soon as the Israelite army saw him, they began to run away in fright.

25Previously, an Israelite man had declared: "Do you see this man who keeps coming out? He comes to defy Israel. The king will make the man who kills him very rich and will give him his daughter. The king will also make the family of that man's father exempt from paying taxes in Israel."

25“Have you seen the giant?” the men asked. “He comes out each day to defy Israel. The king has offered a huge reward to anyone who kills him. He will give that man one of his daughters for a wife, and the man’s entire family will be exempted from paying taxes!”

26David spoke to the men who were standing with him: "What will be done for the man who kills that Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?"

26David asked the soldiers standing nearby, “What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his defiance of Israel? Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?”

27The troops told him about the offer, concluding, "That is what will be done for the man who kills him."

27And these men gave David the same reply. They said, “Yes, that is the reward for killing him.”

28David's oldest brother Eliab listened as he spoke to the men, and he became angry with him. "Why did you come down here?" he asked. "Who did you leave those few sheep with in the wilderness? I know your arrogance and your evil heart--you came down to see the battle!"

28But when David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was angry. “What are you doing around here anyway?” he demanded. “What about those few sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and deceit. You just want to see the battle!”

29"What have I done now?" protested David. "It was just a question."

29“What have I done now?” David replied. “I was only asking a question!”

30Then he turned from those beside him to others in front of him and asked about the offer. The people gave him the same answer as before.

30He walked over to some others and asked them the same thing and received the same answer.

31What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, so he had David brought to him.

31Then David’s question was reported to King Saul, and the king sent for him. David Kills Goliath

32David said to Saul, "Don't let anyone be discouraged by him; your servant will go and fight this Philistine!"

32“Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!”

33But Saul replied, "You can't go fight this Philistine. You're just a youth, and he's been a warrior since he was young."

33“Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.”

34David answered Saul: "Your servant has been tending his father's sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock,

34But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock,

35I went after it, struck it down, and rescued the lamb from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur, strike it down, and kill it.

35I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death.

36Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God."

36I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God!

37Then David said, "The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and may the LORD be with you."

37The LORD who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the LORD be with you!”

38Then Saul had his own military clothes put on David. He put a bronze helmet on David's head and had him put on armor.

38Then Saul gave David his own armor—a bronze helmet and a coat of mail.

39David strapped his sword on over the military clothes and tried to walk, but he was not used to them. "I can't walk in these," David said to Saul, "I'm not used to them." So David took them off.

39David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before. “I can’t go in these,” he protested to Saul. “I’m not used to them.” So David took them off again.

40Instead, he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in the pouch, in his shepherd's bag. Then, with his sling in his hand, he approached the Philistine.

40He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine.

41The Philistine came closer and closer to David, with the shield-bearer in front of him.

41Goliath walked out toward David with his shield bearer ahead of him,

42When the Philistine looked and saw David, he despised him because he was just a youth, healthy and handsome.

42sneering in contempt at this ruddy-faced boy.

43He said to David, "Am I a dog that you come against me with sticks?" Then he cursed David by his gods.

43“Am I a dog,” he roared at David, “that you come at me with a stick?” And he cursed David by the names of his gods.

44"Come here," the Philistine called to David, "and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts!"

44“Come over here, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!” Goliath yelled.

45David said to the Philistine: "You come against me with a sword, spear, and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of Armies, the God of the ranks of Israel--you have defied him.

45David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

46Today, the LORD will hand you over to me. Today, I'll strike you down, remove your head, and give the corpses of the Philistine camp to the birds of the sky and the wild creatures of the earth. Then all the world will know that Israel has a God,

46Today the LORD will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel!

47and this whole assembly will know that it is not by sword or by spear that the LORD saves, for the battle is the LORD's. He will hand you over to us."

47And everyone assembled here will know that the LORD rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the LORD’s battle, and he will give you to us!”

48When the Philistine started forward to attack him, David ran quickly to the battle line to meet the Philistine.

48As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him.

49David put his hand in the bag, took out a stone, slung it, and hit the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown to the ground.

49Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground.

50David defeated the Philistine with a sling and a stone. David overpowered the Philistine and killed him without having a sword.

50So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword.

51David ran and stood over him. He grabbed the Philistine's sword, pulled it from its sheath, and used it to kill him. Then he cut off his head. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they fled.

51Then David ran over and pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath. David used it to kill him and cut off his head. Israel Routs the Philistines When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they turned and ran.

52The men of Israel and Judah rallied, shouting their battle cry, and chased the Philistines to the entrance of the valley and to the gates of Ekron. Philistine bodies were strewn all along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron.

52Then the men of Israel and Judah gave a great shout of triumph and rushed after the Philistines, chasing them as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron. The bodies of the dead and wounded Philistines were strewn all along the road from Shaaraim, as far as Gath and Ekron.

53When the Israelites returned from the pursuit of the Philistines, they plundered their camps.

53Then the Israelite army returned and plundered the deserted Philistine camp.

54David took Goliath's head and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put Goliath's weapons in his own tent.

54(David took the Philistine’s head to Jerusalem, but he stored the man’s armor in his own tent.)

55When Saul had seen David going out to confront the Philistine, he asked Abner the commander of the army, "Whose son is this youth, Abner?" "Your Majesty, as surely as you live, I don't know," Abner replied.

55As Saul watched David go out to fight the Philistine, he asked Abner, the commander of his army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?” “I really don’t know,” Abner declared.

56The king said, "Find out whose son this young man is!"

56“Well, find out who he is!” the king told him.

57When David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the Philistine's head still in his hand.

57As soon as David returned from killing Goliath, Abner brought him to Saul with the Philistine’s head still in his hand.

58Saul said to him, "Whose son are you, young man?" "The son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem," David answered.

58“Tell me about your father, young man,” Saul said. And David replied, “His name is Jesse, and we live in Bethlehem.”

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.