1 Samuel 17:1-22 ▼

1 NOW the Philistines gathered together their armies for battle, and were massed at the border of Judah, and they encamped between the border and Arka in Epher-samin.

2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and encamped in the valley of Terebinth, and they set the army in array to fight against the Philistines.

3 And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, and the valley was between them.

4 And there went out a mighty man from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

5 And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of his coat of mail was five thousand shekels of brass.

6 And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a cuirass of mail between his shoulders.

7 And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and his shieldbearer went before him.

8 And he stood and cried to the armies of Israel, and said to them, Why have you come out to set your battle in array? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, that he may come out against me.

9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.

10 And the Philistine said, I have defied the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.

11 When Saul and all Israel heard the words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite of Beth-lehem of Judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons; and the man was old and advanced in years in the days of Saul.

13 And the three older sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle; and their names were Eliab the first-born, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.

14 And David was the youngest;

15 Now David had returned from Saul, and was gone to tend his father's sheep at Beth-lehem.

16 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself for forty days.

17 And Jesse said to David his son, Take now for your brothers an ephah of parched wheat and ten loaves of bread, and run to the camp to your brothers;

18 And carry these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand and inquire into the welfare of your brothers and bring the news of them to me.

19 Now Saul and all the men of Israel were in the valley of Terebinth fighting with the Philistines.

20 And David rose up early in the morning and left the sheep with the keeper, and took and went as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the camp in the valley which goes up to the battle array, and the army shouted for the battle.

21 Then Israel and the Philistines put themselves in battle array, army against army.

22 And David put off his provisions by the side of the baggage, and ran into the army ranks, and came and saluted his brothers.