1 Samuel 17:1-30 ▼

1 And the Philistines gathered together their camps for the battle, and they were gathered together at Sochoh which is to Judah, and they encamped between Sochoh and between Azekah in Ephes-dammim.

2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and they encamped in the Valley of Elah and arrayed for battle against the Philistines.

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

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

5 And a helmet of brass was on his head, and with a coat of mail he was clothed, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze.

6 And a frontlet of bronze was on his legs, and a javelin of bronze between his shoulders.

7 And the staff of his spear was like a beam of weavers, and the flame of his spear was six hundred shekels of iron. And the bearer of the buckler went before his face.

8 And he stood and cried out to the ranks of Israel and said to them, “Why have you? come out to draw up lines for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you? the servants of Saul? Choose for yourselves a man, and let him come down to me.

9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will become your? servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you? will become our servants and serve us.”

10 And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day! Give to me a man, that we may fight together.”

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

12 And David was the son of this Ephrathite man from Bethlehem in Judah, and his name was Jesse. And were to him eight sons among men. In the days of Saul he had become aged among men.

13 And the three oldest the sons of Jesse had gone to follow after Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and his second Abinadab, and the third Shammah.

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

15 And David went and returned from Saul to feed the flock of his father in Bethlehem.

16 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and he stationed himself forty days.

17 And Jesse said to David his son, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this roasted grain, and these ten loaves of bread, and run to the camp to your brothers.

18 And these ten cuttings of the cheese carry to the captain of the thousand, and your brothers inspect for welfare, and bring back their pledge.”

19 And Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

20 And David rose early in the morning, and left the flock with a keeper, and loaded up, and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the camp and to the force going out to the fight and shouting for the battle.

21 And Israel and the Philistines had arrayed rank against rank.

22 And David left his supplies in the hand of the keeper of the goods, and he ran into the rank, and came and asked his brothers of welfare.

23 And as he talked with them, behold, a man, the champion, was coming up, by the name of Goliath the Philistine of Gath, from the armies of the Philistines. And he spoke these words, and David heard.

24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were greatly afraid.

25 And the men of Israel said, “Have you? seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And it shall come to pass that the man who kills him, the king will enrich with great riches, and his daughter will give to him, and the house of his father he will make free in Israel.”

26 And David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from upon Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the ranks of the living God?”

27 And the people answered him in this manner, saying, “So shall it be done for the man who kills him.”

28 And Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men, and the anger of Eliab was kindled against David, and he said, “Why is this that you came down, and with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for in order you have come down to see the battle.”

29 And David said, “What have I done now? Was it not a word?”

30 And he turned from him toward another front, and he spoke this word, and the people answered him a word as the first word.