1 Now A1 Sam 13:5the Philistines gathered their armies for battle; and they were gathered at Socoh which belongs to Judah, and they camped between BJosh 15:35; 2 Chr 28:18Socoh and CJosh 10:10Azekah, in D1 Chr 11:13Ephes-dammim. 2 Saul and the men of Israel were gathered and camped in A1 Sam 21:9the valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array to encounter the Philistines. 3 The Philistines stood on the mountain on one side while Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them. 4 Then a champion came out from the armies of the Philistines named A2 Sam 21:19Goliath, from BJosh 11:22Gath, whose height was six 1I.e. One cubit equals approx 18 in.cubits and a span. 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was clothed with scale-armor 1Lit and the weight of the armor waswhich weighed five thousand shekels of bronze. 6 He also had bronze 1Or shin guardsgreaves on his legs and a A1 Sam 17:45bronze javelin slung between his shoulders. 7 A2 Sam 21:19; 1 Chr 11:23The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the head of his spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron; B1 Sam 17:41his shield-carrier also walked before him. 8 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 A1 Sam 8:17servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me. 9  “A2 Sam 2:12-16If he is able to fight with me and 1Lit smitekill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and 1Lit smitekill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us.” 10 Again the Philistine said, “A1 Sam 17:26, 36, 45; 2 Sam 21:21I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man that we may fight together.” 11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

12 Now David was ARuth 4:22; 1 Sam 16:18the son of 1Lit thisthe BGen 35:19Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, whose name was Jesse, and C1 Sam 16:10, 11; 1 Chr 2:13-15he had eight sons. And 2Lit the manJesse was old in the days of Saul, advanced in years among men. 13 The three older sons of Jesse had 1Lit gone; they wentgone after Saul to the battle. And A1 Sam 16:6, 8, 9the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and the second to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14 A1 Sam 16:11David was the youngest. Now the three oldest followed Saul, 15 A1 Sam 16:21-23but David went back and forth from Saul B1 Sam 16:11, 19to tend his father’s flock at Bethlehem. 16 The Philistine came 1Lit nearforward morning and evening for forty days and took his stand.

17 Then Jesse said to David his son, “A1 Sam 25:18Take now for your brothers an ephah of this roasted grain and these ten loaves and run to the camp to your brothers. 18  “A1 Sam 16:20Bring also these ten cuts of cheese to the commander of their thousand, BGen 37:13, 14and look into the welfare of your brothers, and bring back 1Lit their pledgenews of them. 19  “For Saul and they and all the men of Israel are in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.”

20 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 A1 Sam 26:5, 7circle of the camp while the army was going out in battle array shouting the war cry. 21 Israel and the Philistines drew up in battle array, army against army. 22 Then David left his AJudg 18:21; Is 10:28baggage in the 1Lit handcare of the baggage keeper, and ran to the battle line and entered in order to greet his brothers. 23 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 A1 Sam 17:8-10these same words; and David heard them.

24 When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fled from him and were greatly afraid. 25 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 AJosh 15:16will give him his daughter and make his father’s house 1I.e. free from taxes and public servicefree in Israel.”

26 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 A1 Sam 11:2the reproach from Israel? For who is this B1 Sam 14:6; 17:36; Jer 9:25, 26uncircumcised Philistine, that he should C1 Sam 17:10taunt the armies of DDeut 5:26; 2 Kin 19:4; Jer 10:10the living God?” 27 The people 1Lit said toanswered him in accord with this word, saying, “A1 Sam 17:25Thus it will be done for the man who kills him.”

28 Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and AGen 37:4, 8-36; Prov 18:19; Matt 10:36Eliab’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.” 29 But David said, “What have I done now? Was it not just a 1Lit wordquestion?” 30 Then he turned 1Lit from beside himaway from him to another and A1 Sam 17:26, 27said the same thing; and the people answered the same thing as 2Lit the former wordbefore.

31 When the words which David spoke were heard, they told them 1Lit beforeto Saul, and he sent for him. 32 David said to Saul, “ADeut 20:1-4Let no man’s heart fail on account of him; B1 Sam 16:18your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33 Then Saul said to David, “ANum 13:31You 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.” 34 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, 35 I went out after him and 1Lit smoteattacked him, and AAmos 3:12rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and 1Lit smotestruck him and killed him. 36  “Your servant has 1Lit smittenkilled 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.” 37 And David said, “A2 Cor 1:10; 2 Tim 4:17, 18The Loʀᴅ 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, “B1 Sam 20:13; 1 Chr 22:11, 16Go, and may the Loʀᴅ be with you.” 38 Then Saul clothed David with his garments and put a bronze helmet on his head, and he clothed him with armor. 39 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 1Lit off from himselfoff. 40 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 AJudg 20:16his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.

41 Then the Philistine came on and approached David, with the shield-bearer in front of him. 42 When the Philistine looked and saw David, APs 123:4; Prov 16:18he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and B1 Sam 16:12ruddy, with a handsome appearance. 43 The Philistine said to David, “A1 Sam 24:14; 2 Sam 3:8; 2 Kin 8:13Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And B1 Kin 20:10the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 The Philistine also said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh A1 Sam 17:46to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field.” 45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, A2 Sam 22:35; 2 Chr 32:8; Ps 124:8; Heb 11:32-34but I come to you in the name of the Loʀᴅ of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. 46  “This day the Loʀᴅ will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the ADeut 28:26dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, BJosh 4:24; 1 Kin 8:43; 18:36; 2 Kin 19:19; Is 37:20that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all this assembly may know that A1 Sam 14:6; 2 Chr 14:11; 20:15; Ps 44:6; Hos 1:7; Zech 4:6the Loʀᴅ does not deliver by sword or by spear; B2 Chr 20:15for the battle is the Loʀᴅ’s and He will give you into our hands.”

48 Then it happened when the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that APs 27:3David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49 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.

50 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. 51 Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and A1 Sam 21:9; 2 Sam 23:21took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. BHeb 11:34When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 52 The men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted and pursued the Philistines 1Lit until your coming toas far as the valley, and to the gates of AJosh 15:11Ekron. And the slain Philistines 2Lit felllay along the way to BJosh 15:36Shaaraim, even to Gath and Ekron. 53 The sons of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines and plundered their camps. 54 Then David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his weapons in his tent.

55 Now when Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he said to Abner the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is A1 Sam 16:12, 21, 22this young man?” And Abner said, “By your life, O king, I do not know.” 56 The king said, “You inquire whose son the youth is.” 57 So when David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and A1 Sam 17:54brought him before Saul with the Philistine’s head in his hand. 58 Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “A1 Sam 17:12I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”