1 Samuel 17

1 Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war at Socoh in Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim.

1 Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle; and they were gathered together at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephesdammim.

2 Saul and the men of Israel assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah, arraying themselves for battle against the Philistines.

2 Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and encamped in the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.

3 The Philistines stood on one hill and the Israelites stood on another, with the valley between them.

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

4 Then a champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was six cubits and a span in height,

4 A champion out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span went out.

5 and he had a bronze helmet on his head. He wore a bronze coat of mail weighing five thousand shekels,

5 He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he wore a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze.

6 and he had armor of bronze on his legs and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders.

6 He had bronze shin armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders.

7 The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. In addition, his shield bearer went before him.

7 The staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. His shield bearer went before him.

8 And Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and array yourselves for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose one of your men and have him come down against me.

8 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 servants to Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.

9 If he is able to fight 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 work for us.”

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

10 Then the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day! Give me a man to fight!”

10 The Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel today! Give me a man, that we may fight together!”

11 On hearing the words of the Philistine, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and greatly afraid.

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

12 Now David was the son of a man named Jesse, an Ephrathite from Bethlehem of Judah who had eight sons. And in the days of Saul, Jesse was old and well along in years.

12 Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons. The man was an elderly old man in the days of Saul.

13 The three older sons of Jesse had followed Saul into battle: The firstborn was Eliab, the second was Abinadab, and the third was Shammah.

13 The three oldest sons of Jesse had gone after Saul to the battle; and the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.

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

14 David was the youngest; and the three oldest followed Saul.

15 but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep in Bethlehem.

15 Now David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.

16 For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening to take his stand.

16 The Philistine came near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.

17 One day Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp.

17 Jesse said to David his son, “Now take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers;

18 Take also these ten portions of cheese to the commander of their unit. Check on the welfare of your brothers and bring back an assurance from them.

18 and bring these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand; and see how your brothers are doing, and bring back news.”

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

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

20 So David got up early in the morning, left the flock with a keeper, loaded up, and set out as Jesse had instructed him. He reached the camp as the army was marching out to its position and shouting the battle cry.

20 David rose up early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper, and took the provisions and went, as Jesse had commanded him. He came to the place of the wagons as the army which was going out to the fight shouted for the battle.

21 And Israel and the Philistines arrayed in formation against each other.

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

22 Then David 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 doing.

22 David left his baggage in the hand of the keeper of the baggage and ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers.

23 And as he was speaking with them, suddenly the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, came forward from the ranks of the Philistines and shouted his usual words, which David also heard.

23 As he talked with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines, and said the same words; and David heard them.

24 When all the men of Israel saw Goliath, they fled from him in great fear.

24 All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were terrified.

25 Now the men of Israel had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out to defy Israel? To the man who kills him the king will give great riches. And he will give him his daughter in marriage and exempt his father’s house from taxation in Israel.”

25 The men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? He has surely come up to defy Israel. The king will give great riches to the man who kills him, and will give him his daughter, and will make his father’s house tax-free in Israel.”

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

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

27 The people told him about the offer, saying, “That is what will be done for the man who kills him.”

27 The people answered him in this way, saying, “So shall it be done to the man who kills him.”

28 Now when David’s oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men, his anger burned against David. “Why have you come down here?” he asked. “And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and wickedness of heart—you have come down to see the battle!”

28 Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger burned against David, and he said, “Why have you come down? With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the evil of your heart; for you have come down that you might see the battle.”

29 “What have I done now?” said David. “Was it not just a question?”

29 David said, “What have I now done? Is there not a cause?”

30 Then he turned from him toward another and asked about the offer, and those people answered him just as the first ones had answered.

30 He turned away from him toward another, and spoke like that again; and the people answered him again the same way.

31 Now David’s words were overheard and reported to Saul, who sent for him.

31 When the words were heard which David spoke, they rehearsed them before Saul; and he sent for him.

32 And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail on account of this Philistine. Your servant will go and fight him!”

32 David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

33 But Saul replied, “You cannot go out against this Philistine to fight him. You are just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”

33 Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”

34 David replied, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep, and whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock,

34 David said to Saul, “Your servant was keeping his father’s sheep; and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock,

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

35 I went out after him, struck him, and rescued it out of his mouth. When he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, struck him, and killed him.

36 Your 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.”

36 Your servant struck both the lion and the bear. This uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.”

37 David added, “The LORD, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” “Go,” said Saul, “and may the LORD be with you.”

37 David said, “Yahweh, who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go! Yahweh will be with you.”

38 Then Saul clothed David in his own tunic, put a bronze helmet on his head, and dressed him in armor.

38 Saul dressed David with his clothing. He put a helmet of bronze on his head, and he clad him with a coat of mail.

39 David strapped his sword over the tunic and tried to walk, but he was not accustomed to them. “I cannot walk in these,” David said to Saul. “I am not accustomed to them.” So David took them off.

39 David strapped his sword on his clothing and he tried to move, for he had not tested it. David said to Saul, “I can’t go with these, for I have not tested them.” Then David took them off.

40 And David took his staff in his hand, selected five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag. And with his sling in hand, he approached the Philistine.

40 He took his staff in his hand, and chose for himself five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag which he had. His sling was in his hand; and he came near to the Philistine.

41 Now the Philistine came closer and closer to David, with his shield-bearer before him.

41 The Philistine walked and came near to David; and the man who bore the shield went before him.

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

42 When the Philistine looked around and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and had a good looking face.

43 “Am I a dog,” he said to David, “that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

43 The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” The Philistine cursed David by his gods.

44 “Come here,” he called to David, “and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”

44 The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and to the animals of the field.”

45 But David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin; but I come to you in the name of Yahweh of Armies, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand. This day I will strike you down, cut off your head, and give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the creatures of the earth. Then the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.

46 Today, Yahweh will deliver you into my hand. I will strike you and take your head from off you. I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines today to the birds of the sky and to the wild animals of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,

47 And all those assembled here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give all of you into our hands.”

47 and that all this assembly may know that Yahweh doesn’t save with sword and spear; for the battle is Yahweh’s, and he will give you into our hand.”

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

48 When the Philistine arose, and walked and came near to meet David, David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

49 Then David reached into his bag, took out a stone, and slung it, striking the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.

49 David put his hand in his bag, took a stone and slung it, and struck the Philistine in his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.

50 Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him; but there was no sword in David’s hand.

51 David ran and stood over him. He grabbed the Philistine’s sword and pulled it from its sheath and killed him, and he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran.

51 Then David ran, stood over the Philistine, took his sword, drew it out of its sheath, killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

52 Then the men of Israel and Judah charged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. And the bodies of the Philistines were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron.

52 The men of Israel and of Judah arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines as far as Gai and to the gates of Ekron. The wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath and to Ekron.

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

53 The children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they plundered their camp.

54 David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, and he put Goliath’s weapons in his own tent.

54 David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent.

55 As Saul had watched David going out to confront the Philistine, he said to Abner the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?” “As surely as you live, O king,” Abner replied, “I do not know.”

55 When Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the captain of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?” Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I can’t tell.”

56 “Find out whose son this young man is!” said the king.

56 The king said, “Inquire whose son the young man is!”

57 So when David returned from killing the Philistine, still holding his head in his hand, Abner took him and brought him before Saul.

57 As David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.

58 “Whose son are you, young man?” asked Saul. “I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem,” David replied.

58 Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, you young man?” David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”