1 Samuel 17:12–31

¹²Now David was the son of the Ephrathiteⁱ from Bethlehem of Judah named Jesse. Jesse had eight sons^j and during Saul’s reign was already an old man. ¹³Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war, and their names^k were Eliab, the firstborn, Abinadab, the next, and Shammah, the third, ¹⁴and David was the youngest.^l The three oldest had followed Saul, ¹⁵but David kept going back and forth from Saul^m to tend his father’s flock in Bethlehem.

¹⁶Every morning and evening for forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand. ¹⁷One day Jesse had told his son David, “Take this half-bushel^A of roasted grain along with these ten loaves of breadⁿ for your brothers and hurry to their camp. ¹⁸Also take these ten portions of cheese to the field commander.^B Check on the well-being of your brothers^o and bring a confirmation from them. ¹⁹They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah fighting with 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^p as the army was marching out to its battle formation shouting their battle cry. ²¹Israel and the Philistines lined up in battle formation facing each other. ²²David left his supplies in the care of the quartermaster^q and ran to the battle line. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were. 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,^r which David heard. ²⁴When all the Israelite men saw Goliath, they retreated from him terrified.

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.^s The king will also make the family of that man’s father exempt from paying taxes in Israel.”^t

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?^u Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine^v that he should defy the armies^w of the living God?”^x

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

²⁸David’s oldest brother Eliab listened as he spoke to the men, and he became angry with him.^z “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!”

²⁹“What have I done now?” protested David. “It was just 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.^aa

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