1 Samuel 17:12–31

¹²David was a son of a man named Jesse from the region of Ephrath and the city of Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and in Saul’s day he was an old man.^b13Jesse’s three oldest sons joined Saul’s army for the battle. The firstborn was Eliab, the second was Abinadab, the third was Shammah, ¹⁴and David was the youngest. The three oldest joined Saul’s army. ¹⁵David went back and forth from Saul’s camp to Bethlehem, where he tended his father’s flock. 

¹⁶Each morning and evening for 40 days, the Philistine came forward and made his challenge. 

¹⁷Jesse told his son David, “Take this half-bushel of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread to your brothers. Take them to your brothers in the camp right away. ¹⁸And take these ten cheeses to the captain of the regiment. See how your brothers are doing, and bring back some news about them. ¹⁹They, along with Saul and all the soldiers of Israel, are in the Elah Valley fighting the Philistines.” 

²⁰David got up early in the morning and had someone else watch ⸤the sheep⸥. He took ⸤the food⸥ and went, as Jesse ordered him. He went to the camp as the army was going out to the battle line shouting their war cry. ²¹Israel and the Philistines formed their battle lines facing each other. ²²David left the supplies behind in the hands of the quartermaster, ran to the battle line, and greeted his brothers. ²³While he was talking to them, the Philistine champion, Goliath from Gath, came from the battle lines of the Philistines. He repeated his words, and David heard them. ²⁴When all the men of Israel saw Goliath, they fled from him because they were terrified. ²⁵The men of Israel said, “Did you see that man coming ⸤from the Philistine lines⸥? He keeps coming to challenge Israel. The king will make the man who kills this Philistine very rich. He will give his daughter to that man to marry and elevate the social status of his family.” 

²⁶David asked the men who were standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and gets rid of Israel’s disgrace? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should challenge the army of the living God?” 

²⁷The soldiers repeated ⸤to David⸥ how the man who kills Goliath would be treated. 

²⁸Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard David talking to the men. Then Eliab became angry with David. “Why did you come here,” he asked him, “and with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how overconfident and headstrong you are. You came here just to see the battle.” 

²⁹“What have I done now?” David snapped at him. “Didn’t I ⸤merely⸥ ask a question?” ³⁰He turned to face another man and asked the same question, and the other soldiers gave him the same answer. 

³¹What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, who then sent for him.