The Philistine Champion Taunts Israel

17 The Philistines gathered their campsa for battle and they were gathered at Socoh which belongs to Judah. They camped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes Dammim. 2 Then Saul and the men of Israel were gathered and encamped in the valley of Elah, and they formed ranks for the battle to meet the Philistines. 3 The Philistines were standing on the hill on one side and the army of Israel was standing on the hill on the other side with the valley between them. 4 Then ⌊a champion⌋b went out from the camps of the Philistines, whose name was Goliath from Gath. His height was six cubits and a span.c 5 A bronze helmet was on his head, and he was clothed with scale body armor; the weight of the body armor was five thousand bronze shekels. 6 Bronze greavesd were on his legs,e and a bronze javelin was slung between his shoulders. 7 The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam and the point of his spear weighed six hundred iron shekels. ⌊His shield bearer⌋f was walking in front of him.

8 He stood and called to the battle lines of Israel and said to them, “Why have you come out to form ranks for battle? Am I not the Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Commission for yourselves a man and let him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and he defeats me, then we will be your servants; but if I prevail over him and defeat him, then you will be our servants and you will serve us.” 10 Then the Philistine said, “I hereby defy the battle lines of Israel today! Give me a man so that we may fight each other!” 11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and very afraid.

David Enters the Scene of Battle

12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite. This man was from Bethlehem of Judah, and his name was Jesse. ⌊He had⌋g eight sons; in the days of Saul this man was old, yet he still walked amongh the men. 13 The three oldest sons of Jesse had gone and ⌊followed⌋i Saul to the battle. The names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, his second oldest was Abinadab, and the third was Shammah. 14 Now David was the youngest. The three oldest ⌊followed⌋j Saul, 15 but David went ⌊back and forth⌋k from Saul to feed the sheep of his father in Bethlehem. 16 Now the Philistine came forward early and late, and he took his stand for forty days.