1 Samuel 17:1–10

Goliath’s Challenge

¹Now ^athe Philistines gathered their armies for battle; and they were gathered at Socoh which belongs to Judah, and they camped between ^bSocoh and ^cAzekah, in ^dEphes-dammim.

²Saul and the men of Israel were gathered and camped in ^athe valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array to encounter the Philistines.

³The Philistines stood on the mountain on one side while Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them.

⁴Then a champion came out from the armies of the Philistines named ^aGoliath, from ^bGath, whose height was six ¹cubits and a span.

⁵He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was clothed with scale-armor ¹which weighed five thousand shekels of bronze.

⁶He also had bronze ¹greaves on his legs and a ^abronze javelin slung between his shoulders.

^7aThe shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the head of his spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron; ^bhis shield-carrier also walked before him.

⁸He 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 ^aservants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me.

⁹“^aIf he is able to fight with me and ¹kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us.”

¹⁰Again the Philistine said, “^aI defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man that we may fight together.”