1 Samuel 17:26–50

26 Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away athe reproach from Israel? For who is this buncircumcised Philistine, that he should ctaunt the armies of dthe living God?”

27 The people 1answered him in accord with this word, saying, “aThus it will be done for the man who kills him.”

28 Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and aEliab’s anger burned against David and he said, “Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart; for you have come down in order to see the battle.”

29 But David said, “What have I done now? Was it not just a 1question?”

30 Then he turned 1away from him to another and asaid the same thing; and the people answered the same thing as 2before.

David Kills Goliath

31 When the words which David spoke were heard, they told them 1to Saul, and he sent for him.

32 David said to Saul, “aLet no man’s heart fail on account of him; byour servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

33 Then Saul said to David, “aYou are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth while he has been a warrior from his youth.”

34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock,

35 I went out after him and 1attacked him, and arescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and 1struck him and killed him.

36 “Your servant has 1killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God.”

37 And David said, “aThe Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “bGo, and may the Lord be with you.”

38 Then Saul clothed David with his garments and put a bronze helmet on his head, and he clothed him with armor.

39 David girded his sword over his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. So David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” And David took them 1off.

40 He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, even in his pouch, and ahis sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.

41 Then the Philistine came on and approached David, with the shield-bearer in front of him.

42 When the Philistine looked and saw David, ahe disdained him; for he was but a youth, and bruddy, with a handsome appearance.

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

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

45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, abut I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted.

46 “This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the adead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, bthat all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,

47 and that all this assembly may know that athe Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear; bfor the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands.”

48 Then it happened when the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that aDavid ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.

49 And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground.

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