1 Samuel 17:1–31

David and Goliath

17 Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembledc at Sokoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Sokohd and Azekah.e 2 Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elahf and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. 3 The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them.

4 A champion named Goliath,g who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span.a 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekelsb; 6 on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelinh was slung on his back. 7 His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod,i and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels.c His shield bearerj went ahead of him.

8 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choosek a man and have him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” 10 Then the Philistine said, “This day I defyl the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.m” 11 On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.

12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathiten named Jesse,o who was from Bethlehemp in Judah. Jesse had eightq sons, and in Saul’s time he was very old. 13 Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab;r the second, Abinadab;s and the third, Shammah.t 14 David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul, 15 but David went back and forth from Saul to tendu his father’s sheepv at Bethlehem.

16 For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand.

17 Now Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephahd w of roasted grainx and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. 18 Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothersy are and bring back some assurancee from them. 19 They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.”

20 Early in the morning David left the flock in the care of a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry. 21 Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other. 22 David left his things with the keeper of supplies,z ran to the battle lines and asked his brothers how they were. 23 As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usuala defiance, and David heard it. 24 Whenever the Israelites saw the man, they all fled from him in great fear.

25 Now the Israelites had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughterb in marriage and will exempt his family from taxesc in Israel.”

26 David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgraced from Israel? Who is this uncircumcisede Philistine that he should defyf the armies of the livingg God?”

27 They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, “This is what will be done for the man who kills him.”

28 When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with angerh at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.”

29 “Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even speak?” 30 He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before. 31 What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him.