1 Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to
battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to
Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim.
2 And
Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of
Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.
3 And
the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a
mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.
4 And
there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of
Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
5 And he had an
helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the
weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.
6 And he had greaves
of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders.
7 And
the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's
head weighed six
hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.
8 And
he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye
come out to set your battle in array? am not I
a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him
come down to me.
9 If
he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but
if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and
serve us.
10 And
the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that
we may fight together.
11 When
Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed,
and greatly afraid.
12 Now
David was the
son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah, whose name was Jesse;
and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an
old man in the days of Saul.
13 And
the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle: and the
names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab
the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.
14 And
David was the
youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul.
15 But
David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.
16 And
the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.
17 And
Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this
parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy
brethren;
18 And
carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren
fare, and take their pledge.
19 Now
Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with
the Philistines.
20 And
David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took,
and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host
was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.
21 For
Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.
22 And
David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into
the army, and came and saluted his brethren.
23 And
as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of
Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake
according to the same words: and David heard them.
24 And
all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore
afraid.
25 And
the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy
Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will
enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his
father's house free in Israel.
26 And
David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man
that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this
uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
27 And
the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the
man that killeth him.
28 And
Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger
was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with
whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and
the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see
the battle.
29 And
David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?
30 And
he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the
people answered him again after the former manner.
31 And
when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before
Saul: and he sent for him.
32 And
David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go
and fight with this Philistine.
33 And
Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight
with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his
youth.
34 And
David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a
lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
35 And
I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of
his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by
his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
36 Thy
servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine
shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
37 David
said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out
of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.
And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.
38 And
Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head;
also he armed him with a coat of mail.
39 And
David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not
proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these;
for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.
40 And
he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the
brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his
sling was in
his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.
41 And
the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the
shield went before
him.
42 And
when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a
youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.
43 And
the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with
staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
44 And
the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls
of the air, and to the beasts of the field.
45 Then
said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear,
and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God
of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
46 This
day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take
thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the
Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the
earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
47 And
all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for
the battle is the
LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands.
48 And
it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet
David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
49 And
David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the
stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.
50 So
David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote
the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
51 Therefore
David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out
of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when
the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.
52 And
the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines,
until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of
the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto
Ekron.
53 And
the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they
spoiled their tents.
54 And
David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put
his armour in his tent.
55 And
when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the
captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy
soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell.
56 And
the king said, Enquire thou whose son the stripling is.
57 And
as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and
brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.
58 And
Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young
man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the
Bethlehemite.
