1 Samuel Chapter 17
David and Goliath
1 The Philistines gathered their army for battle at Socoh in Judah. They camped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim. 2 Saul and Israel came together, camped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in battle formation to meet them. 3 The Philistines stood on the hill on one side of the valley, and Israel stood on the hill on the other side. 4 A champion from Gath named Goliath came out from the Philistine camp. He was 9ft 9 6 cubits and a span, 5 and wore a bronze helmet and scale armor that weighed 125 lbs 5,000 shekels. 6 He had bronze greaves on his shins and a bronze javelin slung between his shoulders. 7 His spear shaft was like a weaver’s beam; its spearhead weighed 15 lbs 600 shekels of iron. His shield bearer walked ahead of him. 8 He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel,
“Why do you come out to draw up in battle formation? Am I not the Philistine and you’re Saul’s servants? Choose a man and have him come down to me. 9 If he can fight me and kill me, we’ll become your slaves. If I kill him, you’ll become our slaves. 10 I defy the ranks of Israel. Give me a man, and we’ll fight.”
11 When Saul and Israel heard him, they were really intimidated.
1 Sam 17:1-11
12 David was the son of an Ephrathite named Jesse in Bethlehem named Jesse. He had eight sons. Jesse was an old man in Saul’s day. 13 His three oldest sons had followed Saul to battle: Eliab his firstborn, Abinadab, and Shammah. 14 David, the youngest, 15 went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s flock at Bethlehem. 16 The Philistine came forward morning and evening for 40 days and took his stand.
17 Jesse told David,
“Take 1.1 bushels 1 ephah of this roasted grain and these 10 loaves and run to your brothers in camp. 18 Take these 10 cuts of cheese to the commander of their thousand. Look into the welfare of your brothers and bring back news about them. 19 Saul, your brothers, and Israel’s army are fighting the Philistines in the Valley of Elah.”
1 Sam 17:12-19
20 David got up early and left the flock with a keeper, took the supplies, and went like Jesse said. He got to the camp as the army was moving out into battle formation, raising the battle cry. 21 Israel and the Philistines drew up in battle formation, army against army. 22 David left his things with the baggage keeper and ran to the battle line to greet his brothers. 23 As he was talking to them, Goliath came up from the Philistines and said the same thing as before, and David heard it. 24 When the Israelites saw him, they drew back, afraid.
1 Sam 17:20-24
25 They said,
“Have you seen this man that keeps coming up to defy Israel? The king will greatly enrich the man that kills him. He’ll give him his daughter and exempt his father’s family from paying taxes in Israel.”
26 David asked the men standing by him,
“What will the king do for the man that kills this Philistine and takes disgrace away from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should taunt the armies of the living God?”
27 They repeated their answer, “That’s what he’ll get.”
28 Eliab heard him talking to the men, and his anger flared at David,
“What are you doing here? Who did you leave that little bunch of sheep with in the countryside? I know your insolence. You’ve come down to watch the battle.”
29 But David said, “What have I done now? I just asked a question!” 30 Then he turned to someone else and asked the same thing and got the same answer.
1 Sam 17:25-30
31 When what David said was heard, they told Saul, and he sent for him. 32 David told him, “Nobody’s heart should fail over this Philistine. I’ll fight him.”
33 “You can’t fight him; you’re just a boy. He’s been a soldier since he was your age.”
34 “I’ve tended my father’s sheep. When a lion or bear came and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after it and struck it and rescued the lamb from its mouth. When it attacked me, I grabbed its jaw and struck it and killed it. 36 I’ve killed a lion and a bear. This uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them because he has taunted the armies of the living God. 37 Yahveh that delivered me from a lion and a bear, will deliver me from this Philistine.”
“Go on. Yahveh be with you.”
1 Sam 17:31-37
38 Saul dressed David in his clothes, put a bronze helmet on his head, and put his armor on him. 39 David bound his sword over his armor and tried to walk because he wasn’t used to them. He told Saul, “I can’t go with these on. I’m not used to them.” He took them off. 40 He took his staff and chose five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in his shepherd’s pouch. With his sling in hand, he went toward the Philistine.
41 The Philistine came toward David behind his shield bearer. 42 When he looked up and saw David, he sneered. He was just a handsome barefaced boy.
1 Sam 17:38-42
43 The Philistine said, “Am I a dog that you come to me with sticks?” He cursed David by his gods. 44 “Come here; I’ll give your body to the birds from the sky and the animals in the field.”
45 David told the Philistine,
“You’re coming to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I’m coming to you in the name of Yahveh of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel that you’ve taunted. 46 He’ll deliver you to me today. I’ll strike you down and take off your head. I’ll give the dead bodies of the Philistine army to the birds and wild animals so the whole world will know there’s a God in Israel. 47 This whole assembly will know that he doesn’t deliver by sword or spear. The battle is Yahveh’s. He’ll give youpl to us.”
48 When the Philistine came to meet him, David ran fast toward the battle line to meet him. 49 He put his hand in his bag and took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine in the forehead. The stone penetrated his forehead, and he fell on his face.
1 Sam 17:43-49
50 David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone. He struck him and killed him, but David didn’t have a sword. 51 He ran and stood over the Philistine, drew his sword out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled. 52 Israel and Judah rose up and raised the battle cry. They chased the Philistines to the mouth of the valley and the gates of Ekron. Slain Philistines lay along the road to Shaaraim, all the way to Gath and Ekron. 53 Israel came back from chasing them and plundered their camps. 54 David picked up the Philistine’s head and took it to Jerusalem, but he put his weapons in his tent.
1 Sam 17:50-54
55 When Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he asked Abner, his general, “Whose son is he?
“By your life, king, I don’t know.”
56 “Find out.”
57 So when David came back from killing the Philistine, Abner took him to Saul with the Philistine’s head in his hand.
58 Saul asked him, “Whose son are you, young man?”
“The son of Jesse from Bethlehem.”
1 Sam 17:55-58