1 Samuel 17:5-38

5He wore a helmet and armour that were made of bronze. The armour for his body weighed about 57 kilograms.

6He had pieces of bronze to protect his legs. He had a bronze sword that he tied on his back.

7He also carried a heavy spear. It was as thick as a tree. The iron point on the spear weighed about seven kilograms. A man who carried Goliath's shield walked in front of him.

8Goliath stood up and he shouted to the Israelite soldiers, ‘Why have you all got ready to fight against us? I am the great soldier of the Philistine army. You serve Saul as his soldiers. Is that not true? So you must choose one of your men to come and fight against me.

9If he can kill me in a fight, we Philistines will become your slaves. But if I knock him down and I kill him, then you Israelites will become our slaves.’

10Then Goliath said, ‘I am not afraid of any of your soldiers! Choose one of your men and we will fight against each other.’

11King Saul and all the Israelite soldiers heard what Goliath said. It made them very upset and afraid.

12At this time, David's father Jesse was a very old man. Jesse belonged to the clan of Ephrathah. He came from Bethlehem town in Judah. He had e ight sons.

13Jesse's three oldest sons had joined Saul's army to fight the war. They were Eliab, Jesse's oldest son, his second son, Abinadab, and his third son, Shammah.

14David was Jesse's youngest son. While Jesse's three oldest sons were in Saul's army,

15David would sometimes leave Saul and go back home to Bethlehem. He did that to take care of his father's sheep.

16For 40 days, Goliath would stand up and insult the Israelite army every morning and every evening.

17One day, Jesse said to his son David, ‘Take some food to your brothers in the army. Here is a large bag of grain that we have cooked, and ten loaves of bread. Take them quickly to the army camp.

18Also take these ten pieces of cheese to the officer who leads their group of soldiers. Find out whether your brothers are well. Bring something back to me to show how they are.

19They are in Elah Valley with Saul and the Israelite army, where they are fighting against the Philistines.’

20So David got up early the next morning. He left his father's sheep with another shepherd to take care of them. He did what his father had told him to do. He took the food to give to his brothers. When David arrived at the camp of the Israelite army, the soldiers were going out to fight. They were shouting their war songs while they went.

21The Israelite army and the Philistine army stood in their places ready for the fight. They looked towards each other across the valley.

22David gave his gifts to the officer who took care of the army's food. Then he ran to the place where the Israelite soldiers were standing. He said ‘hello’ to his brothers to see if they were well.

23While David was talking to his brothers, Goliath marched out from the Philistine army. He was the great Philistine soldier from Gath. As he came, Goliath was insulting the Israelites as he did every day. David heard what he said.

24When all the Israelite soldiers saw Goliath, they were very afraid. They ran away from him.

25The Israelites said to each other, ‘Look at this man! He is so strong! He comes every day to insult us. King Saul will give great riches to any man who can kill Goliath. The king will give his daughter to that man, for him to marry her. His family will never again have to pay taxes to the king.’

26David asked the men who were standing near him, ‘If someone kills this Philistine soldier and takes away the shame from Israel, what gift will he get? He is an unclean Philistine! He must stop insulting the army of our God, who lives for ever.’

27The men then told David what the king had promised to do. They said, ‘This is what the king will do to help the man who kills that Philistine soldier.’

28When David was speaking with the soldiers, his oldest brother, Eliab, heard him. He became angry with David. He asked David, ‘Why have you come here? You should be taking care of a few sheep in the wilderness. Who is taking care of them now? I know how proud you are! I know about your wicked ideas! You came here only to watch the battle.’

29David said, ‘Have I done anything wrong? I only asked a question.’

30So David went away and he asked other people the same question. All the men gave him the same answer.

31Some of the soldiers went to King Saul and they told him what David had said. Saul told David to come to him.

32David said to King Saul, ‘We should not be afraid of this Philistine! I am your servant. I am ready to go and fight against him.’

33Saul replied, ‘You could not fight against this strong Philistine. You are only a boy! He has been a brave soldier since he was a young man.’

34But David said to Saul, ‘Sir, I have been a shepherd who takes care of his father's sheep. Sometimes a lion or a bear would come to take a lamb from among the sheep.

35Then I would chase after the lion or the bear. I would knock it down and I would save the lamb from its mouth. If the wild animal turned to attack me, I would take hold of its neck. Then I would hit it and kill it.

36I have killed lions and bears like that. I will do the same to this unclean Philistine. He has insulted the army of our God, who lives for ever.

37The Lord has kept me safe from lions and bears. He will also save me from the power of this Philistine soldier.’ So Saul said to David, ‘Then do it! I pray that the Lord will help you.’

38Saul took his own clothes and armour and he put them on David. He put his bronze helmet on David's head.