1 Samuel 17:41-54

41The Philistine, preceded by the man carrying his shield, was coming closer and closer to David.

42When the Philistine got a good look at David, he despised him. After all, David was a young man with a healthy complexion and good looks.

43The Philistine asked David, “Am I a dog that you come to ⌞attack⌟ me with sticks?” So the Philistine called on his gods to curse David.

44“Come on,” the Philistine told David, “and I’ll give your body to the birds.”

45David told the Philistine, “You come to me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Armies, the God of the army of Israel, whom you have insulted.

46Today the Lord will hand you over to me. I will strike you down and cut off your head. And this day I will give the dead bodies of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals. The whole world will know that Israel has a God.

47Then everyone gathered here will know that the Lord can save without sword or spear, because the Lord determines every battle’s outcome. He will hand all of you over to us.”

48When the Philistine moved closer in order to attack, David quickly ran toward the opposing battle line to attack the Philistine.

49Then David reached into his bag, took out a stone, hurled it from his sling, and struck the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank into Goliath’s forehead, and he fell to the ground on his face.

50So using ⌞only⌟ a sling and a stone, David proved to be stronger than the Philistine. David struck down and killed the Philistine, even though David didn’t have a sword in his hand.

51David ran and stood over the Philistine. He took Goliath’s sword, pulled it out of its sheath, and made certain the Philistine was dead by cutting off his head. When the Philistines saw their hero had been killed, they fled.

52Then the soldiers of Israel and Judah rose up, shouted a battle cry, and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath and to the gates of Ekron. Wounded Philistines lay on the road to Shaaraim and all the way to Gath and Ekron.

53When the Israelites came back from their pursuit of the Philistines, they looted all the goods in the Philistine camp.

54David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem, but he kept Goliath’s armor in his tent.