1 Samuel 17:5-38

5He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he wore a bronze coat of armor scales weighing 125 pounds.

6On his legs he had bronze shin guards and on his back a bronze javelin.

7The shaft of his spear was like the beam used by weavers. The head of his spear was made of 15 pounds of iron. The man who carried his shield walked ahead of him.

8Goliath stood and called to the Israelites, “Why do you form a battle line? Am I not a Philistine, and aren’t you Saul’s servants? Choose a man, and let him come down to ⌞fight⌟ me.

9If he can fight me and kill me, then we will be your slaves. But if I overpower him and kill him, then you will be our slaves and serve us.”

10The Philistine added, “I challenge the Israelite battle line today. Send out a man so that we can fight each other.”

11When Saul and all the Israelites heard what this Philistine said, they were gripped with fear.

12David was a son of a man named Jesse from the region of Ephrath and the city of Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and in Saul’s day he was an old man.

13Jesse’s three oldest sons joined Saul’s army for the battle. The firstborn was Eliab, the second was Abinadab, the third was Shammah,

14and David was the youngest. The three oldest joined Saul’s army.

15David went back and forth from Saul’s camp to Bethlehem, where he tended his father’s flock.

16Each morning and evening for 40 days, the Philistine came forward and made his challenge.

17Jesse told his son David, “Take this half-bushel of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread to your brothers. Take them to your brothers in the camp right away.

18And take these ten cheeses to the captain of the regiment. See how your brothers are doing, and bring back some news about them.

19They, along with Saul and all the soldiers of Israel, are in the Elah Valley fighting the Philistines.”

20David got up early in the morning and had someone else watch ⌞the sheep⌟. He took ⌞the food⌟ and went, as Jesse ordered him. He went to the camp as the army was going out to the battle line shouting their war cry.

21Israel and the Philistines formed their battle lines facing each other.

22David left the supplies behind in the hands of the quartermaster, ran to the battle line, and greeted his brothers.

23While he was talking to them, the Philistine champion, Goliath from Gath, came from the battle lines of the Philistines. He repeated his words, and David heard them.

24When all the men of Israel saw Goliath, they fled from him because they were terrified.

25The men of Israel said, “Did you see that man coming ⌞from the Philistine lines⌟? He keeps coming to challenge Israel. The king will make the man who kills this Philistine very rich. He will give his daughter to that man to marry and elevate the social status of his family.”

26David asked the men who were standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and gets rid of Israel’s disgrace? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should challenge the army of the living God?”

27The soldiers repeated ⌞to David⌟ how the man who kills Goliath would be treated.

28Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard David talking to the men. Then Eliab became angry with David. “Why did you come here,” he asked him, “and with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how overconfident and headstrong you are. You came here just to see the battle.”

29“What have I done now?” David snapped at him. “Didn’t I ⌞merely⌟ ask a question?”

30He turned to face another man and asked the same question, and the other soldiers gave him the same answer.

31What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, who then sent for him.

32David told Saul, “No one should be discouraged because of this. I will go and fight this Philistine.”

33Saul responded to David, “You can’t fight this Philistine. You’re just a boy, but he’s been a warrior since he was your age.”

34David replied to Saul, “I am a shepherd for my father’s sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock,

35I went after it, struck it, and rescued the sheep from its mouth. If it attacked me, I took hold of its mane, struck it, and killed it.

36I have killed lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them because he has challenged the army of the living God.”

37David added, “The Lord, who saved me from the lion and the bear, will save me from this Philistine.” “Go,” Saul told David, “and may the Lord be with you.”

38Saul put his battle tunic on David; he put a bronze helmet on David’s head and dressed him in armor.