1 Samuel 17

Goliath’s Challenge

1Now 1the Philistines gathered their armies for battle; and they were gathered at Socoh which belongs to Judah, and they camped between 2Socoh and 3Azekah, in 4Ephes-dammim. 2Saul and the men of Israel were gathered and camped in 5the valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array to encounter the Philistines. 3The Philistines stood on the mountain on one side while Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them. 4Then a champion came out from the armies of the Philistines named 6Goliath, from 7Gath, whose height was six 8cubits and a span. 5He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was clothed with scale-armor 9which weighed five thousand shekels of bronze. 6He also had bronze 10greaves on his legs and a 11bronze javelin slung between his shoulders. 712The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the head of his spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron; 13his shield-carrier also walked before him. 8He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel and said to them, “Why do you come out to draw up in battle array? Am I not the Philistine and you 14servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me. 915If he is able to fight with me and 16kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and 17kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us.” 10Again the Philistine said, “18I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man that we may fight together.” 11When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

12Now David was 19the son of 20the 21Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, whose name was Jesse, and 22he had eight sons. And 23Jesse was old in the days of Saul, advanced in years among men. 13The three older sons of Jesse had 24gone after Saul to the battle. And 25the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and the second to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 1426David was the youngest. Now the three oldest followed Saul, 1527but David went back and forth from Saul 28to tend his father’s flock at Bethlehem. 16The Philistine came 29forward morning and evening for forty days and took his stand.

17Then Jesse said to David his son, “30Take now for your brothers an ephah of this roasted grain and these ten loaves and run to the camp to your brothers. 1831Bring also these ten cuts of cheese to the commander of their thousand, 32and look into the welfare of your brothers, and bring back 33news of them. 19For Saul and they and all the men of Israel are in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.”

David Accepts the Challenge

20So David arose early in the morning and left the flock with a keeper and took the supplies and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the 34circle of the camp while the army was going out in battle array shouting the war cry. 21Israel and the Philistines drew up in battle array, army against army. 22Then David left his 35baggage in the 36care of the baggage keeper, and ran to the battle line and entered in order to greet his brothers. 23As he was talking with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine from Gath named Goliath, was coming up from the army of the Philistines, and he spoke 37these same words; and David heard them.

24When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fled from him and were greatly afraid. 25The men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who is coming up? Surely he is coming up to defy Israel. And it will be that the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and 38will give him his daughter and make his father’s house 39free in Israel.”

26Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away 40the reproach from Israel? For who is this 41uncircumcised Philistine, that he should 42taunt the armies of 43the living God?” 27The people 44answered him in accord with this word, saying, “45Thus it will be done for the man who kills him.”

28Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and 46Eliab’s anger burned against David and he said, “Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart; for you have come down in order to see the battle.” 29But David said, “What have I done now? Was it not just a 47question?” 30Then he turned 48away from him to another and 49said the same thing; and the people answered the same thing as 50before.

David Kills Goliath

31When the words which David spoke were heard, they told them 51to Saul, and he sent for him. 32David said to Saul, “52Let no man’s heart fail on account of him; 53your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33Then Saul said to David, “54You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth while he has been a warrior from his youth.” 34But David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, 35I went out after him and 55attacked him, and 56rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and 57struck him and killed him. 36Your servant has 58killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God.” 37And David said, “59The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “60Go, and may the Lord be with you.” 38Then Saul clothed David with his garments and put a bronze helmet on his head, and he clothed him with armor. 39David girded his sword over his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. So David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” And David took them 61off. 40He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, even in his pouch, and 62his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.

41Then the Philistine came on and approached David, with the shield-bearer in front of him. 42When the Philistine looked and saw David, 63he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and 64ruddy, with a handsome appearance. 43The Philistine said to David, “65Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And 66the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44The Philistine also said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh 67to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field.” 45Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, 68but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. 46This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the 69dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, 70that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47and that all this assembly may know that 71the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear; 72for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands.”

48Then it happened when the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that 73David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground.

50Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and he struck the Philistine and killed him; but there was no sword in David’s hand. 51Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and 74took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. 75When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 52The men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted and pursued the Philistines 76as far as the valley, and to the gates of 77Ekron. And the slain Philistines 78lay along the way to 79Shaaraim, even to Gath and Ekron. 53The sons of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines and plundered their camps. 54Then David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his weapons in his tent.

55Now when Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he said to Abner the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is 80this young man?” And Abner said, “By your life, O king, I do not know.” 56The king said, “You inquire whose son the youth is.” 57So when David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and 81brought him before Saul with the Philistine’s head in his hand. 58Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “82I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”