1 Samuel 17:20-54

20So David got up 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 1entrenchment encircling the camp while the army was going out in battle formation, shouting the war cry. 21Israel and the Philistines drew up in battle formation, army against army. 22Then David left the 2baggage in the 3care of the baggage keeper and ran to the battle line. And he entered and 4greeted his brothers. 23As he was speaking with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine from Gath named Goliath, was coming up from the army of the Philistines, and he spoke 5these same words; and David heard him.

24When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fled from him and were very fearful. 25And the 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 make the man who kills him wealthy with great riches, and 6will give him his daughter and make his father’s house 7free in Israel.”

26Then David said to the men who were standing by him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and rids Israel of 8the disgrace? For who is this 9uncircumcised Philistine, that he has dared to 10defy the armies of 11the living God?” 27The people 12answered him in agreement with this statement, saying, “13This is what will be done for the man who kills him.”

28Now Eliab his oldest brother heard him when he spoke to the men; and 14Eliab’s anger burned against David and he said, “Why is it that you have come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I myself 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 15question?” 30Then he turned 16away from him to another and 17said the same thing; and the people replied with the same words as 18before.

31When the words that David spoke were heard, they informed 19Saul, and he 20sent for him. 32And David said to Saul, “21May no one’s heart fail on account of him; 22your servant will go and fight this Philistine!” 33But Saul said to David, “23You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight him; for you are only a youth, while he has been a warrior since 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 sheep from the flock, 35I went out after it and 24attacked it, and 25rescued the sheep from its mouth; and when it rose up against me, I grabbed it by its mane and struck it and killed it. 36Your servant has 26killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37And David said, “27The Lord who saved me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear, He will save me from the hand of this Philistine.” So Saul said to David, “28Go, and may the Lord be with you.” 38Then Saul clothed David with his military attire and put a bronze helmet on his head, and outfitted him with armor. 39And David strapped on his sword over his military attire and struggled at walking, for he had not trained with the armor. So David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, because I have not trained with them.” And David took them 29off. 40Then he took his staff in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, that is, in his shepherd’s pouch, and 30his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.

41Then the Philistine came and approached David, with the shield-bearer in front of him. 42When the Philistine looked and saw David, 31he was contemptuous of him; for he was only a youth, and 3233reddish, with a handsome appearance. 43So the Philistine said to David, “34Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And 35the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44The Philistine also said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh 36to the birds of the sky and the 37wild animals.” 45But David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a 38saber, 39but I come to you in the name of the Lord of armies, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I will strike you and remove your head from you. Then I will give the 40dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the earth, 41so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47and that this entire assembly may know that 42the Lord does not save by sword or by spear; 43for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will hand you over to us!”

48Then it happened, when the Philistine 44came closer to meet David, that 45David 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 penetrated his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.

50So David prevailed over the Philistine with the sling and the stone: he struck the Philistine and killed him, and there was no sword in David’s hand. 51Then David ran and stood over the Philistine, and 46took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and finished him, and cut off his head with it. 47When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 52Then the men of Israel and Judah rose up and shouted, and they pursued the Philistines 48as far as the valley, and to the gates of 49Ekron. And the Philistine dead 50lay along the way to 51Shaaraim, even to Gath and Ekron. 53Then the sons of Israel returned from their close pursuit of the Philistines, and plundered their camps. 54And David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his weapons in his tent.