1 Samuel 17:5-38

5And he had a bronze helmet on his head, and he wore scale-armor 1which weighed 2five thousand shekels of bronze. 6He also had bronze 3greaves on his legs and a 4bronze 5saber slung between his shoulders. 76The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the head of his spear weighed 7six hundred shekels of iron; and 8his shield-carrier walked in front of him. 8He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel and said to them, “Why do you come out to draw up in battle formation? Am I not the Philistine, and you the 9servants of Saul? Choose a man as your representative and have him come down to me. 910If he is able to fight me and 11kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and 12kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us.” 10Then the Philistine said, “13I have defied the ranks of Israel this day! Give me a man, so that we may fight together.” 11When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and very fearful.

12Now David was 14the son of 15the 16Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, the man whose name was Jesse, and 17he had eight sons. And 18Jesse was old in the days of Saul, advanced in years among men. 13The three older sons of Jesse had 19followed Saul to the battle. And 20the names of his three sons who had gone into the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and second to him, Abinadab, and the third, Shammah. 14So 21David was the youngest. Now the three oldest followed Saul, 1522but David went back and forth from Saul 23to tend his father’s flock at Bethlehem. 16And the Philistine came forward morning and evening, and took his stand for forty days.

17Then Jesse said to his son David, “24Take now for your brothers an ephah of this roasted grain and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to your brothers. 1825Bring also these ten slices of cheese to the commander of their thousand, 26and look into the well-being of your brothers and bring back 27confirmation from them. 19For Saul and they and all the men of Israel are in the Valley of Elah, fighting the Philistines.”

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 28entrenchment 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 29baggage in the 30care of the baggage keeper and ran to the battle line. And he entered and 31greeted 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 32these 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 33will give him his daughter and make his father’s house 34free 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 35the disgrace? For who is this 36uncircumcised Philistine, that he has dared to 37defy the armies of 38the living God?” 27The people 39answered him in agreement with this statement, saying, “40This 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 41Eliab’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 42question?” 30Then he turned 43away from him to another and 44said the same thing; and the people replied with the same words as 45before.

31When the words that David spoke were heard, they informed 46Saul, and he 47sent for him. 32And David said to Saul, “48May no one’s heart fail on account of him; 49your servant will go and fight this Philistine!” 33But Saul said to David, “50You 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 51attacked it, and 52rescued 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 53killed 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, “54The 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, “55Go, 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.