1
Now the Philistinesgathered their armies for battle; and they were gathered at Socohwhich belongs to Judah, and they campedbetweenSocoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim.
7
The shaft of his spear was like a weaver'sbeam, and the head of his spear weighed sixhundredshekels of iron; his shield-carrier* also walkedbefore him.
8
He 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 servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him comedown to me.
9
"If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us."
12
Now David was the son of the Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, whose name was Jesse, and he had eightsons. And Jesse was old in the days of Saul, advanced in years among men.
13
The threeoldersons of Jesse had goneafterSaul to the battle. And the names of his threesonswhowent to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and the second to him Abinadab, and the thirdShammah.
20
So Davidaroseearly 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 circle of the camp while the army was going out in battlearrayshouting the warcry.
23
As he was talking with them, behold, the champion*, the Philistine from GathnamedGoliath, was coming up from the army of the Philistines, and he spokethesesamewords; and Davidheard them.
25
The men of Israelsaid, "Have you seenthisman who is coming up? Surely he is coming up to defyIsrael. And it will be that the king will enrich the manwhokills him with greatriches and will give him his daughter and make his father'shousefree in Israel."
26
Then Davidspoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, "What will be done for the manwhokillsthisPhilistine and takesaway the reproach from Israel? For who is thisuncircumcisedPhilistine, that he should taunt the armies of the livingGod?"
28
Now Eliab his oldestbrotherheard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab'sangerburned against David and he said, "Why have you comedown? And with whom have you leftthosefewsheep in the wilderness? I know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart; for you have comedown in order to see the battle."
33
Then Saulsaid to David, "You are not able to goagainstthisPhilistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth while he has been a warrior from his youth."
35
I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him.
36
"Your servant has killedboth the lion and the bear; and thisuncircumcisedPhilistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the livingGod."
37
And Davidsaid, "The LORDwhodelivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of thisPhilistine." And Saulsaid to David, "Go, and may the LORD be with you."
39
Davidgirded his swordover* his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. So Davidsaid to Saul, "I cannot*go with these, for I have not tested them." And Davidtook them off*.
40
He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself fivesmoothstones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd'sbagwhich he had, even in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.
45
Then Davidsaid to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted.
46
"Thisday 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 deadbodies of the army of the Philistinesthisday to the birds of the sky and the wildbeasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,
47
and that allthisassembly may know that the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD'S and He will give you into our hands."
49
And Davidput his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stonesank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground.
51
Then Davidran and stoodover the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cutoff his head with it. When the Philistinessaw that their champion was dead, they fled.
52
The men of Israel and Judaharose and shouted and pursued the Philistines as far as the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the slainPhilistineslay along the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath and Ekron.
55
Now when SaulsawDavidgoing out against the Philistine, he said to Abner the commander of the army, "Abner, whoseson is thisyoungman?" And Abnersaid, "By your life, O king, I do not know."