Holman Christian Standard Bible CSB
Revised Standard Version RSV
1 The Philistines gathered their forces for war at Socoh in Judah and camped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim.
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Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle; and they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Aze'kah, in E'phes-dam'mim.
2 Saul and the men of Israel gathered and camped in the Valley of Elah; then they lined up in battle formation to face the Philistines.
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And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in the valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines.
3 The Philistines were standing on one hill, and the Israelites were standing on another hill with a ravine between them.
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And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them.
4 Then a champion named Goliath, from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was nine feet, nine inches tall
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And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
5 and wore a bronze helmet and bronze scale armor that weighed 125 pounds.
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He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze.
6 There was bronze armor on his shins, and a bronze sword was slung between his shoulders.
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And he had greaves of bronze upon his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders.
7 His spear shaft was like a weaver's beam, and the iron point of his spear weighed 15 pounds. In addition, a shield-bearer was walking in front of him.
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And the shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and his shield-bearer went before him.
8 He stood and shouted to the Israelite battle formations: "Why do you come out to line up in battle formation?" He asked them, "Am I not a Philistine and are you not servants of Saul? Choose one of your men and have him come down against me.
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He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.
9 If he wins in a fight against me and kills me, we will be your servants. But if I win against him and kill him, then you will be our servants and serve us."
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If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us."
10 Then the Philistine said, "I defy the ranks of Israel today. Send me a man so we can fight each other!"
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And the Philistine said, "I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together."
11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words from the Philistine, they lost their courage and were terrified.
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When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
12 Now David was the son of the Ephrathite from Bethlehem of Judah named Jesse. Jesse had eight sons, and during Saul's reign was [already] an old man.
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Now David was the son of an Eph'rathite of Bethlehem in Judah, named Jesse, who had eight sons. In the days of Saul the man was already old and advanced in years.
13 Jesse's three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war, and their names were Eliab, the firstborn, Abinadab, the next, and Shammah, the third,
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The three eldest sons of Jesse had followed Saul to the battle; and the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eli'ab the first-born, and next to him Abin'adab, and the third Shammah.
14 and David was the youngest. The three oldest had followed Saul,
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David was the youngest; the three eldest followed Saul,
15 but David kept going back and forth from Saul to tend his father's flock in Bethlehem.
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but David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.
16 Every morning and evening for 40 days the Philistine came forward and took his stand.
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For forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand, morning and evening.
17 [One day], Jesse had told his son David, "Take this half-bushel of roasted grain along with these loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp.
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And Jesse said to David his son, "Take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers;
18 Also, take these 10 portions of cheese to the field commander. Check on the welfare of your brothers and bring a confirmation from them.
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also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See how your brothers fare, and bring some token from them."
19 They are with Saul and all the men of Israel are in the Valley of Elah fighting with the Philistines."
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Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
20 So David got up early in the morning, left the flock with someone to keep it, loaded up, and set out as Jesse had instructed him. He arrived at the perimeter of the camp as the army was marching out to its battle formation shouting their battle cry.
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And David rose early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took the provisions, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the encampment as the host was going forth to the battle line, shouting the war cry.
21 Israel and the Philistines lined up in battle formation facing each other.
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And Israel and the Philistines drew up for battle, army against army.
22 David left his supplies in the care of the quartermaster and ran to the battle line. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were.
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And David left the things in charge of the keeper of the baggage, and ran to the ranks, and went and greeted his brothers.
23 While he was speaking with them, suddenly the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, came forward from the Philistine battle line and shouted his usual words, which David heard.
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As he talked with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines, and spoke the same words as before. And David heard him.
24 When all the Israelite men saw Goliath, they retreated from him terrified.
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All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were much afraid.
25 Previously, an Israelite man had declared, "Do you see this man who keeps coming out? He comes to defy Israel. The king will make the man who kills him very rich and will give him his daughter. The king will also make the household of that man's father exempt from paying taxes in Israel."
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And the men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and the man who kills him, the king will enrich with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel."
26 David spoke to the men who were standing with him: "What will be done for the man who kills that Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?"
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And David said to the men who stood by him, "What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine, and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?"
27 The people told him about the offer, concluding, "That is what will be done for the man who kills him."
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And the people answered him in the same way, "So shall it be done to the man who kills him."
28 David's oldest brother Eliab listened as he spoke to the men, and became angry with him. "Why did you come down here?" he asked. "Who did you leave those few sheep with in the wilderness? I know your arrogance and your evil heart-you came down to see the battle!"
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Now Eli'ab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eli'ab's anger was kindled 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 presumption, and the evil of your heart; for you have come down to see the battle."
29 "What have I done now?" protested David. "It was just a question."
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And David said, "What have I done now? Was it not but a word?"
30 Then he turned from those beside him to others in front of him and asked about the offer. The people gave him the same answer as before.
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And he turned away from him toward another, and spoke in the same way; and the people answered him again as before.
31 What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, so he had David brought to him.
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When the words which David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul; and he sent for him.
32 David said to Saul, "Don't let anyone be discouraged by him; your servant will go and fight this Philistine!"
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And David said to Saul, "Let no man's heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine."
33 But Saul replied, "You can't go fight this Philistine. You're just a youth, and he's been a warrior since he was young."
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And Saul said to David, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth."
34 David answered Saul, "Your servant has been tending his father's sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock,
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But David said to Saul, "Your servant used to keep sheep for his father; and when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock,
35 I went after it, struck it down, and rescued [the lamb] from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur, strike it down, and kill it.
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I went after him and smote him and delivered it out of his mouth; and if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him and killed him.
36 Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God."
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Your servant has killed both lions and bears; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God."
37 Then David said, "The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and may the Lord be with you."
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And David said, "The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." And Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you!"
38 Then Saul had his own military clothes put on David. He put a bronze helmet on David's head and had him put on armor.
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Then Saul clothed David with his armor; he put a helmet of bronze on his head, and clothed him with a coat of mail.
39 David strapped his sword on over the military clothes and tried to walk, but he was not used to them. "I can't walk in these," David said to Saul, "I'm not used to them." So David took them off.
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And David girded his sword over his armor, and he tried in vain to go, for he was not used to them. Then David said to Saul, "I cannot go with these; for I am not used to them." And David put them off.
40 Instead, he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in the pouch, in his shepherd's bag. Then, with his sling in his hand, he approached the Philistine.
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Then he took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in his shepherd's bag or wallet; his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine.
41 The Philistine came closer and closer to David, with the shield-bearer in front of him.
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And the Philistine came on and drew near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him.
42 When the Philistine looked and saw David, he despised him because he was just a youth, healthy and handsome.
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And when the Philistine looked, and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, ruddy and comely in appearance.
43 He said to David, "Am I a dog that you come against me with sticks?" Then he cursed David by his gods.
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And the Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
44 "Come here," the Philistine called to David, "and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts!"
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The Philistine said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field."
45 David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with a dagger, spear, and sword, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel's armies- you have defied Him.
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Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with 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 defied.
46 Today, the Lord will hand you over to me. Today, I'll strike you down, cut your head off, and give the corpses of the Philistine camp to the birds of the sky and the creatures of the earth. Then all the world will know that Israel has a God,
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This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down, and cut off your head; and I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,
47 and this whole assembly will know that it is not by sword or by spear that the Lord saves, for the battle is the Lord's. He will hand you over to us."
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and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD'S and he will give you into our hand."
48 When the Philistine started forward to attack him, David ran quickly to the battle line to meet the Philistine.
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When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.
49 David put his hand in the bag, took out a stone, slung [it], and hit the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.
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And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone, and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.
50 David defeated the Philistine with a sling and a stone. Even though David had no sword, he struck down the Philistine and killed him.
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So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine, and killed him; there was no sword in the hand of David.
51 David ran and stood over him. He grabbed the Philistine's sword, pulled it from its sheath, and used it to kill him. Then he cut off his head. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they ran.
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Then David ran and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath, and killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.
52 The men of Israel and Judah rallied, shouting their battle cry, and chased the Philistines to the entrance of the valley and to the gates of Ekron. Philistine bodies were strewn all along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron.
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And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron, so that the wounded Philistines fell on the way from Sha-ara'im as far as Gath and Ekron.
53 When the Israelites returned from the pursuit of the Philistines, they plundered their camps.
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And the Israelites came back from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their camp.
54 David took Goliath's head and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put Goliath's weapons in his [own] tent.
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And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armor in his tent.
55 When Saul had seen David going out to confront the Philistine, he asked Abner the commander of the army, "Whose son is this youth, Abner?" "[My] king, as surely as you live, I don't know," Abner replied.
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When Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, "Abner, whose son is this youth?" And Abner said, "As your soul lives, O king, I cannot tell."
56 The king said, "Find out whose son this young man is!"
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And the king said, "Inquire whose son the stripling is."
57 When David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the Philistine's head still in his hand.
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And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.
58 Saul said to him, "Whose son are you, young man?" "The son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem," David answered.
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And Saul said to him, "Whose son are you, young man?" And David answered, "I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite."
Holman Christian Standard Bible ® Copyright © 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.