Good News Translation GNT
World English Bible WEB
1 The Philistines gathered for battle in Socoh, a town in Judah; they camped at a place called Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah.
1
Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle; and they were gathered together at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim.
2 Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in Elah Valley, where they got ready to fight the Philistines.
2
Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and encamped in the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.
3 The Philistines lined up on one hill and the Israelites on another, with a valley between them.
3
The Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.
4 A man named Goliath, from the city of Gath, came out from the Philistine camp to challenge the Israelites. He was over nine feet tall
4
There went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
5 and wore bronze armor that weighed about 125 pounds and a bronze helmet.
5
He had a helmet of brass on his head, and he was clad with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.
6 His legs were also protected by bronze armor, and he carried a bronze javelin slung over his shoulder.
6
He had brass shin-armor on his legs, and a javelin of brass between his shoulders.
7 His spear was as thick as the bar on a weaver's loom, and its iron head weighed about fifteen pounds. A soldier walked in front of him carrying his shield.
7
The staff 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 Goliath stood and shouted at the Israelites, "What are you doing there, lined up for battle? I am a Philistine, you slaves of Saul! Choose one of your men to fight me.
8
He stood and cried to the armies of Israel, and said to them, Why are you come out to set your battle in array? am I not a Philistine, and you servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.
9 If he wins and kills me, we will be your slaves; but if I win and kill him, you will be our slaves.
9
If he be able to fight with me, and kill me, then will we be your servants; but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall you be our servants, and serve us.
10 Here and now I challenge the Israelite army. I dare you to pick someone to fight me!"
10
The Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.
11 When Saul and his men heard this, they were terrified.
11
When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.
12 David was the son of Jesse, who was an Ephrathite from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and at the time Saul was king, he was already a very old man.
12
Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Beth-lehem-judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man was an old man in the days of Saul, stricken [in years] among men.
13 His three oldest sons had gone with Saul to war. The oldest was Eliab, the next was Abinadab, and the third was Shammah.
13
The three eldest sons of Jesse had gone after Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.
14 David was the youngest son, and while the three oldest brothers stayed with Saul,
14
David was the youngest; and the three eldest followed Saul.
15 David would go back to Bethlehem from time to time, to take care of his father's sheep.
15
Now David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Beth-lehem.
16 Goliath challenged the Israelites every morning and evening for forty days.
16
The Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.
17 One day Jesse said to David, "Take a half-bushel of this roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread, and hurry with them to your brothers in the camp.
17
Jesse said to David his son, Take now for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry [them] quickly to the camp to your brothers;
18 And take these ten cheeses to the commanding officer. Find out how your brothers are getting along and bring back something to show that you saw them and that they are well.
18
and bring these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and look how your brothers fare, and take their pledge.
19 King Saul, your brothers, and all the other Israelites are in Elah Valley fighting the Philistines."
19
Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
20 David got up early the next morning, left someone else in charge of the sheep, took the food, and went as Jesse had told him to. He arrived at the camp just as the Israelites were going out to their battle line, shouting the war cry.
20
David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the place of the wagons, as the host which was going forth to the fight shouted for the battle.
21 The Philistine and the Israelite armies took positions for battle, facing each other.
21
Israel and the Philistines put the battle in array, army against army.
22 David left the food with the officer in charge of the supplies, ran to the battle line, went to his brothers, and asked how they were getting along.
22
David left his baggage in the hand of the keeper of the baggage, and ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers.
23 As he was talking with them, Goliath came forward and challenged the Israelites as he had done before. And David heard him.
23
As he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the ranks of the Philistines, and spoke according to the same words: and David heard them.
24 When the Israelites saw Goliath, they ran away in terror.
24
All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.
25 "Look at him!" they said to each other. "Listen to his challenge! King Saul has promised to give a big reward to the man who kills him; the king will also give him his daughter to marry and will not require his father's family to pay taxes."
25
The men of Israel said, Have you seen this man who is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who kills him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.
26 David asked the men who were near him, "What will the man get who kills this Philistine and frees Israel from this disgrace? After all, who is this heathen Philistine to defy the army of the living God?"
26
David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, What shall be done to 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 They told him what would be done for the man who killed Goliath.
27
The people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man who kills him.
28 Eliab, David's oldest brother, heard David talking to the men. He became angry with David and said, "What are you doing here? Who is taking care of those sheep of yours out there in the wilderness? You smart aleck, you! You just came to watch the fighting!"
28
Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why are you come down? and with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride, and the naughtiness of your heart; for you have come down that you might see the battle.
29 "Now what have I done?" David asked. "Can't I even ask a question?"
29
David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?
30 He turned to another man and asked him the same question, and every time he asked, he got the same answer.
30
He turned away from him toward another, and spoke after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.
31 Some men heard what David had said, and they told Saul, who sent for him.
31
When the words were heard which David spoke, they rehearsed them before Saul; and he sent for him.
32 David said to Saul, "Your Majesty, no one should be afraid of this Philistine! I will go and fight him."
32
David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.
33 "No," answered Saul. "How could you fight him? You're just a boy, and he has been a soldier all his life!"
33
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 a man of war from his youth.
34 "Your Majesty," David said, "I take care of my father's sheep. Any time a lion or a bear carries off a lamb,
34
David said to Saul, Your servant was keeping his father's sheep; and when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock,
35 I go after it, attack it, and rescue the lamb. And if the lion or bear turns on me, I grab it by the throat and beat it to death.
35
I went out after him, and struck him, and delivered it out of his mouth; and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and struck him, and killed him.
36 I have killed lions and bears, and I will do the same to this heathen Philistine, who has defied the army of the living God.
36
Your servant struck both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.
37 The Lord has saved me from lions and bears; he will save me from this Philistine." "All right," Saul answered. "Go, and the Lord be with you."
37
David said, Yahweh who delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. Saul said to David, Go, and Yahweh shall be with you.
38 He gave his own armor to David for him to wear: a bronze helmet, which he put on David's head, and a coat of armor.
38
Saul clad David with his clothing, and he put a helmet of brass on his head, and he clad him with a coat of mail.
39 David strapped Saul's sword over the armor and tried to walk, but he couldn't, because he wasn't used to wearing them. "I can't fight with all this," he said to Saul. "I'm not used to it." So he took it all off.
39
David girded his sword on his clothing, and he tried to go; for he had not proved it. David said to Saul, I can't go with these; for I have not proved them. David put them off him.
40 He took his shepherd's stick and then picked up five smooth stones from the stream and put them in his bag. With his sling ready, he went out to meet Goliath.
40
He took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his wallet; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.
41 The Philistine started walking toward David, with his shield bearer walking in front of him. He kept coming closer,
41
The Philistine came on and drew near to David; and the man who bore the shield went before him.
42 and when he got a good look at David, he was filled with scorn for him because he was just a nice, good-looking boy.
42
When the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and withal of a fair face.
43 He said to David, "What's that stick for? Do you think I'm a dog?" And he called down curses from his god on David.
43
The Philistine said to David, Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks? The Philistine cursed David by his gods.
44 "Come on," he challenged David, "and I will give your body to the birds and animals to eat."
44
The Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky, and to the animals of the field.
45 David answered, "You are coming against me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the Israelite armies, which you have defied.
45
Then said David 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 Yahweh of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
46 This very day the Lord will put you in my power; I will defeat you and cut off your head. And I will give the bodies of the Philistine soldiers to the birds and animals to eat. Then the whole world will know that Israel has a God,
46
This day will Yahweh deliver you into my hand; and I will strike you, and take your head from off you; and I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky, and to the wild animals of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,
47 and everyone here will see that the Lord does not need swords or spears to save his people. He is victorious in battle, and he will put all of you in our power."
47
and that all this assembly may know that Yahweh doesn't save with sword and spear: for the battle is Yahweh's, and he will give you into our hand.
48 Goliath started walking toward David again, and David ran quickly toward the Philistine battle line to fight him.
48
It happened, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
49 He reached into his bag and took out a stone, which he slung at Goliath. It hit him on the forehead and broke his skull, and Goliath fell face downward on the ground.
49
David put his hand in his bag, and took there a stone, and slang it, and struck the Philistine in his forehead; and the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.
50 And so, without a sword, David defeated and killed Goliath with a sling and a stone!
50
So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine, and killed him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
51 He ran to him, stood over him, took Goliath's sword out of its sheath, and cut off his head and killed him. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they ran away.
51
Then David ran, and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath of it, and killed him, and cut off his head therewith. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.
52 The men of Israel and Judah shouted and ran after them, pursuing them all the way to Gath and to the gates of Ekron. The Philistines fell wounded all along the road that leads to Shaaraim, as far as Gath and Ekron.
52
The men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until you come to Gai, and to the gates of Ekron. The wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath, and to Ekron.
53 When the Israelites came back from pursuing the Philistines, they looted their camp.
53
The children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they plundered their camp.
54 David got Goliath's head and took it to Jerusalem, but he kept Goliath's weapons in his own tent.
54
David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armor in his tent.
55 When Saul saw David going out to fight Goliath, he asked Abner, the commander of his army, "Abner, whose son is he?" "I have no idea, Your Majesty," Abner answered.
55
When Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? Abner said, As your soul lives, O king, I can't tell.
56 "Then go and find out," Saul ordered.
56
The king said, "Inquire whose son the young man is!"
57 So when David returned to camp after killing Goliath, Abner took him to Saul. David was still carrying Goliath's head.
57
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 asked him, "Young man, whose son are you?" "I am the son of your servant Jesse from Bethlehem," David answered.
58
Saul said to him, Whose son are you, you young man? David answered, I am the son of your servant Jesse the Beth-lehemite.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
The World English Bible is in the public domain.