1
Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle and were gathered together at Shochoh, which
belongs to Judah, and pitched camp between Shochoh and Azekah in Ephesdammim.
2
And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together and pitched camp by the valley of Elah and ordered the battle against the Philistines.
3
And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side; and
there was a valley between them.
4
And a man named Goliath, of Gath, whose height
was six cubits and a span, came out of the camp of the Philistines and
stood between the two
camps.
5
And
he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he
was clothed with a coat of mail of scales; and the weight of the coat of mail
was five thousand shekels of brass.
6
And
he had greaves of brass upon his legs and a shield of brass between his shoulders.
7
And the staff of his spear
was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head
weighed six hundred shekels of iron, and one bearing a shield went before him.
8
And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set
your battle in array?
Am I not a Philistine, and ye slaves to Saul? Choose a man from among you, and let him come down to me.
9
If he is able to fight with me and to overcome me, then will we be your slaves, but if I prevail against him and overcome him, then ye shall be our slaves and serve us.
10
And the Philistine said, I have dishonoured the ranks of Israel today; give me a man that we may fight together.
11
When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.