Sh'mu'el Alef (1 Sa) 17
17
1The P’lishtim rallied their troops for war, assembling at Sokhoh in Y’hudah and setting up camp between Sokhoh and ‘Azekah in Efes-Damim. 2Sha’ul and the men of Isra’el assembled, set up camp in the Elah Valley and drew up their battle line opposite the P’lishtim. 3The P’lishtim occupied a position on one hill and Isra’el a position on another hill, with a valley between them.
4There came out a champion from the camp of the P’lishtim named Golyat, from Gat, who was nine feet nine inches tall. 5He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he wore a bronze armor plate weighing 120 pounds. 6He had bronze armor protecting his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders. 7The shaft of his spear was as big as a weaver’s beam, and the iron spearhead weighed fifteen pounds. His shield-bearer went ahead of him. 8He stood and yelled at the armies of Isra’el, “Why come out and draw up a battle line? I’m a P’lishti, and you are servants of Sha’ul, so choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 9If he can fight me and kill me, we’ll be your slaves; but if I beat him and kill him, you will become slaves and serve us.” 10The P’lishti added, “I challenge Isra’el’s armies today — give me a man, and we’ll fight it out!” 11When Sha’ul and all Isra’el heard those words of the P’lishti, they were shaken and terrified.
12Now David was the son of that Efrati from Beit-Lechem in Y’hudah named Yishai. He had eight sons; and in the time of Sha’ul he was old — the years had taken their toll. 13Yishai’s three oldest sons had followed Sha’ul to battle; the names of his three sons who went to battle were Eli’av the firstborn, next to him Avinadav, and the third Shammah. 14David was the youngest; the three oldest followed Sha’ul. 15David went back and forth from Sha’ul to pasture his father’s sheep at Beit-Lechem. 16Meanwhile, the P’lishti approached with his challenge every morning and evening for forty days.
17Yishai said to David his son, “Please take your brothers five bushels of this roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread; hurry, and carry them to your brothers at the camp. 18Also bring these ten cheeses to their field officer. Find out if your brothers are well, and bring back some token from them. 19Sha’ul and your brothers, with all the army of Isra’el, are in the Elah Valley, fighting the P’lishtim.”
20David got up early in the morning, left the sheep with a helper, took his load and set out, as Yishai had ordered him. He arrived at the barricade of the camp just as the troops were going out to their battle stations and shouting the war cry. 21Isra’el and the P’lishtim had set up their battle lines facing each other. 22David left his equipment in charge of the equipment guard, ran to the troops, went to his brothers and asked if they were well. 23As he was talking with them, there came the champion, the P’lishti from Gat named Golyat, from the ranks of the P’lishtim, saying the same words as before; and David heard them. 24When the soldiers from Isra’el saw the man, they all ran away from him, terrified. 25The soldiers from Isra’el said [to each other], “You saw that man who just came up? He has come to challenge Isra’el. To whoever kills him, the king will give a rich reward; he’ll also give him his daughter and exempt his father’s family from all service and taxes in Isra’el.” 26David said to the men standing with him, “What reward will be given to the man who kills this P’lishti and removes this disgrace from Isra’el? Who is this uncircumcised P’lishti anyway, that he challenges the armies of the living God?” 27The people answered with what they had been saying, adding, “That’s what will be done for the man who kills him.” 28Eli’av his oldest brother heard when David spoke to the men, and it made Eli’av angry at him. He asked, “Why did you come down here? With whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is! You just came down to watch the fighting.” 29David said, “What have I done now? I only asked a question.” 30He turned away from him to someone else and asked the same question, and the people gave him the same answer.
31David’s words were overheard and told to Sha’ul, who summoned him. 32David said to Sha’ul, “No one should lose heart because of him; your servant will go and fight this P’lishti.” 33Sha’ul said to David, “You can’t go to fight this P’lishti — you’re just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth!” 34David answered Sha’ul, “Your servant used to guard his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear would come and grab a lamb from the flock, 35I would go after it, hit it, and snatch the lamb from its mouth; and if it turned on me, I would catch it by the jaw, smack it and kill it. 36Your servant has defeated both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised P’lishti will be like one of them, because he has challenged the armies of the living God.” 37Then David said, “Adonai, who rescued me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will rescue me from the paw of this P’lishti!” Sha’ul said to David, “Go; may Adonai be with you.”
38Sha’ul dressed David in his own armor — he put a bronze helmet on his head and gave him armor plate to wear. 39David buckled his sword on his armor and tried to walk, but he wasn’t used to such equipment. David said to Sha’ul, “I can’t move wearing these things, because I’m not used to them.” So David took them off. 40Then he took his stick in his hand and picked five smooth stones from the riverbed, putting them in his shepherd’s bag, in his pouch. Then, with his sling in his hand, he approached the P’lishti. 41The P’lishti, with his shield-bearer ahead of him, came nearer and nearer to David. 42The P’lishti looked David up and down and had nothing but scorn for what he saw — a boy with ruddy cheeks, red hair and good looks. 43The P’lishti said to David, “Am I a dog? Is that why you’re coming at me with sticks?” — and the P’lishti cursed David by his god. 44Then the P’lishti said to David, “Come here to me, so I can give your flesh to the birds in the air and the wild animals.” 45David answered the P’lishti, “You’re coming at me with a sword, a spear and a javelin. But I’m coming at you in the name of Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of the armies of Isra’el, whom you have challenged. 46Today Adonai will hand you over to me. I will attack you, lop your head off, and give the carcasses of the army of the P’lishtim to the birds in the air and the animals in the land. Then all the land will know that there is a God in Isra’el, 47and everyone assembled here will know that Adonai does not save by sword or spear. For this is Adonai’s battle, and he will hand you over to us.” 48When the P’lishti got up, approached and came close to meet David, David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the P’lishti. 49David put his hand in his bag, took out a stone, and hurled it with his sling. It struck the P’lishti in his forehead and buried itself in his forehead, so that he fell face down on the ground. 50Thus David defeated the P’lishti with a sling and a stone, striking the P’lishti and killing him; but David had no sword in his hand. 51Then David ran and stood over the P’lishti, took his sword, drew it out of its sheath, and finished killing him, cutting off his head with it.
When the P’lishtim saw that their hero was dead, they fled. 52The men of Isra’el and Y’hudah got up, shouting, and pursued the P’lishtim all the way to Gat and the gates of ‘Ekron. The wounded P’lishtim fell down all along the road from Sha‘arayim to Gat and ‘Ekron. 53After chasing the P’lishtim, the army of Isra’el returned and plundered their camp.
54David took the head of the P’lishti and brought it to Yerushalayim, but he put the armor of the P’lishti in his tent.
55When Sha’ul saw David go out to fight the P’lishti, he said to Avner, the army’s commander, “Avner, whose son is this boy?” “By your life, O king,” Avner replied, “I don’t know.” 56The king said, “Find out whose son this boy is.” 57As David returned from killing the P’lishti, Avner took him and brought him to Sha’ul with the head of the P’lishti in his hand. 58Sha’ul asked him, “Young man, whose son are you?” David answered, “I am the son of your servant Yishai the Beit-Lachmi.”
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Sh'mu'el Alef (1 Sa) 17: CJB
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Learn More About Complete Jewish Bible1 Samuel 17
17
1 NOW THE Philistines gathered their armies for battle and were assembled at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim.
2 Saul and the men of Israel were encamped in the Valley of Elah and drew up in battle array against the Philistines.
3 And the Philistines stood on a mountain on one side and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with the valley between them.
4 And a champion went out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span [almost ten feet].
5 And he had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of mail, and the coat weighed 5,000 shekels of bronze.
6 He had bronze shin armor on his legs and a bronze javelin across his shoulders.
7 And the shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam; his spear's head weighed 600 shekels of iron. And a shield bearer went before him.
8 Goliath 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 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 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 those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
12 David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah named Jesse, who had eight sons. [Jesse] in the days of Saul was old, advanced in years.
13 [His] three eldest sons had followed Saul into battle. Their names were Eliab the firstborn; next, Abinadab; and third, Shammah.
14 David was the youngest. The three eldest followed Saul,
15 But David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.
16 The Philistine came out morning and evening, presenting himself for forty days.
17 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 your brothers at the camp.
18 Also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See how your brothers fare and bring some token from them.
19 Now Saul and the brothers and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
20 So David rose up early next morning, left the sheep with a keeper, took the provisions, and went, as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the encampment as the host going forth to the battleground shouted the battle cry.
21 And Israel and the Philistines put the battle in array, army against army.
22 David left his packages in the care of the baggage keeper and ran into the ranks and came and greeted his brothers.
23 As they talked, behold, Goliath, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, came forth from the Philistine ranks and spoke the same words as before, and David heard him.
24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, terrified.
25 And the Israelites said, Have you seen this man who has come out? Surely he has come out 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 [from taxes and service] in Israel.
26 And David said to the men standing 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 And the [men] told him, Thus shall it be done for the man who kills him.
28 Now Eliab his eldest brother heard what he said to the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David and he said, Why did you come here? With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and evilness of heart; for you came down that you might see the battle.
29 And David said, What have I done now? Was it not a harmless question?
30 And David turned away from Eliab to another and he asked the same question, and again the men gave him the same answer.
31 When David's words were heard, they were repeated to Saul, and he sent for him.
32 David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of this Philistine; your servant will go out and fight with him.
33 And Saul said to David, You are not able to go to fight against this Philistine. You are only an adolescent, and he has been a warrior from his youth.
34 And David said to Saul, Your servant kept his father's sheep. And when there came a lion or again a bear and took a lamb out of the flock,
35 I went out after it and smote it and delivered the lamb out of its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard and smote it and killed it.
36 Your servant killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God!
37 David said, The Lord 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. And Saul said to David, Go, and the Lord be with you!
38 Then Saul clothed David with his armor; he put a bronze helmet on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail.
39 And David girded his sword over his armor. Then he tried to go, but could not, for he was not used to it. And David said to Saul, I cannot go with these, for I am not used to them. And David took them off.
40 Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones out of the brook and put them in his shepherd's [lunch] bag [a whole kid's skin slung from his shoulder], in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand, and he drew near the Philistine.
41 The Philistine came on and drew near to David, the man who bore the shield going before him.
42 And when the Philistine looked around and saw David, he scorned and despised him, for he was but an adolescent, with a healthy reddish color and a fair face.
43 And the Philistine said to David, Am I a dog, that you should come to me with sticks? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
44 The Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field.
45 Then said David 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 ranks of Israel, Whom you have defied.
46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will smite you and cut off your head. And I will give the corpses of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
47 And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands.
48 When the Philistine came forward to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.
49 David put his hand into his bag and took out a stone and slung it, and it struck the Philistine, sinking into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.
50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck down the Philistine and slew him. But no sword was in David's hand.
51 So he ran and stood over the Philistine, 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 mighty champion was dead, they fled.
52 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 the wounded Philistines fell along the way from Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron.
53 The Israelites returned from their pursuit of the Philistines and plundered their tents.
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 go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As your soul lives, O king, I cannot tell.
56 And the king said, Inquire whose son the stripling is.
57 When David returned from killing Goliath the Philistine, Abner brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.
58 And Saul said to him, Whose son are you, young man? And David answered, I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.
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1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation