1 Samuel 17
17
David versus Goliath
1The Philistines # 1Sm 13:5 gathered their forces for war at Socoh in Judah and camped between Socoh # 2Ch 28:18 and Azekah # Jos 10:10 in Ephes-dammim. # 1Ch 11:13 2Saul and the men of Israel gathered and camped in the Valley of Elah; # 1Sm 21:9 then they lined up in battle formation to face the Philistines.
3The Philistines were standing on one hill, and the Israelites were standing on another hill with a ravine between them. 4Then a champion named Goliath, from Gath, # 2Sm 21:18-22; 1Ch 20:4-8 came out from the Philistine camp. He was nine feet, nine inches tall # DSS, LXX read four cubits and a span # Lit was six cubits and a span 5and wore a bronze helmet # Lit helmet on his head and bronze scale armor that weighed 125 pounds. # Lit 5,000 shekels 6There was bronze armor on his shins, and a bronze sword # 1Sm 17:45 was slung between his shoulders. 7His spear shaft # 2Sm 21:19; 1Ch 11:23 was like a weaver’s beam, and the iron point of his spear weighed 15 pounds. # Lit 600 shekels In addition, a shield-bearer # 1Sm 17:41 was walking in front of him.
8He 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? # 1Sm 8:17 Choose one of your men and have him come down against me. 9If 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.” # 2Sm 2:12-16 10Then the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel today. # 1Sm 17:26,36,45 Send me a man so we can fight each other! ” 11When Saul and all Israel heard these words from the Philistine, they lost their courage and were terrified.
12Now David was the son of the Ephrathite # Gn 35:19 from Bethlehem of Judah named Jesse. Jesse had eight sons # 1Sm 16:10-11; 1Ch 2:13-15 and during Saul’s reign was already an old man. 13Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war, and their names # 1Sm 16:6,8-9 were Eliab, the firstborn, Abinadab, the next, and Shammah, the third, 14and David was the youngest. # 1Sm 16:11 The three oldest had followed Saul, 15but David kept going back and forth from Saul # 1Sm 16:21-23 to tend his father’s flock in Bethlehem.
16Every morning and evening for 40 days the Philistine came forward and took his stand. 17One day Jesse had told his son David: “Take this half-bushel # Lit this ephah of roasted grain along with these 10 loaves of bread # 1Sm 25:18 for your brothers and hurry to their camp. 18Also take these 10 portions of cheese to the field commander. # Lit the leader of 1,000 Check on the welfare of your brothers # Gn 37:13-14 and bring a confirmation from them. 19They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah fighting with the Philistines.”
20So 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 # 1Sm 26:5,7 as the army was marching out to its battle formation shouting their battle cry. 21Israel and the Philistines lined up in battle formation facing each other. 22David left his supplies in the care of the quartermaster # Jdg 18:21; Is 10:28 and ran to the battle line. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were. 23While 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, # 1Sm 17:8-10 which David heard. 24When all the Israelite men saw Goliath, they retreated from him terrified.
25Previously, 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. # Jos 15:16 The king will also make the household of that man’s father exempt from paying taxes in Israel.” # 1Sm 8:11
26David 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? # 1Sm 11:2 Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine # 1Sm 14:6; 17:36; Jr 9:25-26 that he should defy the armies # 1Sm 17:10 of the living God? ” # Dt 5:26; 2Kg 19:4
27The people told him about the offer, concluding, “That is what will be done for the man who kills him.” # 1Sm 17:25
28David’s oldest brother Eliab listened as he spoke to the men, and became angry with him. # Gn 37:4,8-36 “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! ”
29“What have I done now? ” protested David. “It was just a question.” 30Then 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. # 1Sm 17:26-27
31What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, so he had David brought to him. 32David said to Saul, “Don’t let anyone be discouraged by # Lit let a man’s heart fall over him; # Dt 20:1-4 your servant will go # 1Sm 16:18 and fight this Philistine! ”
33But Saul replied, “You can’t go fight this Philistine. You’re just a youth, and he’s been a warrior since he was young.”
34David 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, 35I went after it, struck it down, and rescued the lamb from its mouth. # Am 3:12 If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur, # LXX reads throat ; lit beard strike it down, and kill it. 36Your 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.” 37Then 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.” # 2Tm 4:17-18
Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you.” # 1Sm 20:13
38Then Saul had his own military clothes put on David. He put a bronze helmet on David’s head and had him put on armor. 39David 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. 40Instead, he took his staff in his hand # Jdg 20:16 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.
41The Philistine came closer and closer to David, with the shield-bearer in front of him. 42When the Philistine looked and saw David, he despised him # Pr 16:18 because he was just a youth, healthy # Or ruddy # 1Sm 16:12 and handsome. 43He said to David, “Am I a dog # 1Sm 24:14 that you come against me with sticks? ” # Some LXX mss add and stones?” And David said, “No! Worse than a dog!” Then he cursed David by his gods. # 1Kg 20:10 44“Come here,” the Philistine called to David, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts! ” # 1Sm 17:46
45David said to the Philistine: “You come against me with a dagger, spear, and sword, but I come against you in the name of Yahweh of Hosts, the God of Israel’s armies — you have defied Him. # 2Ch 32:7-8; Ps 124:8; Heb 11:34 46Today, the Lord will hand you over to me. Today, I’ll strike you down, cut your head off, and give the corpses # LXX reads give your limbs and the limbs 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, # 1Kg 18:36; 2Kg 19:19; Is 37:20 47and this whole assembly will know that it is not by sword or by spear that the Lord saves, # Hs 1:7 for the battle is the Lord’s. # Ex 14:13-14; Ps 33:16-22; 44:4-8 He will hand you over to us.”
48When the Philistine started forward to attack him, David ran quickly to the battle line to meet the Philistine. # Ps 27:3 49David 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. 50David defeated the Philistine with a sling and a stone. Even though David had no sword, he struck down the Philistine and killed him. 51David ran and stood over him. He grabbed the Philistine’s sword, # 1Sm 21:9 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. # Heb 11:34 52The 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. # LXX reads Ashkelon # Jos 15:11 Philistine bodies were strewn all along the Shaaraim road # Jos 15:36 to Gath and Ekron.
53When the Israelites returned from the pursuit of the Philistines, they plundered their camps. 54David took Goliath’s # Lit the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put Goliath’s weapons in his own tent.
55 # LXX omits 1Sm 17:55–18:5 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? ” # 1Sm 16:17-22; 17:25
“My king, as surely as you live, I don’t know,” Abner replied.
56The king said, “Find out whose son this young man is! ”
57When David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the Philistine’s head still in his hand. # 1Sm 17:54 58Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man? ”
“The son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem,” # 1Sm 17:12 David answered.
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1 Samuel 17: HCSB
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© 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.
1 Samuel 17
17
Goliath Challenges the Israelites
1The Philistines gathered for battle in Socoh, a town in Judah; they camped at a place called Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah. 2Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah, where they got ready to fight the Philistines. 3The Philistines lined up on one hill and the Israelites on another, with a valley between them.
4A man named Goliath, from the city of Gath, came out from the Philistine camp to challenge the Israelites. He was nearly three metres#17.4 Hebrew nearly three metres; one ancient Hebrew manuscript and one ancient translation about two metres. tall 5and wore bronze armour that weighed about 57 kilogrammes and a bronze helmet. 6His legs were also protected by bronze armour, and he carried a bronze javelin slung over his shoulder. 7His spear was as thick as the bar on a weaver's loom, and its iron head weighed about seven kilogrammes. A soldier walked in front of him carrying his shield. 8Goliath 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. 9If he wins and kills me, we will be your slaves; but if I win and kill him, you will be our slaves. 10Here and now I challenge the Israelite army. I dare you to pick someone to fight me!” 11When Saul and his men heard this, they were terrified.
David in Saul's Camp
12David 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.#17.12 Some ancient translations a very old man; Hebrew unclear. 13His three eldest sons had gone with Saul to war. The eldest was Eliab, the next was Abinadab, and the third was Shammah. 14David was the youngest son, and while the three eldest brothers stayed with Saul, 15David would go back to Bethlehem from time to time, to take care of his father's sheep.
16Goliath challenged the Israelites every morning and evening for forty days.
17One day Jesse said to David, “Take ten kilogrammes of this roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread, and hurry with them to your brothers in the camp. 18And take these ten cheeses to the commanding officer. Find out how your brothers are getting on and bring back something to show that you saw them and that they are well. 19King Saul, your brothers, and all the other Israelites are in the Valley of Elah fighting the Philistines.”
20David 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. 21The Philistine and the Israelite armies took up positions for battle, facing each other. 22David 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 on. 23As he was talking to them, Goliath came forward and challenged the Israelites as he had done before. And David heard him. 24When the Israelites saw Goliath, they ran away in terror. 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.”#17.25 to pay taxes; or either to pay taxes or serve him.
26David 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?” 27They told him what would be done for the man who killed Goliath.
28Eliab, David's eldest brother, heard David talking to the men. He was 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 cheeky brat, you! You just came to watch the fighting!”
29“Now what have I done?” David asked. “Can't I even ask a question?” 30He turned to another man and asked him the same question, and every time he asked, he got the same answer.
31Some men heard what David had said, and they told Saul, who sent for him. 32David said to Saul, “Your Majesty, no one should be afraid of this Philistine! I will go and fight him.”
33“No,” answered Saul. “How could you fight him? You're just a boy, and he has been a soldier all his life!”
34“Your Majesty,” David said, “I take care of my father's sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear carries off a lamb, 35I 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. 36I have killed lions and bears, and I will do the same to this heathen Philistine, who has defied the army of the living God. 37The 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.” 38He gave his own armour to David for him to wear: a bronze helmet, which he put on David's head, and a coat of armour. 39David strapped Saul's sword over the armour 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. 40He 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.
David Defeats Goliath
41The Philistine started walking towards David, with his shield-bearer walking in front of him. He kept coming closer, 42and when he got a good look at David, he was filled with scorn for him because he was just a nice, good-looking boy. 43He 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. 44“Come on,” he challenged David, “and I will give your body to the birds and animals to eat.”
45David 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. 46This 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, 47and 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.”
48Goliath started walking towards David again, and David ran quickly towards the Philistine battle line to fight him. 49He put his hand 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 downwards on the ground. 50#2 Sam 21.19And so, without a sword, David defeated and killed Goliath with a sling and a stone! 51#1 Sam 21.9He 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. 52The men of Israel and Judah shouted and ran after them, pursuing them all the way to Gath#17.52 One ancient translation Gath; Hebrew a valley. and to the gates of Ekron. The Philistines fell wounded all along the road that leads to Shaaraim, as far as Gath and Ekron. 53When the Israelites came back from pursuing the Philistines, they looted their camp. 54David picked up Goliath's head and took it to Jerusalem, but he kept Goliath's weapons in his own tent.
David is Presented to Saul
55When 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.
56“Then go and find out,” Saul ordered.
57So when David returned to camp after killing Goliath, Abner took him to Saul. David was still carrying Goliath's head. 58Saul asked him, “Young man, whose son are you?”
“I am the son of your servant Jesse from Bethlehem,” David answered.
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Good News Bible with Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.