“1 Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and
were gathered together at Shochoh, which [belongeth] to Judah, and
pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim. 2 And Saul and the
men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah,
and set the battle in array 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
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 [he
had] an helmet of brass upon his head, and he [was] armed with a coat of
mail; and the weight of the coat [was] five thousand shekels of brass. 6
And [he had] greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target 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] not I a Philistine, and ye servants to
Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. 9 If he be
able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants:
but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our
servants, and serve us. 10 And the Philistine said, I defy the armies 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 Now David [was] the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah,
whose name [was] Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among
men [for] an old man in the days of Saul. 13 And the three eldest sons
of Jesse went [and] followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his
three sons that went to the battle [were] Eliab the firstborn, and next
unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14 And David [was] the
youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul. 15 But David went and
returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem. 16 And the
Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty
days. 17 And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an
ephah of this parched [corn], and these ten loaves, and run to the camp
to thy brethren; 18 And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of
[their] thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge.
19 Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, [were] in the valley
of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. 20 And 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 trench, as the host was
going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle. 21 For Israel and
the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army. 22 And
David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and
ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren. 23 And as he
talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of
Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake
according to the same words: and David heard [them]. 24 And all the men
of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.
25 And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up?
surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, [that] the man who
killeth 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 And
David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to
the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from
Israel? for who [is] this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy
the armies of the living God? 27 And the people answered him after this
manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him. 28 And
Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s
anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down
hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness?
I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come
down that thou mightest see the battle. 29 And David said, What have I
now done? [Is there] not a cause? 30 And he turned from him toward
another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him
again after the former manner.”
“31 And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed
[them] before Saul: and he sent for him. 32 And David said to Saul, Let
no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with
this Philistine. 33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go
against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou [art but] a youth,
and he a man of war from his youth. 34 And David said unto Saul, Thy
servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and
took a lamb out of the flock: 35 And I went out after him, and smote
him, and delivered [it] out of his mouth: and when he arose against me,
I caught [him] by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. 36 Thy servant
slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall
be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
37 David said moreover, The LORD that 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 unto David, Go, and the LORD be with
thee. 38 And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of
brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. 39 And David
girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not
proved [it]. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I
have not proved [them]. And David put them off him.”
“40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth
stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had,
even in a scrip; and his sling [was] in his hand: and he drew near to
the Philistine. 41 And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David;
and the man that bare the shield [went] before him. 42 And when the
Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was
[but] a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. 43 And the
Philistine said unto David, [Am] I a dog, that thou comest to me with
staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 And the
Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the
fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. 45 Then said David to
the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and
with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the
God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 46 This day will the
LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine
head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the
Philistines this day unto the fowls 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 all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword
and spear: for the battle [is] the LORD’S, and he will give you into our
hands.”
“48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew
nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet
the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a
stone, and slang [it], and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that
the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the
earth. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a
stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but [there was] no sword
in the hand of David. 51 Therefore David ran, and stood upon the
Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof,
and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines
saw their champion was dead, they fled. 52 And the men of Israel and of
Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou come
to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the
Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto
Ekron. 53 And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the
Philistines, and they spoiled their tents. 54 And David took the head of
the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in
his tent. 55 And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he
said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son [is] this
youth? And Abner said, [As] thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell. 56
And the king said, Enquire thou whose son the stripling [is]. 57 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
And Saul said to him, Whose son [art] thou, [thou] young man? And David
answered, I [am] the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.” (1
Samuel 17:1-58 AV)
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