1 ¶ Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle, and had assembled at Shochoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim.

2 And Saul and the men of Israel had gathered together, and encamped by the valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array against the Philistines.

3 Then the Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.

4 And a champion, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span, came out of the Philistine camp.

5 He had a helmet of brass on his head, and was armed with a coat of brass scale armor weighing five thousand shekels.

6 And he had brass shin armor on his legs, and a brass sword slung between his shoulders.

7 And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and the iron head of his spear weighed six hundred shekels: and one bearing a shield went before him.

8 And he stood and shouted to the armies of Israel, saying, Why have you come out in battle array? am I not a Philistine, and you servants of Saul? choose a man to fight for you, and let him come down to me.

9 If he is able to fight with me, and kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then you will be our servants, and serve us.

10 Then the Philistine said, Today I defy the armies of Israel; send me a man, so that we may fight each other.

11 When Saul and all Israel heard what the Philistine said, they lost their courage, and were terrified.

12 ¶ Now David was the son of the Ephrathite from Bethlehemjudah, whose name was Jesse. Jesse had eight sons: and in the days of Saul was already an old man.

13 And Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: and their names were Eliab the firstborn, then Abinadab, and third Shammah.

14 David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul.

15 But David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep in Bethlehem.

16 And every morning and evening for forty days, the Philistine drew near and presented himself.

17 And one day Jesse said to David his son, Take this ephah of parched corn, and these ten loaves, to your brothers, and hurry to their camp;

18 Also carry these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand, see how your brothers are fairing, and take a pledge from them.

19 Now Saul, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

20 So David got up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and departed, taking what Jesse had told him; and he came to the encampment, as the army was going forth to the battle line, shouting the war cry.

21 For Israel and the Philistines had lined up in battle array, army against army.

22 And David left his baggage in the hands of the baggage keeper, and ran into the army, and went and greeted his brethren.

23 And as they talked, behold, Goliath of Gath the Philistine champion, came out of the Philistine army, and made the same challenge: and David heard it.

24 And when the soldiers saw Goliath, they fled from him, and were terrified.

25 And the men of Israel said, Have you seen this man who has come out? He has come to defy Israel: and the king will make the man who kills him very rich, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel.

26 And David asked the men who stood by him, What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine, and takes away this 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 about the offer, saying, That is what will be done for the man who kills him.

28 Now Eliab David’s oldest brother heard what he said to the men; and became angry with David, and said, Why did you come down here? and who did you leave those few sheep with in the wilderness? I know your pride, and the naughtiness of your heart; for you have come down so that you might see the battle.

29 And David answered, What have I done wrong? I just asked a question?

30 Then he turned from Eliab to another, and asked him the same thing: and again the men gave him the same answer.

31 ¶ When the words that David spoke were heard, they were repeated to Saul: and Saul sent for him.

32 And David said to Saul, Do not let any man lose heart because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.

33 And Saul said to David, You are not able to go fight against this Philistine: for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.

34 And David said to Saul, Your servant kept his father’s sheep, and when a lion came there, and later a bear, and seized a lamb from the flock:

35 I went out after him, and struck him, and delivered it from his mouth: and when he rose up against me, I caught him by his beard, and struck him, and slew him.

36 Your servant killed both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, seeing that he has defied the armies of the living God.

37 David then added, The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion, and the paw of the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Go, and the LORD be with you.

38 Then Saul dressed David in his armor, putting a helmet of brass on his head; and clothing him with a coat of mail.

39 And over the coat David strapped on his sword, and tried to walk; but he was not used to them. And David said to Saul, I cannot move in these; for I am not used to them. So David took them off.

40 ¶ Instead he took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the pouch in his shepherd’s bag; and approached the Philistine having his sling in his hand.

41 And the Philistine moved on and came toward David; and the man who carried his shield walked in front of him.

42 And when the Philistine got a good look at David, he scorned him: for he was but a youth, ruddy, and good looking.

43 And the Philistine said to David, Am I a dog, that you have come to me with a stick? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

44 And 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 David said to the Philistine, You come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

46 Today the LORD will deliver you into my hand; and I will strike you, and take your head from you; and today I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines to the birds 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 everyone gathered here will know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands.

48 ¶ And when the Philistine came forward, and drew near to meet David, David hurried, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

49 And David put his hand into his bag, and took a stone out of it, and slung it, and it struck the Philistine in the forehead, sinking into his forehead; and he fell to the ground on his face.

50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine, and killed him; however David had no sword in his hand.

51 Therefore David ran over, and stood on the Philistine, and drew his sword out of its sheath, and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

52 And the men of Israel and Judah arose, with a shout, and chased the Philistines to the entrance of the valley, and to the gates of Ekron, so that the bodies of the Philistines were strewn along the road to Shaaraim, as far as Gath and Ekron.

53 And when the children of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their tents.

54 And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put Goliath’s armor in his tent.

55 And when Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As your soul lives, O king, I cannot tell.

56 And the king said, Find out whose son the young man is.

57 So when David returned from killing 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.