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1 Samuel 17-20
New American Standard Bible

Goliath’s Challenge

17 Now (A)the Philistines gathered their armies for battle; and they were gathered at Socoh which belongs to Judah, and they camped between (B)Socoh and (C)Azekah, in (D)Ephes-dammim. 2 Saul and the men of Israel were assembled and camped in (E)the Valley of Elah, and they drew up in battle formation to confront the Philistines. 3 The Philistines were standing on the mountain on one side, while Israel was standing on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them. 4 Then a champion came forward from the army encampment of the Philistines, named (F)Goliath, from (G)Gath. His height was [a]six cubits and a [b]span. 5 And he had a bronze helmet on his head, and he wore scale-armor [c]which weighed [d]five thousand shekels of bronze. 6 He also had bronze [e]greaves on his legs and a (H)bronze [f]saber slung between his shoulders. 7 (I)The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the head of his spear weighed [g]six hundred shekels of iron; and (J)his shield-carrier walked in front of him. 8 He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel and said to them, “Why do you come out to draw up in battle formation? Am I not the Philistine, and you the (K)servants of Saul? Choose a man as your representative and have him come down to me. 9 (L)If he is able to fight me and [h]kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and [i]kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us.” 10 Then the Philistine said, “(M)I have defied the ranks of Israel this day! Give me a man, so that we may fight together.” 11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and very fearful.

12 Now David was (N)the son of [j]the (O)Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, the man whose name was Jesse, and (P)he had eight sons. And [k]Jesse was old in the days of Saul, advanced in years among men. 13 The three older sons of Jesse had [l]followed Saul to the battle. And (Q)the names of his three sons who had gone into the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and second to him, Abinadab, and the third, Shammah. 14 So (R)David was the youngest. Now the three oldest followed Saul, 15 (S)but David went back and forth from Saul (T)to tend his father’s flock at Bethlehem. 16 And the Philistine came forward morning and evening, and took his stand for forty days.

17 Then Jesse said to his son David, “(U)Take now for your brothers an ephah of this roasted grain and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to your brothers. 18 (V)Bring also these ten slices of cheese to the commander of their thousand, (W)and look into the well-being of your brothers and bring back [m]confirmation from them. 19 For Saul and they and all the men of Israel are in the Valley of Elah, fighting the Philistines.”

David Accepts the Challenge

20 So David got up early in the morning and left the flock with a keeper, and took the supplies and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the (X)entrenchment encircling the camp while the army was going out in battle formation, shouting the war cry. 21 Israel and the Philistines drew up in battle formation, army against army. 22 Then David left the (Y)baggage in the [n]care of the baggage keeper and ran to the battle line. And he entered and [o]greeted his brothers. 23 As he was speaking with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine from Gath named Goliath, was coming up from the army of the Philistines, and he spoke (Z)these same words; and David heard him.

24 When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fled from him and were very fearful. 25 And the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who is coming up? Surely he is coming up to defy Israel. And it will be that the king will make the man who kills him wealthy with great riches, and (AA)will give him his daughter and make his father’s house [p]free in Israel.”

26 Then David said to the men who were standing by him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and rids Israel of (AB)the disgrace? For who is this (AC)uncircumcised Philistine, that he has dared to (AD)defy the armies of (AE)the living God?” 27 The people [q]answered him in agreement with this statement, saying, “(AF)This is what will be done for the man who kills him.”

28 Now Eliab his oldest brother heard him when he spoke to the men; and (AG)Eliab’s anger burned against David and he said, “Why is it that you have come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I myself know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart; for you have come down in order to see the battle.” 29 But David said, “What have I done now? Was it not just a [r]question?” 30 Then he turned [s]away from him to another and (AH)said the same thing; and the people replied with the same words as [t]before.

David Kills Goliath

31 When the words that David spoke were heard, they informed [u]Saul, and he [v]sent for him. 32 And David said to Saul, “(AI)May no one’s heart fail on account of him; (AJ)your servant will go and fight this Philistine!” 33 But Saul said to David, “(AK)You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight him; for you are only a youth, while he has been a warrior since his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a sheep from the flock, 35 I went out after it and [w]attacked it, and (AL)rescued the sheep from its mouth; and when it rose up against me, I grabbed it by its mane and struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has [x]killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, “(AM)The Lord who saved me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear, He will save me from the hand of this Philistine.” So Saul said to David, “(AN)Go, and may the Lord be with you.” 38 Then Saul clothed David with his military attire and put a bronze helmet on his head, and outfitted him with armor. 39 And David strapped on his sword over his military attire and struggled at walking, for he had not trained with the armor. So David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, because I have not trained with them.” And David took them [y]off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, that is, in his shepherd’s pouch, and (AO)his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.

41 Then the Philistine came and approached David, with the shield-bearer in front of him. 42 When the Philistine looked and saw David, (AP)he was contemptuous of him; for he was only a youth, and [z](AQ)reddish, with a handsome appearance. 43 So the Philistine said to David, “(AR)Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And (AS)the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 The Philistine also said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh (AT)to the birds of the sky and the [aa]wild animals.” 45 But David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a [ab]saber, (AU)but I come to you in the name of the Lord of armies, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I will strike you and remove your head from you. Then I will give the (AV)dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the earth, (AW)so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that this entire assembly may know that (AX)the Lord does not save by sword or by spear; (AY)for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will hand you over to us!”

48 Then it happened, when the Philistine [ac]came closer to meet David, that (AZ)David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone penetrated his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.

50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with the sling and the stone: he struck the Philistine and killed him, and there was no sword in David’s hand. 51 Then David ran and stood over the Philistine, and (BA)took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and finished him, and cut off his head with it. (BB)When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 52 Then the men of Israel and Judah rose up and shouted, and they pursued the Philistines [ad]as far as the valley, and to the gates of (BC)Ekron. And the Philistine dead [ae]lay along the way to (BD)Shaaraim, even to Gath and Ekron. 53 Then the sons of Israel returned from their close pursuit of the Philistines, and plundered their camps. 54 And David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his weapons in his tent.

55 Now when Saul had seen David going out against the Philistine, he said to Abner the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is (BE)this young man?” And Abner said, “By your life, O king, I do not know.” 56 And the king said, “You then, ask whose son the youth is.” 57 So when David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and (BF)brought him before Saul with the Philistine’s head in his hand. 58 Then Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “(BG)I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”

Jonathan and David

18 Now it came about, when he had finished speaking to Saul, that [af](BH)Jonathan committed himself to David, and (BI)Jonathan loved him as himself. 2 And Saul took him that day and (BJ)did not let him return to his father’s house. 3 Then (BK)Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 4 (BL)Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his military gear, including his sword, his bow, and his belt. 5 And David went into battle wherever Saul sent him, and always [ag]achieved success; so Saul put him in charge of the men of war. And it was pleasing in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.

6 Now it happened as they were coming, when David returned from killing the Philistine, that (BM)the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy and with other [ah]musical instruments. 7 The women (BN)sang as they [ai]played, and said,

“(BO)Saul has slain his thousands,
(BP)And David his ten thousands.”

8 Then Saul became very angry, for this lyric [aj]displeased him; and he said, “They have given David credit for ten thousands, but to me they have given credit for only thousands! Now what more can he have but the (BQ)kingdom?” 9 And Saul eyed David with suspicion from that day on.

Saul Turns against David

10 Now it came about on the next day that (BR)an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and (BS)he raved in the midst of the house while David was playing the harp with his hand, [ak](BT)as usual; and [al](BU)a spear was in Saul’s hand. 11 Then (BV)Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, “I will [am]pin David to the wall.” But David [an]escaped from his presence, twice.

12 Now (BW)Saul was afraid of David, (BX)because the Lord was with him but (BY)had left Saul. 13 So Saul removed him from [ao]his presence and appointed him as his commander of a thousand; and (BZ)he went out and came in before the people. 14 David was [ap]successful in all his ways, for (CA)the Lord was with him. 15 When Saul saw that he was [aq]very successful, he was afraid of him. 16 But (CB)all Israel and Judah loved David, for he would go out to battle and [ar]return [as]before them.

17 Then Saul said to David, “(CC)Here is my older daughter Merab; I will give her to you as a wife, only be a valiant man for me and fight (CD)the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “My hand shall not be against him, but (CE)let the hand of the Philistines be against him.” 18 But David said to Saul, “(CF)Who am I, and who is my family, or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be the king’s son-in-law?” 19 So it came about at the time that Merab, Saul’s daughter, was to be given to David, that she was given instead to (CG)Adriel (CH)the Meholathite as a wife.

David Marries Saul’s Daughter

20 Now (CI)Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. When they informed Saul, the thing was pleasing [at]to him. 21 For Saul thought, “I will give her to him so that she may become a trap for him, and (CJ)that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David, “(CK)For a second time you may become my son-in-law, today.” 22 Then Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David in secret, saying, ‘Behold, the king delights in you, and all his servants love you; now then, become the king’s son-in-law.’” 23 So Saul’s servants spoke these words [au]to David. But David said, “Is it trivial in your sight to become the king’s son-in-law, (CL)since I am only a poor man and insignificant?” 24 Then Saul’s servants reported to him, saying, “[av]These are the words David spoke.” 25 Saul then said, “This is what you shall say to David: ‘The king does not desire any (CM)dowry except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, (CN)to take vengeance on the king’s enemies.’” But (CO)Saul plotted to have David fall by the hand of the Philistines. 26 When his servants told David these words, [aw]it pleased David to become the king’s son-in-law. So [ax](CP)before the time had expired, 27 David set out and went, (CQ)he and his men, and fatally struck two hundred men among the Philistines. Then (CR)David brought their foreskins, and they presented all two hundred of them to the king, so that he might become the king’s son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal as a wife. 28 When Saul saw and realized that the Lord was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him, 29 then Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David’s enemy continually.

30 Then the commanders of the Philistines (CS)went to battle, and it happened as often as they went out, that David (CT)was more [ay]successful than all the servants of Saul. So his name was held in high esteem.

David Protected from Saul

19 Now Saul told his son Jonathan and all his servants (CU)to put David to death. But (CV)Jonathan, Saul’s son, greatly delighted in David. 2 So Jonathan informed David, saying, “My father Saul is seeking to put you to death. Now then, please be on your guard in the morning, and stay in a hiding place and conceal yourself. 3 And as for me, I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are hiding, and I will speak with my father about you; and (CW)whatever I [az]find out, I will tell you.” 4 Then Jonathan (CX)spoke well of David to his father Saul and said to him, “(CY)May the king not sin against his servant David, since he has not sinned against you, and since his deeds have been very [ba]beneficial to you. 5 For (CZ)he took his life in his hand and struck the Philistine, and (DA)the Lord brought about a great [bb]victory for all Israel; you saw it and rejoiced. (DB)Why then would you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death [bc]for no reason?” 6 Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan, and Saul vowed, “As the Lord lives, David shall not be put to death.” 7 Then Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him all these words. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as (DC)before.

8 When there was war again, David went out and fought the Philistines and [bd]defeated them with great slaughter, so that they fled from him. 9 Now there was (DD)an evil spirit from the Lord on Saul as he was sitting in his house (DE)with his spear in his hand, (DF)and David was playing the harp with his hand. 10 (DG)And Saul tried to [be]pin David to the wall with the spear, but he escaped from Saul’s presence, so that he stuck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.

11 Then (DH)Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him, in order to put him to death in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, informed him, saying, “If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be put to death!” 12 (DI)So Michal let David down through a window, and he went and fled, and escaped. 13 And Michal took (DJ)the [bf]household idol and laid it on the bed, and put a quilt of goats’ hair at its head, and covered it with clothing. 14 When Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “(DK)He is sick.” 15 Then Saul sent messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me on [bg]his bed, so that I may put him to death.” 16 When the messengers entered, behold, the [bh]household idol was on the bed with the quilt of goats’ hair at its head. 17 So Saul said to Michal, “Why have you betrayed me like this and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?” And Michal said to Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go! (DL)Why should I put you to death?’”

18 So David fled and escaped, and came (DM)to Samuel at Ramah; and he informed him of everything that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and stayed in (DN)Naioth. 19 But it was reported to Saul, saying, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.” 20 Then (DO)Saul sent messengers to take David, but when they saw (DP)the company of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing and presiding over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul; and (DQ)they also prophesied. 21 When Saul was informed of this, he sent other messengers, but they also prophesied. So Saul sent messengers again the third time, yet they prophesied. 22 Then he went to Ramah himself and came as far as the large well that is in Secu; and he [bi]asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” And someone said, “Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah.” 23 So he [bj]proceeded there to Naioth in Ramah; but (DR)the Spirit of God came upon him also, so that he went along prophesying continually until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 He also stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and [bk]lay down [bl](DS)naked all that day and all night. Therefore they say, “(DT)Is Saul also among the prophets?”

David and Jonathan’s Covenant

20 Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and he came and (DU)said [bm]to Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my guilt? And what is my sin before your father, that he is seeking my life?” 2 He said to him, “Far from it, you shall not die! Behold, my father does nothing either great or small [bn]without informing me. So why would my father hide this thing from me? It is not so!” 3 Yet David (DV)vowed again, [bo]saying, “Your father is well aware that I have found favor in your sight, and he has said, ‘Jonathan is not to know this, otherwise he will be worried.’ But indeed (DW)as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, there is [bp]just a step between me and death.” 4 Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever [bq]you say, I will do for you.” 5 So David said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is (DX)the new moon, and I am obligated (DY)to sit down to eat with the king. But let me go (DZ)so that I may hide myself in the field until the third evening. 6 If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly requested leave of me to run to (EA)Bethlehem, his city, because it is (EB)the yearly sacrifice there for the whole family.’ 7 If he [br]says, ‘That is good,’ your servant will be safe; but if he is very angry, (EC)be aware that he has decided on evil. 8 So deal kindly with your servant, for (ED)you have brought your servant into a covenant of the Lord with you. But (EE)if [bs]I am guilty of wrongdoing, kill me yourself; for why then should you bring me to your father?” 9 Jonathan said, “Far be it from you! For if I in fact learn that my father has decided [bt]to inflict harm on you, would I not inform you?” 10 Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will inform me [bu]if your father answers you harshly?” 11 Jonathan said to David, “Come, and let’s go out to the field.” So both of them went out to the field.

12 Then Jonathan said to David, “The Lord, the God of Israel, is my witness! When I have sounded out my father about this time tomorrow or the third day, behold, if he has a good feeling toward [bv]you, shall I not then send word to you and [bw]inform you? 13 If it pleases my father to do you harm, (EF)may the Lord do so to [bx]me and more so, if I fail to [by]inform you and send you away, so that you may go in safety. And (EG)may the Lord be with you as He has been with my father. 14 And if I am still alive, will you not show me the faithfulness of the Lord, so that I do not die? 15 And (EH)you shall never cut off your loyalty to my house, not even when the Lord cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.” 16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “(EI)May the Lord demand it from the hands of David’s enemies.” 17 And Jonathan made David vow again because of his love for him, because (EJ)he loved him as he loved his own life.

18 Then Jonathan said to him, “(EK)Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed since your seat will be empty. 19 When you have stayed for three days, you shall go down quickly and come to the place where you hid yourself on that eventful day, and you shall remain beside the stone Ezel. 20 And I will shoot three arrows to the side, as though I shot at a target. 21 Then behold, I will send the boy, telling him, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I specifically say to the boy, ‘Behold, the arrows are on this side of you, get them,’ then come, because it is safe for you and there is nothing to harm you, as the Lord lives. 22 But if I [bz]say to the youth, ‘(EL)Behold, the arrows are beyond you,’ go, because the Lord has sent you away. 23 (EM)As for the [ca]agreement of which you and I have spoken, behold, (EN)the Lord is between you and me forever.”

24 So David hid himself in the field; and when the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food. 25 Now the king sat on his seat as usual, the seat by the wall; then Jonathan stood up and Abner sat down by Saul’s side; but (EO)David’s place was empty. 26 Nevertheless Saul did not say anything that day, because he thought, “It must have been an [cb]accident; (EP)he is not clean, undoubtedly he is not clean.” 27 But it came about the next day, the second day of the new moon, that David’s place was empty again; so Saul said to his son Jonathan, “Why has the son of Jesse not come to the meal, either yesterday or today?” 28 And Jonathan answered Saul, “(EQ)David earnestly requested leave of me to go to Bethlehem. 29 He said, ‘Please let me go, because our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has ordered me to attend. So now, if I have found favor in your sight, please let me slip away so that I may see my brothers.’ For this reason he has not come to the king’s table.”

Saul Is Angry with Jonathan

30 Then Saul’s anger burned against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you are choosing the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness? 31 For, [cc]as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now then, send men and bring him to me, for (ER)he is [cd]doomed to die!” 32 But Jonathan replied to his father Saul and said to him, “(ES)Why must he be put to death? What has he done?” 33 Then (ET)Saul hurled his spear at him to strike and kill him; (EU)so Jonathan knew that his father had decided to put David to death. 34 Then Jonathan got up from the table in the heat of anger, and did not eat food on the second day of the new moon, because he was worried about David since his father had insulted him.

35 Now it came about in the morning that Jonathan went out to the field at the time agreed upon with David, and a little boy was with him. 36 He said to his boy, “(EV)Run, find now the arrows which I am about to shoot.” The boy ran, and he shot [ce]an arrow past him. 37 When the boy reached the location of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the boy and said, “(EW)Is the arrow not beyond you?” 38 Then Jonathan called after the boy, “Hurry, be quick, do not stay!” And Jonathan’s boy picked up the arrow and came to his master. 39 But the boy was not aware of anything; only Jonathan and David knew about the matter. 40 Then Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy and said to him, “Go, bring them to the city.” 41 When the boy was gone, David got up from the south side, then he fell on his face to the ground and (EX)bowed three times. And they kissed each other and wept together, until (EY)David wept immeasurably. 42 Then Jonathan said to David, “(EZ)Go [cf]in safety, since we have sworn to each other in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘(FA)The Lord will be between me and you, and between my [cg]descendants and your [ch]descendants forever.’” [ci]So David set out and went on his way, while Jonathan went into the city.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 17:4 About 9 ft. or 2.7 m
  2. 1 Samuel 17:4 About 9 in. or 23 cm
  3. 1 Samuel 17:5 Lit and the weight of the armor was
  4. 1 Samuel 17:5 Possibly 75-125 lb. (shekel weight varied)
  5. 1 Samuel 17:6 I.e., shin guards
  6. 1 Samuel 17:6 Lit scimitar was
  7. 1 Samuel 17:7 Possibly 8-14 lb.
  8. 1 Samuel 17:9 Lit strike
  9. 1 Samuel 17:9 Lit strike
  10. 1 Samuel 17:12 Lit this
  11. 1 Samuel 17:12 Lit the man
  12. 1 Samuel 17:13 Lit gone; they went after
  13. 1 Samuel 17:18 Lit their pledge
  14. 1 Samuel 17:22 Lit hand
  15. 1 Samuel 17:22 Lit inquired about his brothers’ well-being
  16. 1 Samuel 17:25 I.e., exempt from taxes and public service
  17. 1 Samuel 17:27 Lit said to
  18. 1 Samuel 17:29 Lit word
  19. 1 Samuel 17:30 Lit from beside him
  20. 1 Samuel 17:30 Lit the former word
  21. 1 Samuel 17:31 Lit before Saul
  22. 1 Samuel 17:31 Lit took him
  23. 1 Samuel 17:35 Lit struck
  24. 1 Samuel 17:36 Lit struck
  25. 1 Samuel 17:39 Lit off from himself
  26. 1 Samuel 17:42 I.e., of reddish hair or complexion
  27. 1 Samuel 17:44 Lit beast of the field
  28. 1 Samuel 17:45 Lit scimitar
  29. 1 Samuel 17:48 Lit arose and came
  30. 1 Samuel 17:52 Lit until your coming to
  31. 1 Samuel 17:52 Lit fell
  32. 1 Samuel 18:1 Lit the soul of Jonathan was joined to the soul of
  33. 1 Samuel 18:5 Or acted wisely
  34. 1 Samuel 18:6 Possibly three-stringed lutes
  35. 1 Samuel 18:7 Or danced
  36. 1 Samuel 18:8 Lit was evil in his eyes
  37. 1 Samuel 18:10 Lit day by day
  38. 1 Samuel 18:10 Lit the
  39. 1 Samuel 18:11 Lit strike David and the wall
  40. 1 Samuel 18:11 Lit turned about
  41. 1 Samuel 18:13 Lit with him
  42. 1 Samuel 18:14 Or acting wisely
  43. 1 Samuel 18:15 Or acting very wisely
  44. 1 Samuel 18:16 Lit come in
  45. 1 Samuel 18:16 Or leading them
  46. 1 Samuel 18:20 Lit in his sight
  47. 1 Samuel 18:23 Lit in the ears of
  48. 1 Samuel 18:24 Lit According to these words David
  49. 1 Samuel 18:26 Lit the thing was pleasing in the sight of
  50. 1 Samuel 18:26 Lit the days were not fulfilled, and
  51. 1 Samuel 18:30 Or wise
  52. 1 Samuel 19:3 Lit see
  53. 1 Samuel 19:4 Lit good
  54. 1 Samuel 19:5 Lit deliverance
  55. 1 Samuel 19:5 Or undeservedly
  56. 1 Samuel 19:8 Lit struck
  57. 1 Samuel 19:10 Lit strike David and the wall
  58. 1 Samuel 19:13 Heb teraphim
  59. 1 Samuel 19:15 Lit the
  60. 1 Samuel 19:16 Heb teraphim
  61. 1 Samuel 19:22 Lit asked and said
  62. 1 Samuel 19:23 Lit went
  63. 1 Samuel 19:24 Lit fell
  64. 1 Samuel 19:24 I.e., without outward garments
  65. 1 Samuel 20:1 Lit before
  66. 1 Samuel 20:2 Lit and he does not uncover my ear
  67. 1 Samuel 20:3 Lit and said
  68. 1 Samuel 20:3 Lit about
  69. 1 Samuel 20:4 Lit your soul says
  70. 1 Samuel 20:7 Lit says thus
  71. 1 Samuel 20:8 Lit guilt exists in me
  72. 1 Samuel 20:9 Lit evil to come on
  73. 1 Samuel 20:10 As in ancient versions; MT or what your father
  74. 1 Samuel 20:12 Lit David
  75. 1 Samuel 20:12 Lit uncover your ear
  76. 1 Samuel 20:13 Lit Jonathan
  77. 1 Samuel 20:13 Lit uncover your ear
  78. 1 Samuel 20:22 Lit say thus
  79. 1 Samuel 20:23 Lit word
  80. 1 Samuel 20:26 I.e., accident of ritual pollution
  81. 1 Samuel 20:31 Lit all the days which
  82. 1 Samuel 20:31 Lit a son of death
  83. 1 Samuel 20:36 Lit the
  84. 1 Samuel 20:42 Lit to peace
  85. 1 Samuel 20:42 Lit seed
  86. 1 Samuel 20:42 Lit seed
  87. 1 Samuel 20:42 Ch 21:1 in Heb
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1 Samuel 17-20
New International Version

David and Goliath

17 Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled(A) at Sokoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Sokoh(B) and Azekah.(C) 2 Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah(D) and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. 3 The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them.

4 A champion named Goliath,(E) who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span.[a] 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels[b]; 6 on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin(F) was slung on his back. 7 His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod,(G) and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels.[c] His shield bearer(H) went ahead of him.

8 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose(I) a man and have him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” 10 Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy(J) the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.(K)” 11 On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.

12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite(L) named Jesse,(M) who was from Bethlehem(N) in Judah. Jesse had eight(O) sons, and in Saul’s time he was very old. 13 Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab;(P) the second, Abinadab;(Q) and the third, Shammah.(R) 14 David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul, 15 but David went back and forth from Saul to tend(S) his father’s sheep(T) at Bethlehem.

16 For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand.

17 Now Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah[d](U) of roasted grain(V) and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. 18 Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers(W) are and bring back some assurance[e] from them. 19 They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.”

20 Early in the morning David left the flock in the care of a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry. 21 Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other. 22 David left his things with the keeper of supplies,(X) ran to the battle lines and asked his brothers how they were. 23 As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual(Y) defiance, and David heard it. 24 Whenever the Israelites saw the man, they all fled from him in great fear.

25 Now the Israelites had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter(Z) in marriage and will exempt his family from taxes(AA) in Israel.”

26 David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace(AB) from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised(AC) Philistine that he should defy(AD) the armies of the living(AE) God?”

27 They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, “This is what will be done for the man who kills him.”

28 When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger(AF) at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.”

29 “Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even speak?” 30 He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before. 31 What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him.

32 David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart(AG) on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”

33 Saul replied,(AH) “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”

34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion(AI) or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized(AJ) it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion(AK) and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The Lord who rescued(AL) me from the paw of the lion(AM) and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with(AN) you.”

38 Then Saul dressed David in his own(AO) tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. 39 David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them.

“I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.

41 Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer(AP) in front of him, kept coming closer to David. 42 He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome,(AQ) and he despised(AR) him. 43 He said to David, “Am I a dog,(AS) that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds(AT) and the wild animals!(AU)”

45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin,(AV) but I come against you in the name(AW) of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.(AX) 46 This day the Lord will deliver(AY) you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses(AZ) of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world(BA) will know that there is a God in Israel.(BB) 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword(BC) or spear that the Lord saves;(BD) for the battle(BE) is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. 49 Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.

50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling(BF) and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

51 David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut(BG) off his head with the sword.(BH)

When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. 52 Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath[f] and to the gates of Ekron.(BI) Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim(BJ) road to Gath and Ekron. 53 When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp.

54 David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem; he put the Philistine’s weapons in his own tent.

55 As Saul watched David(BK) going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, “Abner,(BL) whose son is that young man?”

Abner replied, “As surely as you live, Your Majesty, I don’t know.”

56 The king said, “Find out whose son this young man is.”

57 As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine’s head.

58 “Whose son are you, young man?” Saul asked him.

David said, “I am the son of your servant Jesse(BM) of Bethlehem.”

Saul’s Growing Fear of David

18 After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan(BN) became one in spirit with David, and he loved(BO) him as himself.(BP) 2 From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. 3 And Jonathan made a covenant(BQ) with David because he loved him as himself. 4 Jonathan took off the robe(BR) he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.(BS)

5 Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful(BT) that Saul gave him a high rank in the army.(BU) This pleased all the troops, and Saul’s officers as well.

6 When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing,(BV) with joyful songs and with timbrels(BW) and lyres. 7 As they danced, they sang:(BX)

“Saul has slain his thousands,
    and David his tens(BY) of thousands.”

8 Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?(BZ)” 9 And from that time on Saul kept a close(CA) eye on David.

10 The next day an evil[g] spirit(CB) from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre,(CC) as he usually(CD) did. Saul had a spear(CE) in his hand 11 and he hurled it, saying to himself,(CF) “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded(CG) him twice.(CH)

12 Saul was afraid(CI) of David, because the Lord(CJ) was with(CK) David but had departed from(CL) Saul. 13 So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led(CM) the troops in their campaigns.(CN) 14 In everything he did he had great success,(CO) because the Lord was with(CP) him. 15 When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns.(CQ)

17 Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter(CR) Merab. I will give her to you in marriage;(CS) only serve me bravely and fight the battles(CT) of the Lord.” For Saul said to himself,(CU) “I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!”

18 But David said to Saul, “Who am I,(CV) and what is my family or my clan in Israel, that I should become the king’s son-in-law?(CW)” 19 So[h] when the time came for Merab,(CX) Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.(CY)

20 Now Saul’s daughter Michal(CZ) was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased.(DA) 21 “I will give her to him,” he thought, “so that she may be a snare(DB) to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law.”

22 Then Saul ordered his attendants: “Speak to David privately and say, ‘Look, the king likes you, and his attendants all love you; now become his son-in-law.’”

23 They repeated these words to David. But David said, “Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law?(DC) I’m only a poor man and little known.”

24 When Saul’s servants told him what David had said, 25 Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king wants no other price(DD) for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge(DE) on his enemies.’” Saul’s plan(DF) was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.

26 When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed, 27 David took his men with him and went out and killed two hundred Philistines and brought back their foreskins. They counted out the full number to the king so that David might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal(DG) in marriage.

28 When Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal(DH) loved David, 29 Saul became still more afraid(DI) of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days.

30 The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success(DJ) than the rest of Saul’s officers, and his name became well known.

Saul Tries to Kill David

19 Saul told his son Jonathan(DK) and all the attendants to kill(DL) David. But Jonathan had taken a great liking to David 2 and warned him, “My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding(DM) and stay there. 3 I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I’ll speak(DN) to him about you and will tell you what I find out.”

4 Jonathan spoke(DO) well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king do wrong(DP) to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. 5 He took his life(DQ) in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The Lord won a great victory(DR) for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent(DS) man like David by killing him for no reason?”

6 Saul listened to Jonathan and took this oath: “As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be put to death.”

7 So Jonathan called David and told him the whole conversation. He brought him to Saul, and David was with Saul as before.(DT)

8 Once more war broke out, and David went out and fought the Philistines. He struck them with such force that they fled before him.

9 But an evil[i] spirit(DU) from the Lord came on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the lyre,(DV) 10 Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded(DW) him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape.

11 Saul sent men to David’s house to watch(DX) it and to kill him in the morning.(DY) But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t run for your life tonight, tomorrow you’ll be killed.” 12 So Michal let David down through a window,(DZ) and he fled and escaped. 13 Then Michal took an idol(EA) and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats’ hair at the head.

14 When Saul sent the men to capture David, Michal said,(EB) “He is ill.”

15 Then Saul sent the men back to see David and told them, “Bring him up to me in his bed so that I may kill him.” 16 But when the men entered, there was the idol in the bed, and at the head was some goats’ hair.

17 Saul said to Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this and send my enemy away so that he escaped?”

Michal told him, “He said to me, ‘Let me get away. Why should I kill you?’”

18 When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah(EC) and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there. 19 Word came to Saul: “David is in Naioth at Ramah”; 20 so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets(ED) prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came on(EE) Saul’s men, and they also prophesied.(EF) 21 Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too. Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied. 22 Finally, he himself left for Ramah and went to the great cistern at Seku. And he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?”

“Over in Naioth at Ramah,” they said.

23 So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even on him, and he walked along prophesying(EG) until he came to Naioth. 24 He stripped(EH) off his garments, and he too prophesied in Samuel’s(EI) presence. He lay naked all that day and all that night. This is why people say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”(EJ)

David and Jonathan

20 Then David fled from Naioth at Ramah and went to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged(EK) your father, that he is trying to kill me?”(EL)

2 “Never!” Jonathan replied. “You are not going to die! Look, my father doesn’t do anything, great or small, without letting me know. Why would he hide this from me? It isn’t so!”

3 But David took an oath(EM) and said, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said to himself, ‘Jonathan must not know this or he will be grieved.’ Yet as surely as the Lord lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.”

4 Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do for you.”

5 So David said, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon feast,(EN) and I am supposed to dine with the king; but let me go and hide(EO) in the field until the evening of the day after tomorrow. 6 If your father misses me at all, tell him, ‘David earnestly asked my permission(EP) to hurry to Bethlehem,(EQ) his hometown, because an annual(ER) sacrifice is being made there for his whole clan.’ 7 If he says, ‘Very well,’ then your servant is safe. But if he loses his temper,(ES) you can be sure that he is determined(ET) to harm me. 8 As for you, show kindness to your servant, for you have brought him into a covenant(EU) with you before the Lord. If I am guilty, then kill(EV) me yourself! Why hand me over to your father?”

9 “Never!” Jonathan said. “If I had the least inkling that my father was determined to harm you, wouldn’t I tell you?”

10 David asked, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”

11 “Come,” Jonathan said, “let’s go out into the field.” So they went there together.

12 Then Jonathan said to David, “I swear by the Lord, the God of Israel, that I will surely sound(EW) out my father by this time the day after tomorrow! If he is favorably disposed toward you, will I not send you word and let you know? 13 But if my father intends to harm you, may the Lord deal with Jonathan, be it ever so severely,(EX) if I do not let you know and send you away in peace. May the Lord be with(EY) you as he has been with my father. 14 But show me unfailing kindness(EZ) like the Lord’s kindness as long as I live, so that I may not be killed, 15 and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family(FA)—not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.”

16 So Jonathan(FB) made a covenant(FC) with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord call David’s enemies to account.(FD)” 17 And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath(FE) out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.

18 Then Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon feast. You will be missed, because your seat will be empty.(FF) 19 The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid(FG) when this trouble began, and wait by the stone Ezel. 20 I will shoot three arrows(FH) to the side of it, as though I were shooting at a target. 21 Then I will send a boy and say, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I say to him, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them here,’ then come, because, as surely as the Lord lives, you are safe; there is no danger. 22 But if I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond(FI) you,’ then you must go, because the Lord has sent you away. 23 And about the matter you and I discussed—remember, the Lord is witness(FJ) between you and me forever.”

24 So David hid in the field, and when the New Moon feast(FK) came, the king sat down to eat. 25 He sat in his customary place by the wall, opposite Jonathan,[j] and Abner sat next to Saul, but David’s place was empty.(FL) 26 Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, “Something must have happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean—surely he is unclean.(FM)” 27 But the next day, the second day of the month, David’s place was empty again. Then Saul said to his son Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?”

28 Jonathan answered, “David earnestly asked me for permission(FN) to go to Bethlehem. 29 He said, ‘Let me go, because our family is observing a sacrifice(FO) in the town and my brother has ordered me to be there. If I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away to see my brothers.’ That is why he has not come to the king’s table.”

30 Saul’s anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don’t I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you? 31 As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom(FP) will be established. Now send someone to bring him to me, for he must die!”

32 “Why(FQ) should he be put to death? What(FR) has he done?” Jonathan asked his father. 33 But Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father intended(FS) to kill David.

34 Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger; on that second day of the feast he did not eat, because he was grieved at his father’s shameful treatment of David.

35 In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for his meeting with David. He had a small boy with him, 36 and he said to the boy, “Run and find the arrows I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. 37 When the boy came to the place where Jonathan’s arrow had fallen, Jonathan called out after him, “Isn’t the arrow beyond(FT) you?” 38 Then he shouted, “Hurry! Go quickly! Don’t stop!” The boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master. 39 (The boy knew nothing about all this; only Jonathan and David knew.) 40 Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and said, “Go, carry them back to town.”

41 After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground.(FU) Then they kissed each other and wept together—but David wept the most.

42 Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace,(FV) for we have sworn friendship(FW) with each other in the name of the Lord,(FX) saying, ‘The Lord is witness(FY) between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.(FZ)’” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.[k]

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 17:4 That is, about 9 feet 9 inches or about 3 meters
  2. 1 Samuel 17:5 That is, about 125 pounds or about 58 kilograms
  3. 1 Samuel 17:7 That is, about 15 pounds or about 6.9 kilograms
  4. 1 Samuel 17:17 That is, probably about 36 pounds or about 16 kilograms
  5. 1 Samuel 17:18 Or some token; or some pledge of spoils
  6. 1 Samuel 17:52 Some Septuagint manuscripts; Hebrew of a valley
  7. 1 Samuel 18:10 Or a harmful
  8. 1 Samuel 18:19 Or However,
  9. 1 Samuel 19:9 Or But a harmful
  10. 1 Samuel 20:25 Septuagint; Hebrew wall. Jonathan arose
  11. 1 Samuel 20:42 In Hebrew texts this sentence (20:42b) is numbered 21:1.
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