David versus Goliath

17 The Philistines^(A) gathered their forces for war at Socoh in Judah and camped between Socoh^(B) and Azekah^(C) in Ephes-dammim.^{(D) 2} Saul and the men of Israel gathered and camped in the Valley of Elah;^(E) then they lined up in battle formation to face the Philistines.

³ The Philistines were standing on one hill, and the Israelites were standing on another hill with a ravine between them. ⁴ Then a champion named Goliath, from Gath,^(F) came out from the Philistine camp. He was nine feet, nine inches^[a][b] tall ⁵ and wore a bronze helmet and bronze scale armor that weighed one hundred twenty-five pounds.^{[c] 6} There was bronze armor on his shins, and a bronze javelin^(G) was slung between his shoulders. ⁷ His spear shaft^(H) was like a weaver’s beam, and the iron point of his spear weighed fifteen pounds.^[d] In addition, a shield-bearer^(I) was walking in front of him.

⁸ He 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?^(J) Choose one of your men and have him come down against me. ⁹ If 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.”^{(K) 10} Then the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel today.^(L) Send me a man so we can fight each other!” ¹¹ When Saul and all Israel heard these words from the Philistine, they lost their courage and were terrified.

⁴¹ The Philistine came closer and closer to David, with the shield-bearer in front of him. ⁴² When the Philistine looked and saw David, he despised him^(A) because he was just a youth, healthy^[a](B) and handsome. ⁴³ He said to David, “Am I a dog^(C) that you come against me with sticks?” ^[b] Then he cursed David by his gods.^{(D) 44} “Come here,” the Philistine called to David, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts!” ^(E)

⁴⁵ David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with a sword, spear, and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of Armies, the God of the ranks of Israel—you have defied him.^{(F) 46} Today, the Lord will hand you over to me. Today, I’ll strike you down, remove your head, and give the corpses^[c] of the Philistine camp to the birds of the sky and the wild creatures of the earth. Then all the world will know that Israel has a God,^{(G) 47} and this whole assembly will know that it is not by sword or by spear that the Lord saves,^(H) for the battle is the Lord’s.^(I) He will hand you over to us.”

⁴⁸ When the Philistine started forward to attack him, David ran quickly to the battle line to meet the Philistine.^{(J) 49} David 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 facedown to the ground. ⁵⁰ David defeated the Philistine with a sling and a stone. David overpowered the Philistine and killed him without having a sword. ⁵¹ David ran and stood over him. He grabbed the Philistine’s sword,^(K) 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 fled.^{(L) 52} The 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.^[d](M) Philistine bodies were strewn all along the Shaaraim road^(N) to Gath and Ekron.

⁵³ When the Israelites returned from the pursuit of the Philistines, they plundered their camps. ⁵⁴ David took Goliath’s^[e] head and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put Goliath’s weapons in his own tent.

^55 [f] 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?” ^(O)

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

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

⁵⁷ When David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the Philistine’s head still in his hand.^{(P) 58} Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?”

“The son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem,”^(Q) David answered.