1   The Philistines collected their forces for war and massed at Socoh in Judah; they camped between Socoh and Azekah at Ephes-dammim. 2   Saul and the Israelites also massed, and camped in the Vale of Elah. 3   They drew up their lines facing the Philistines, the Philistines occupying a position on one hill and the Israelites on another, with a valley between them. 4   A champion came out from the Philistine camp, a man named Goliath, from Gath; he was over nine feet ^note in height. 5   He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he wore plate-armour of bronze, weighing five thousand shekels. 6   On his legs were bronze greaves, and one of his weapons was a dagger of bronze. 7   The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and its head, which was of iron, weighed six hundred shekels; and his shield-bearer marched ahead of him. 8   The champion stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, ‘Why do you come out to do battle, you slaves of Saul? I am the Philistine champion; choose your man to meet me. 9   If he can kill me in fair fight, we will become your slaves; but if I prove too strong for him and kill him, you shall be our slaves and serve us. 10   Here and now I defy the ranks of Israel. Give me a man,’ said the Philistine, ‘and we will fight it out.’ 11   When Saul and the Israelites heard what the Philistine said, they were shaken and dismayed.

12   David was the son of an Ephrathite ^note called Jesse, who had eight sons. 13   By Saul's time he had become a feeble old man, and his three eldest sons had followed Saul to the war. The eldest was called Eliab, the next Abinadab, and the third Shammah; David was the youngest. 15   The three eldest followed Saul, while David used to go to Saul's camp and back to Bethlehem to mind his father's flocks.

16   Morning and evening for forty days the Philistine came forward and took up his position. 17   Then one day Jesse said to his son David, ‘Take your brothers an ephah of this parched grain and these ten loaves of bread, and run with them to the camp. 18   These ten cream-cheeses are

Saul and David for you to take to the commanding officer. See if your brothers are well and bring back some token from them.’ 19   Saul and the brothers and all the Israelites were in the Vale of Elah, fighting the Philistines. 20   Early next morning David left someone in charge of the sheep, set out on his errand and went as Jesse had told him. He reached the lines just as the army was going out to take up position and was raising the war-cry. 21   The Israelites and the Philistines drew up their ranks opposite each other. 22   David left his things in charge of the quartermaster, ran to the line and went up to his brothers to greet them. 23   While he was talking to them the Philistine champion, Goliath, came out from the Philistine ranks and issued his challenge in the same words as before; and David heard him. 24   When the Israelites saw the man they ran from him in fear. 25   ‘Look at this man who comes out day after day to defy Israel’, they said. ‘The king is to give a rich reward to the man who kills him; he will give him his daughter in marriage too and will exempt his family from service due in Israel.’ 26   Then David turned to his neighbours and said, ‘What is to be done for the man who kills this Philistine and wipes out our disgrace? And who is he, an uncircumcised Philistine, to defy the army of the living God?’ 27   The people told him how the matter stood and what was to be done for the man who killed him. 28   His elder brother Eliab overheard David talking with the men and grew angry. ‘What are you doing here?’ he asked. ‘And who have you left to look after those few sheep in the wilderness? I know you, you impudent young rascal; you have only come to see the fighting.’ 29   David answered, ‘What have I done now? 30   I only asked a question.’ And he turned away from him to someone else and repeated his question, but everybody gave him the same answer.

31   What David had said was overheard and reported to Saul, who sent for him. 32   David said to him, ‘Do not lose heart, sir. ^noteI will go and fight this Philistine.’ 33   Saul answered, ‘You cannot go and fight with this Philistine; you are only a lad, and he has been a fighting man all his life.’ 34   David said to Saul, ‘Sir, I am my father's shepherd; when a lion or bear comes and carries off a sheep from the flock, 35   I go after it and attack it and rescue the victim from its jaws. Then if it turns on me, I seize it by the beard and batter it to death. 36   Lions I have killed and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine will fare no better than they; he has defied the army of the living God. 37   The Lord who saved me from the lion and the bear will save me from this Philistine.’ ‘Go then,’ said Saul; ‘and the Lord will be with you.’ 38   He put his own tunic on David, placed a bronze helmet on his head and gave him a coat of mail to wear; he then fastened his sword on David ^note over his tunic. 39   But

Saul and David David hesitated, because he had not tried them, and said to Saul, ‘I cannot go with these, because I have not tried them.’ So he took them off. 40   Then he picked up his stick, chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in a shepherd's bag which served as his pouch. ^note He walked out to meet the Philistine with his sling in his hand.

41   The Philistine came on towards David, with his shield-bearer marching ahead; 42   and he looked David up and down and had nothing but contempt for this handsome lad with his ruddy cheeks and bright eyes. ^note 43   He said to David, ‘Am I a dog that you come out against me with sticks?’ 44   And he swore at him in the name of his god. ‘Come on,’ he said, ‘and I will give your flesh to the birds and the beasts.’ 45   David answered, ‘You have come against me with sword and spear and dagger, but I have come against you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the army of Israel which you have defied. 46   The Lord will put you into my power this day; I will kill you and cut your head off and leave your carcass and the carcasses of the Philistines ^note to the birds and the wild beasts; all the world shall know that there is a God in Israel. 47   All those who are gathered here shall see that the Lord saves neither by sword nor spear; the battle is the Lord's, and he will put you all into our power.’

48   When the Philistine began moving towards him again, David ran quickly to engage him. 49   He put his hand into his bag, took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell flat on his face on the ground. 50   So David proved the victor with his sling and stone; he struck Goliath down and gave him a mortal wound, though he had no sword. 51   Then he ran to the Philistine and stood over him, and grasping his sword, he drew it out of the scabbard, dispatched him and cut off his head. The Philistines, when they saw that their hero was dead, turned and ran. 52   The men of Israel and Judah at once raised the war-cry and hotly pursued them all the way to Gath ^note and even to the gates of Ekron. The road that runs to Shaarim, Gath, and Ekron was strewn with their dead. 53   On their return from the pursuit of the Philistines, the Israelites plundered their camp. 54   David took Goliath's head and carried it to Jerusalem, leaving his weapons in his tent.

55   Saul had said to Abner his commander-in-chief, when he saw David going out against the Philistine, ‘That boy there, Abner, whose son is he?’ ‘By your life, your majesty,’ said Abner, ‘I do not know.’ 56    57   The king said to Abner, ‘Go and find out whose son the lad is.’ When David came back after killing the Philistine, Abner took him and

Saul and David presented him to Saul with the Philistine's head still in his hand. 58   Saul asked him, ‘Whose son are you, young man?’, and David answered, ‘I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.’

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