¹³ Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab;^(A) the second, Abinadab;^(B) and the third, Shammah.^{(C) 14} David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul, ¹⁵ but David went back and forth from Saul to tend^(D) his father’s sheep^(E) 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^[a](F) of roasted grain^(G) 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^(H) are and bring back some assurance^[b] from them.

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

³³ Saul replied,^(B) “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^(C) 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^(D) it by its hair, struck it and killed it. ³⁶ Your servant has killed both the lion^(E) 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^(F) me from the paw of the lion^(G) 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^(H) you.”

⁴² He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome,^(A) and he despised^(B) him. ⁴³ He said to David, “Am I a dog,^(C) 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^(D) and the wild animals!^(E)”

⁴⁵ David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin,^(F) but I come against you in the name^(G) of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.^{(H) 46} This day the Lord will deliver^(I) you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses^(J) of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world^(K) will know that there is a God in Israel.^{(L) 47} All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword^(M) or spear that the Lord saves;^(N) for the battle^(O) 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^(P) 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^(Q) off his head with the sword.^(R)

When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran.