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1 Samuel 17
Amplified Bible

Goliath’s Challenge

17 Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle and were assembled at Socoh, which belongs to Judah; and they camped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. 2 Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together and they camped in the Valley of Elah, and assembled in battle formation to meet the Philistines. 3 The Philistines were standing on the mountain on one side and Israel was standing on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them. 4 Then a [a]champion came out from the camp of the Philistines named Goliath of Gath, whose height was [b]six cubits and a span. 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head, and wore a coat of scale-armor (overlapping metal plates) which weighed [c]5,000 shekels of bronze. 6 He had bronze shin protectors on his legs and a bronze [d]javelin hung between his shoulders. 7 The [wooden] shaft of his spear was like a [e]weaver’s beam; the blade-head of his spear weighed [f]six hundred shekels of iron. And a [g]shield-bearer walked in front of him. 8 Goliath stood and shouted to the battle lines of Israel, saying to them, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not the Philistine and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and have him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us.” 10 Again the Philistine said, “I defy the battle lines 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 greatly afraid.

12 Now David was the son of the [h]Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, named Jesse, who had eight sons. Jesse was old in the days of Saul, advanced in years among men. 13 His three older sons had followed Saul into battle. The names of his three sons who went to battle were Eliab, the firstborn; next, Abinadab; and third, Shammah. 14 David was the youngest. Now the three oldest followed Saul, 15 but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s flock at Bethlehem. 16 The Philistine [Goliath] came out morning and evening, and took his stand for forty days.

17 Then Jesse said to David his son, “Take for your brothers an ephah of this roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread and run quickly to the camp to your brothers. 18 Also take these ten cuts of cheese to the commander of the [i]unit. See how your brothers are doing and bring back news of them. 19 Now they are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.”

David Accepts the Challenge

20 So David got up early in the morning, left the flock with a keeper, picked up the provisions and went just as Jesse had directed him. And he came to the encampment as the army was going out in battle formation shouting the battle cry. 21 Israel and the Philistines drew up in battle formation, army against army. 22 Then David left his provisions in the care of the supply keeper, and ran to the ranks and came and greeted his brothers. 23 As he was talking with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath named Goliath, was coming up from the army of the Philistines, and he spoke these same words again; and David heard him.

24 When the men of Israel all saw the man, they fled from him, and were very frightened. 25 The men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who is coming up? Surely he is coming up to defy Israel. The king will reward the man who kills him with great riches, and will give him his daughter [in marriage] and make his father’s house (family) free [from taxes and service] in Israel.”

26 Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes the disgrace [of his taunting] from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he has taunted and defied the armies of the living God?” 27 The men [j]told him, “That is what will be done for the man who kills him.”

28 Now Eliab his oldest brother heard what he said to the men; and Eliab’s [k]anger burned against David and he said, “Why have you come down here? With whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption (overconfidence) and the evil 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 [harmless] question?” 30 Then David turned away from Eliab to someone else and asked the same question; and the people gave him the same answer as the first time.

David Kills Goliath

31 When the words that David spoke were heard, the men reported them to Saul, and he sent for him. 32 David said to Saul, “Let no man’s [l]courage fail because of him (Goliath). Your servant will go out and fight with this Philistine.” 33 Then Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight him. For you are [only] a young man and 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 lamb out of the flock, 35 I went out after it and attacked it and rescued the lamb from its mouth; and when it rose up against me, I seized it by its whiskers and struck and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted and defied the armies of the living God.” 37 David said, “The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you.” 38 Then Saul dressed David in his garments and put a bronze helmet on his head, and put a coat of mail (armor) on him. 39 Then David fastened his sword over his armor and tried to walk, [but he could not,] because he was not used to them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, because I am not used to them.” So David took them off. 40 Then he took his [shepherd’s] staff in his hand and chose for himself five [m]smooth stones out of the stream bed, and put them in his shepherd’s bag which he had, that is, in his shepherd’s pouch. With his sling in his hand, he approached the Philistine.

41 The Philistine came and approached David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. 42 When the Philistine looked around and saw David, he derided and disparaged him because he was [just] a young man, with a ruddy complexion, and a handsome appearance. 43 The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with [shepherd’s] staffs?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 The Philistine also said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field.” 45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a [n]javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. 46 This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the corpses of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that this entire assembly may know that the Lord does not save with the sword or with the spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will hand you over to us.”

48 When the Philistine rose and came forward to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49 David put his hand into his bag and took out a stone and slung it, and it struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone penetrated his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground.

50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and he struck down the Philistine and killed him; but there was no sword in David’s hand. 51 So he ran and stood over the Philistine, grasped his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their [mighty] champion was dead, they fled. 52 The men of Israel and Judah stood with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance to the valley and the gates of Ekron. And the [fatally] wounded Philistines fell along the way to Shaaraim, even as far as Gath and Ekron. 53 The sons of Israel returned from their pursuit of the Philistines and plundered their camp. 54 Then David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his weapons in his tent.

55 When Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he said to Abner the captain of the army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?” And Abner answered, “By your life, O king, I do not know.” 56 The king said, “Ask whose son the young man is.” 57 When David returned from killing [Goliath] the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine 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.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 17:4 The Hebrew refers to one who fights alone, single-handedly representing his nation. If warring nations agree to the contest, a great deal of bloodshed can be avoided.
  2. 1 Samuel 17:4 I.e. about nine feet, ten inches.
  3. 1 Samuel 17:5 The weight is uncertain, but may have been 100 lbs. or more.
  4. 1 Samuel 17:6 Or perhaps a scimitar (short curved sword).
  5. 1 Samuel 17:7 I.e. the cross beam of a loom.
  6. 1 Samuel 17:7 Probably 12 lbs. or more.
  7. 1 Samuel 17:7 The shield was the type designed to protect the whole body, so it was probably about eight and one-half feet tall.
  8. 1 Samuel 17:12 Lit this. “Ephrathite” was an older name for a resident of Bethlehem.
  9. 1 Samuel 17:18 Lit thousand.
  10. 1 Samuel 17:27 Lit spoke according to this word.
  11. 1 Samuel 17:28 Lit his nose got hot.
  12. 1 Samuel 17:32 Lit heart.
  13. 1 Samuel 17:40 Smooth stones offered less resistance to the air in flight and would travel with greater speed and accuracy. The sling was a pouch attached to the ends of two long leather thongs, and was a formidable weapon (as the Philistine giant was about to discover).
  14. 1 Samuel 17:45 This weapon may have been similar to a scimitar (short curved sword).
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1 Samuel 17
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.”

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
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