1 Samuel 17:1-15

New American Standard Bible 1995

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 gathered and camped in ^(E)the valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array to encounter the Philistines. ³ The Philistines stood on the mountain on one side while Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them. ⁴ Then a champion came out from the armies of the Philistines named ^(F)Goliath, from ^(G)Gath, whose height was six ^[a]cubits and a span. ⁵ He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was clothed with scale-armor ^[b]which weighed five thousand shekels of bronze. ⁶ He also had bronze ^[c]greaves on his legs and a ^(H)bronze javelin slung between his shoulders. ^7 (I)The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the head of his spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron; ^(J)his shield-carrier also walked before 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 array? Am I not the Philistine and you ^(K)servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me. ^9 (L)If he is able to fight with me and ^[d]kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and ^[e]kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us.” ¹⁰ Again the Philistine said, “^(M)I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man 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 ^(N)the son of ^[f]the ^(O)Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, whose name was Jesse, and ^(P)he had eight sons. And ^[g]Jesse was old in the days of Saul, advanced in years among men. ¹³ The three older sons of Jesse had ^[h]gone after Saul to the battle. And ^(Q)the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and the second to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. ^14 (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.