1 Samuel 17:12-20

Holman Christian Standard Bible

¹² Now David was the son of the Ephrathite^(A) from Bethlehem of Judah named Jesse. Jesse had eight sons^(B) and during Saul’s reign was already an old man. ¹³ Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war, and their names^(C) were Eliab, the firstborn, Abinadab, the next, and Shammah, the third, ¹⁴ and David was the youngest.^(D) The three oldest had followed Saul, ¹⁵ but David kept going back and forth from Saul^(E) to tend his father’s flock in Bethlehem.

¹⁶ Every morning and evening for 40 days the Philistine came forward and took his stand. ¹⁷ One day Jesse had told his son David: “Take this half-bushel^[a] of roasted grain along with these 10 loaves of bread^(F) for your brothers and hurry to their camp. ¹⁸ Also take these 10 portions of cheese to the field commander.^[b] Check on the welfare of your brothers^(G) and bring a confirmation from them. ¹⁹ They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah fighting with the Philistines.”

²⁰ So David got up early in the morning, left the flock with someone to keep it, loaded up, and set out as Jesse had instructed him.

He arrived at the perimeter of the camp^(H) as the army was marching out to its battle formation shouting their battle cry.