1 Samuel 17:12-29

Living Bible

¹² David (the son of aging Jesse, a member of the tribe of Judah who lived in Bethlehem) had seven older brothers. ¹³ The three oldest—Eliab, Abinadab, and Shammah—had already volunteered for Saul’s army to fight the Philistines. ^14-15 David was the youngest son and was on Saul’s staff on a part-time basis. He went back and forth to Bethlehem to help his father with the sheep. ¹⁶ For forty days, twice a day, morning and evening the Philistine giant strutted before the armies of Israel.

¹⁷ One day Jesse said to David, “Take this bushel of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread to your brothers. ¹⁸ Give this cheese to their captain and see how the boys are getting along; and bring us back a letter^[a] from them!”

¹⁹ (Saul and the Israeli army were camped at the valley of Elah.)

²⁰ So David left the sheep with another shepherd and took off early the next morning with the gifts. He arrived at the outskirts of the camp just as the Israeli army was leaving for the battlefield with shouts and battle cries. ²¹ Soon the Israeli and Philistine forces stood facing each other, army against army. ²² David left his luggage with a baggage officer and hurried out to the ranks to find his brothers. ²³ As he was talking with them, he saw Goliath the giant step out from the Philistine troops and shout his challenge to the army of Israel. ²⁴ As soon as they saw him the Israeli army began to run away in fright.

²⁵ “Have you seen the giant?” the soldiers were asking. “He has insulted the entire army of Israel. And have you heard about the huge reward the king has offered to anyone who kills him? And the king will give him one of his daughters for a wife, and his whole family will be exempted from paying taxes!”

²⁶ David talked to some others standing there to verify the report. “What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his insults to Israel?” he asked them. “Who is this heathen Philistine, anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?” ²⁷ And he received the same reply as before.

²⁸ But when David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking like that, he was angry. “What are you doing around here, anyway?” he demanded. “What about the sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of? I know what a cocky brat you are; you just want to see the battle!”

²⁹ “What have I done now?” David replied. “I was only asking a question!”