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1 Samuel 17
Nueva Versión Internacional
1 Samuel 17
Nueva Versión Internacional
David y Goliat
17 Los filisteos reunieron sus ejércitos para la guerra, concentrando sus fuerzas en Soco, pueblo de Judá. Acamparon en Efesdamín, situado entre Soco y Azeca. 2 Por su parte, Saúl y los israelitas se reunieron también y, acampando en el valle de Elá, ordenaron sus filas para la batalla contra los filisteos. 3 Con el valle de por medio, los filisteos y los israelitas tomaron posiciones en montes opuestos.
4 Un famoso guerrero, oriundo de Gat, salió del campamento filisteo. Su nombre era Goliat, y tenía una estatura de seis codos y un palmo.[a] 5 Llevaba en la cabeza un casco de bronce y su coraza, que pesaba cinco mil siclos,[b] y que también era de bronce, 6 como lo eran las polainas que protegían las piernas y la jabalina que llevaba al hombro. 7 El asta de su lanza se parecía al rodillo de un telar, y tenía una punta de hierro que pesaba seiscientos siclos.[c] Delante de él marchaba un escudero.
8 Goliat se detuvo ante los soldados israelitas y los desafió: «¿Para qué están ordenando sus filas para la batalla? ¿No soy yo un filisteo? ¿Y no están ustedes al servicio de Saúl? ¿Por qué no escogen a alguien que se me enfrente? 9 Si es capaz de hacerme frente y matarme, nosotros les serviremos a ustedes; pero si yo lo venzo y lo mato, ustedes serán nuestros esclavos y nos servirán». 10 Dijo además el filisteo: «¡Yo desafío hoy al ejército de Israel! ¡Elijan a un hombre que pelee conmigo!». 11 Al oír lo que decía el filisteo, Saúl y todos los israelitas se consternaron y tuvieron mucho miedo.
12 David era hijo de Isaí, un efrateo que vivía en Belén de Judá. En tiempos de Saúl, Isaí era ya de edad muy avanzada y tenía ocho hijos. 13 Sus tres hijos mayores habían marchado a la guerra con Saúl. El primogénito se llamaba Eliab; el segundo, Abinadab; el tercero, Sama. 14 Estos tres habían seguido a Saúl por ser los mayores. David, que era el menor, 15 solía ir adonde estaba Saúl, pero regresaba a Belén para cuidar las ovejas de su padre.
16 El filisteo salía mañana y tarde a desafiar a los israelitas, y así lo estuvo haciendo durante cuarenta días.
17 Un día, Isaí dijo a su hijo David: «Toma este efa[d] de trigo tostado y estos diez panes, y vete pronto al campamento para dárselos a tus hermanos. 18 Lleva también estos diez quesos para el comandante del batallón. Averigua cómo les va a tus hermanos y tráeme una prueba de que ellos están bien. 19 Los encontrarás en el valle de Elá, con Saúl y todos los soldados israelitas, peleando contra los filisteos».
20 David cumplió con las instrucciones de Isaí. Se levantó muy de mañana y, después de encargarle el rebaño a un pastor, tomó las provisiones y se puso en camino. Llegó al campamento en el momento en que los soldados, lanzando gritos de guerra, salían a tomar sus posiciones. 21 Los israelitas y los filisteos se alinearon frente a frente. 22 David, por su parte, dejó su carga al cuidado del encargado de las provisiones, y corrió a las filas para saludar a sus hermanos. 23 Mientras conversaban, Goliat, el gran guerrero filisteo de Gat, salió de entre las filas para repetir su desafío y David lo oyó. 24 Cada vez que los israelitas veían a Goliat huían despavoridos. 25 Algunos decían: «¿Ven a ese hombre que sale a desafiar a Israel? A quien lo venza y lo mate, el rey lo colmará de riquezas. Además, le dará su hija como esposa y su familia quedará exenta de impuestos aquí en Israel».
26 David preguntó a los que estaban con él:
—¿Qué dicen que darán a quien mate a ese filisteo y salve así el honor de Israel? ¿Quién es este filisteo incircunciso, que se atreve a desafiar al ejército del Dios viviente?
27 —Al que lo mate —repitieron— se le dará la recompensa anunciada.
28 Eliab, el hermano mayor de David, lo oyó hablar con los hombres y se puso furioso con él. Entonces reclamó:
—¿Qué has venido a hacer aquí? ¿Con quién has dejado esas pocas ovejas en el desierto? Yo te conozco. Eres un atrevido y mal intencionado. ¡Seguro que has venido para ver la batalla!
29 —¿Y ahora qué hice? —protestó David—. ¡Si apenas he abierto la boca!
30 Apartándose de su hermano, preguntó a otros, quienes dijeron lo mismo. 31 Algunos que oyeron lo que había dicho David se lo contaron a Saúl y este mandó a llamarlo. 32 Entonces David dijo a Saúl:
—¡Nadie tiene por qué desanimarse a causa de este filisteo! Yo mismo iré a pelear contra él.
33 —¡Cómo vas a pelear tú solo contra este filisteo! —respondió Saúl—. No eres más que un muchacho, mientras que él ha sido un guerrero toda la vida.
34 David respondió:
—A mí me toca cuidar el rebaño de mi padre. Cuando un león o un oso viene y se lleva una oveja del rebaño, 35 yo lo persigo y lo golpeo hasta que suelta la presa. Y, si el animal me ataca, lo agarro por la melena y lo sigo golpeando hasta matarlo. 36 Si este siervo suyo ha matado leones y osos, lo mismo puede hacer con ese filisteo incircunciso, porque está desafiando al ejército del Dios viviente. 37 El Señor, que me libró de las garras del león y del oso, también me librará de la mano de ese filisteo.
—Anda, pues —dijo Saúl—, y que el Señor te acompañe.
38 Luego Saúl vistió a David con su uniforme de campaña. Le entregó también un casco de bronce y le puso una coraza. 39 David se ciñó la espada sobre la armadura e intentó caminar, pero no pudo porque no estaba acostumbrado.
—No puedo andar con todo esto —le dijo a Saúl—; no estoy entrenado para ello.
De modo que se quitó todo aquello, 40 tomó su bastón, fue al río a escoger cinco piedras lisas, y las metió en su bolsa de pastor. Luego, honda en mano, se acercó al filisteo.
41 Este, por su parte, también avanzaba hacia David detrás de su escudero. 42 Echó una mirada a David y, al darse cuenta de que era apenas un muchacho, pelirrojo y buen mozo, con desprecio 43 dijo:
—¿Soy acaso un perro para que vengas a atacarme con palos?
Y maldiciendo a David en nombre de sus dioses, 44 añadió:
—¡Ven acá, que voy a echar tu carne a las aves del cielo y a las fieras del campo!
45 David contestó:
—Tú vienes contra mí con espada, lanza y jabalina, pero yo vengo a ti en el nombre del Señor de los Ejércitos, el Dios de los escuadrones de Israel, a quien has desafiado. 46 Hoy mismo el Señor te entregará en mis manos; y yo te mataré y te cortaré la cabeza. Hoy mismo echaré los cadáveres del ejército filisteo a las aves del cielo y a las fieras del campo, y todo el mundo sabrá que hay un Dios en Israel. 47 Todos los que están aquí reconocerán que el Señor salva sin necesidad de espada ni de lanza. La batalla es del Señor y él los entregará a ustedes en nuestras manos.
48 En cuanto el filisteo avanzó para acercarse a David y enfrentarse con él, también este corrió rápidamente hacia la línea de batalla para hacerle frente. 49 Metiendo la mano en su bolsa sacó una piedra y con la honda se la lanzó al filisteo, hiriéndolo en la frente. Con la piedra incrustada entre ceja y ceja, el filisteo cayó de bruces al suelo.
50 Así fue como David triunfó sobre el filisteo: lo hirió de muerte con una honda y una piedra y sin empuñar la espada.
51 Luego corrió adonde estaba el filisteo, le quitó la espada, la desenvainó, lo remató con ella y cortó su cabeza.
Cuando los filisteos vieron que su héroe había muerto, salieron corriendo. 52 Entonces los soldados de Israel y de Judá, dando gritos de guerra, se lanzaron contra ellos y los persiguieron hasta la entrada de Gat[e] y hasta las puertas de Ecrón. Todo el camino, desde Sajarayin hasta Gat y Ecrón, quedó regado de cadáveres de filisteos. 53 Cuando los israelitas dejaron de perseguir a los filisteos, regresaron para saquearles el campamento.
54 Luego David tomó la cabeza de Goliat y la llevó a Jerusalén, pero las armas las guardó en su tienda de campaña.
55 Anteriormente Saúl, al ver a David enfrentarse con el filisteo, había preguntado a Abner, comandante de su ejército:
—Abner, ¿quién es el padre de ese muchacho?
—Tan cierto como Su Majestad vive, le aseguro que no lo sé.
56 —Averíguame quién es —le había dicho el rey.
57 Tan pronto como David regresó, después de haber matado a Goliat, y con la cabeza del filisteo todavía en la mano, Abner lo llevó ante Saúl.
58 —¿De quién eres hijo, muchacho? —preguntó Saúl.
—De Isaí de Belén, servidor suyo —respondió David.
1 Samuel 17
Modern English Version
1 Samuel 17
Modern English Version
David and Goliath
17 Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle, and were gathered at Sokoh, which belongs to Judah. And they camped between Sokoh and Azekah in Ephes Dammim. 2 Saul and Israel’s fighting men were gathered, and they camped in the Valley of Elah. And they drew up in battle order to meet the Philistines. 3 Now the Philistines were standing at the base of the mountain on the one side, and Israel was standing at the base of the mountain on the other side, and the valley was between them.
4 There went out a champion from the camp of the Philistines, Goliath was his name, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.[a] 5 He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail. Now the weight of the bronze coat was five thousand shekels.[b] 6 He had greaves of bronze on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders. 7 The staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam. His iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels.[c] And a shield-bearer was walking before him.
8 He stood and called out to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am not I the Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose for yourselves a man and let him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and to strike me down, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and strike him down, then you will be our servants and will serve us.” 10 The Philistine said, “I defy the battle lines of Israel this day. Give me a man, and let us fight together.” 11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were filled with terror and were greatly afraid.
12 Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah whose name was Jesse, who had eight sons. And the man was old in the days of Saul and advanced in years. 13 The three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third was Shammah. 14 As for David, he was the youngest. The three eldest followed Saul, 15 but David would go back and forth from Saul to shepherd his father’s flock in Bethlehem.
16 The Philistine stepped forward morning and evening and took his stand daily for forty days.
17 Then Jesse said to David his son, “Take now for your brothers an ephah[d] of this parched grain and these ten loaves and run to the camp to your brothers. 18 Carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and look into your brothers’ health, and bring back news of them.” 19 Now Saul, and they, and all Israel’s fighting men were in the Valley of Elah fighting with the Philistines.
20 So David rose up early in the morning and left the flock with a keeper. And he carried away the food and went as Jesse had commanded him. And when he came to the encampment, the army was going out to the battle line, and they shouted a war cry. 21 And Israel and the Philistines ordered themselves in battle lines, army against army. 22 David left his things with the keeper of the equipment, and he ran to the battle line. And he went and greeted his brothers. 23 As he was speaking with them, the champion, Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, was going up from the battle line of the Philistines. And he spoke these same words and David heard them. 24 When all Israel’s fighting men saw the man, they fled from him, and were very afraid.
25 The men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel, and it will be that the man who kills him, the king will enrich him with great riches, will give him his daughter, and will make his father’s house exempt from taxes in Israel.”
26 David spoke to the men that stood by him, saying, “What will be done for the man that kills this Philistine and takes away this reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
27 And the people answered him in the same way, saying, “So will it be done to the man who kills him.”
28 Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, “Why have you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the evil of your heart. For you have come down that you might see the battle.”
29 David said, “What have I done now? Was it not only a word?” 30 And he turned from him toward another and spoke in the same way. And the people answered him again as at the first. 31 When the words which David spoke were heard, they reported them to Saul and he sent for him.
32 David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”
33 Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him. For you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.”
34 David said to Saul, “Your servant was a shepherd for my father’s flock, and the lion came and the bear, and took a lamb out of the flock. 35 And I went out after him, and struck him, and delivered it out of his mouth. And when he arose against me, I took hold of his beard, struck him, and killed him. 36 Your servant slew both the lion and the bear. And this uncircumcised Philistine will be as one of them, because he has reviled the armies of the living God.” 37 David said, “The Lord who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.”
And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”
38 Saul clothed David with his armor. And he put a helmet of bronze on his head. He also clothed him with a coat of mail. 39 David secured his sword to his armor and tried to walk, but he was not used to it, for he had not tested them.
And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off. 40 He took his staff in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones out of the brook. And he put them in his shepherd’s bag, even in a pouch. And his sling was in his hand. Then he drew near to the Philistine.
41 The Philistine came walking and drew near to David, and the man bearing the shield went before him. 42 When the Philistine looked and saw David, he despised him. For he was a youth and ruddy with a handsome appearance. 43 The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the heavens and to the beasts of the field.”
45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a shield, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have reviled. 46 This day will the Lord deliver you into my hand. And I will strike you down and cut off your head. Then I will give the corpses of the Philistine camp this day to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the earth so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 And then all this assembly will know that it is not by sword and spear that the Lord saves. For the battle belongs to the Lord, and He will give you into our hands.”
48 When the Philistine arose and came near to meet David, David hurried and ran toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49 David put his hand in his bag and took from there a stone. And he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead. Therefore the stone sunk into his forehead and he fell upon his face to the ground.
50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone. And he struck down the Philistine and slew him, but there was no sword in the hand of David.
51 Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine. Then he took his sword and drew it from out of its sheath, and he finished him off and he cut off his head with it.
When the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled. 52 And the fighting men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted. And they pursued the Philistines from the entrance of the Valley of Elah as far as the gates of Ekron. So the Philistine dead lay slain on the road to Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron. 53 Then the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines and they plundered their tents.
54 David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent.
55 When Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, “Whose son is this youth, Abner?”
And Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.”
56 The king said, “Inquire whose son the young man is.”
57 So when David returned from slaying the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the Philistine’s head in his hand.
58 Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?”
And David answered, “I am the son of your servant, Jesse the Bethlehemite.”
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 17:4 About 9 feet 9 inches, or 3 meters.
- 1 Samuel 17:5 About 125 pounds, or 58 kilograms.
- 1 Samuel 17:7 About 15 pounds, or 6.9 kilograms.
- 1 Samuel 17:17 Likely about 36 pounds, or 16 kilograms.
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Modern English Version (MEV)
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.