¹² Now David was the son of an Ephrathite^(A) named Jesse,^(B) who was from Bethlehem^(C) in Judah. Jesse had eight^(D) sons, and in Saul’s time he was very old. ¹³ Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab;^(E) the second, Abinadab;^(F) and the third, Shammah.^{(G) 14} David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul, ¹⁵ but David went back and forth from Saul to tend^(H) his father’s sheep^(I) at Bethlehem.

¹⁶ For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand.

¹⁷ Now Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah^[a](J) of roasted grain^(K) and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. ¹⁸ Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers^(L) are and bring back some assurance^[b] from them. ¹⁹ They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.”

²⁰ Early in the morning David left the flock in the care of a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry. ²¹ Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other. ²² David left his things with the keeper of supplies,^(M) ran to the battle lines and asked his brothers how they were. ²³ As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual^(N) defiance, and David heard it. ²⁴ Whenever the Israelites saw the man, they all fled from him in great fear.

²⁵ Now the Israelites had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter^(O) in marriage and will exempt his family from taxes^(P) in Israel.”

²⁶ David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace^(Q) from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised^(R) Philistine that he should defy^(S) the armies of the living^(T) God?”

²⁷ They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, “This is what will be done for the man who kills him.”

²⁸ When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger^(U) at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.”

²⁹ “Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even speak?” ³⁰ He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before. ³¹ What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him.

⁵⁵ As Saul watched David^(A) going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, “Abner,^(B) whose son is that young man?”

Abner replied, “As surely as you live, Your Majesty, I don’t know.”

⁵⁶ The king said, “Find out whose son this young man is.”

⁵⁷ As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine’s head.

⁵⁸ “Whose son are you, young man?” Saul asked him.

David said, “I am the son of your servant Jesse^(C) of Bethlehem.”

Saul’s Growing Fear of David

18 After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan^(D) became one in spirit with David, and he loved^(E) him as himself.^{(F) 2} From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. ³ And Jonathan made a covenant^(G) with David because he loved him as himself. ⁴ Jonathan took off the robe^(H) he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.^(I)

⁵ Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful^(J) that Saul gave him a high rank in the army.^(K) This pleased all the troops, and Saul’s officers as well.

¹⁷ Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter^(A) Merab. I will give her to you in marriage;^(B) only serve me bravely and fight the battles^(C) of the Lord.” For Saul said to himself,^(D) “I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!”

¹⁸ But David said to Saul, “Who am I,^(E) and what is my family or my clan in Israel, that I should become the king’s son-in-law?^(F)” ¹⁹ So^[a] when the time came for Merab,^(G) Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.^(H)