Old/New Testament
Goliath Challenges the Israelis
17 The Philistines assembled their army for battle. They were assembled at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. 2 Saul and the Israelis assembled and camped in the valley of Elah, where they set up their forces to meet the Philistines. 3 The Philistines were standing on the hill on one side while the Israelis were standing on the hill on the other side, with the valley between them.
4 A champion named Goliath from Gath came out from the Philistine camp. He was four cubits and a span[a] tall, 5 wore a bronze helmet on his head, and wore bronze scale armor that weighed about 5,000 shekels.[b] 6 He had bronze armor on his legs[c] and carried a bronze javelin slung[d] between his shoulders. 7 The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam and the iron point of his spear weighed 600 shekels.[e] A man carrying his shield walked in front of him.
8 He stood still and called out to the ranks of Israel, “Why should you move into position for battle? Am I not a Philistine and you Saul’s servants? Choose a man for yourselves to come down against me. 9 If he’s able to fight me and strike me down, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and strike him down, then you will become our servants and serve us.” 10 The Philistine said, “I defy[f] the ranks of Israel today. Send me one man and let’s fight together.” 11 When Saul and all the Israelis heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and very frightened.
David Comes to the Camp
12 David was the son of that Ephrathite man named Jesse from Bethlehem in Judah. He had eight sons; at the time when Saul was king he was old, having lived to an advanced age. 13 The three oldest sons of Jesse followed Saul into battle. The names of his three sons who went to the battle were his firstborn Eliab, Abinadab, his second son, and Shammah, the third. 14 David was the youngest, while the three oldest had followed Saul. 15 And David would go back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep in Bethlehem. 16 For 40 days the Philistine would come forward, morning and evening, to take his position.
17 Jesse told his son David, “Take this ephah[g] of roasted grain to your brothers, along with these ten loaves of bread, and quickly take them to your brothers in the camp. 18 Take these ten pieces of cheese to the commander of the unit,[h] check on the well-being of your brothers, and bring something back from them. 19 Saul, your brothers,[i] and all the men of Israel are in the valley of Elah fighting with the Philistines.” 20 David got up early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, took the supplies,[j] and went as Jesse had directed him. He arrived at the encampment[k] as the army was going out to the battle line, shouting the battle cry.
David Hears Goliath’s Challenge
21 Israel and the Philistines moved into position for battle, battle line facing battle line. 22 David left the supplies he had with him in the care of the supply keeper and ran to the battle line. When he arrived there, he asked his brothers about their well-being. 23 As he was speaking with them, the Philistine champion named Goliath from Gath came up from the Philistine battle lines and spoke his usual words,[l] as David listened. 24 When all the Israelis saw the man, they fled from him and were very frightened.
25 “Did all of you see this man coming up?” one Israeli asked. “He comes up to defy[m] Israel, and the king will richly reward the man who kills him. He will give his daughter to him and will make his father’s house tax[n] free in Israel.”
26 David asked the men who were standing by him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? Indeed, who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy[o] the armies of the living God?”
27 The people also told him the same thing,[p] saying, “This is what will be done for the man who kills him.”
28 Eliab his oldest brother heard him talking to the men. Eliab was angry with David and said, “Why did you come down here? And who did you leave those few sheep with in the wilderness? I know your insolence and wicked intentions.[q] You came down just to see the battle!”
29 “What have I done now?” David asked. “It was just a question,[r] wasn’t it?” 30 Then he turned from him toward another person and asked the same thing. The people replied to him the same way as the first one had.
David Accepts the Challenge
31 When the words that David had spoken were heard, they were reported to Saul, and he sent for him. 32 David told Saul, “Let no one’s courage[s] fail because of him; your servant will go fight this Philistine.”
33 Saul told David, “You can’t go against this Philistine and fight him. You are only a young man, but he has been a warrior since his youth.”
34 David told Saul, “Your servant has been a shepherd for his father. When a lion or bear came and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I would go out after it, strike it down, and rescue the lamb[t] from its mouth. Then when it rose up against me, I would grab it by its fur,[u] strike it down, and kill it. 36 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he defied[v] the armies of the living God.” 37 David continued, “The Lord who delivered me from the power of[w] the lion and the power of[x] the bear will also deliver me from the power of[y] this Philistine.”
Saul told David, “Go! And may the Lord be with you.”
38 Saul put his garments on David, set a bronze helmet on his head, and put armor on him. 39 David strapped Saul’s[z] sword over his garments and tried to walk, but[aa] he was not used to the armor.[ab] David told Saul, “I can’t walk in these because I’m not used to them,”[ac] and then took them off. 40 He took his staff in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook and put them in the pouch in his shepherd’s bag. He approached the Philistine with his sling in his hand.
David Defeats Goliath
41 With a man carrying his shield in front of him, the Philistine kept coming closer to David. 42 When the Philistine looked and saw David, he had contempt for him, because he was only a young man. David had a dark, healthy complexion and was handsome. 43 The Philistine asked David, “Am I a dog that you come at me with sticks?” Then the Philistine cursed David by his own gods and 44 told David, “Come to me! I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the sky and to the beasts of the field.”
45 Then David told the Philistine, “You come at me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the God of the armies of Israel whom you have defied.[ad] 46 This very day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I’ll strike you down and remove your head from you. And this very day I’ll give the dead bodies of the Philistine army to the birds of the sky and to the animals of the earth, so that all the earth will know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and this whole congregation will know that the Lord does not deliver by sword or spear. Indeed, the battle is the Lord’s and he will give you into our hands.”
48 When the Philistine got up and came closer to meet David, David quickly ran to the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49 David reached his hand into the bag, took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine in his forehead. The stone sunk into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground. 50 David defeated the Philistine with a sling and a stone; he struck down the Philistine and killed him, and there was no sword in David’s hand. 51 David ran and stood over the Philistine. He took the Philistine’s[ae] sword, pulled it from its sheath, killed him, and then he cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 52 The men of Israel and Judah got up with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance to[af] the valley and to the gates of Ekron. Wounded Philistines fell along the way to Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron. 53 The Israelis returned from pursuing the Philistines and plundered their camp. 54 David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put Goliath’s[ag] weapons in his tent.
55 When Saul saw David going out to meet the Philistine, he asked Abner, the commander of the army, “Whose son is this young man, Abner?”
Abner said, “As surely as you live, your majesty, I don’t know.”
56 The king replied, “Go find out whose son the young man is.”
57 When David returned from striking down the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him to Saul with the Philistine’s head in his hand. 58 Saul told him, “Whose son are you, young man?”
David said, “The son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.”
Jonathan and David’s Friendship
18 When David finished speaking with Saul, Jonathan became a close friend to David,[ah] and Jonathan[ai] loved him as himself. 2 Saul took David[aj] that day and did not let him return to his father’s house. 3 Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as he loved himself. 4 Jonathan took off the robe that he had on and gave it to David, along with his coat, his sword, his bow, and his belt. 5 David went out and was successful everywhere Saul sent him, and Saul put him in charge of the troops. This pleased the entire army,[ak] as well as Saul’s officials.[al]
Saul’s Jealousy of David
6 When David returned from defeating the Philistine, as they were entering the city, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul, singing and dancing as they joyously played tambourines and lyres. 7 As the women sang and played, they said,
“Saul has struck down his thousands
but David his ten thousands.”
8 Saul was very angry and he did not like what the women sang. He told himself,[am] “They have attributed tens of thousands to David, but to me they have attributed thousands. What else can he have but the kingdom?” 9 From then on Saul kept his eye on David.[an]
10 The next day, while David was playing the lyre[ao] as he had before, the evil spirit from the Lord attacked Saul, and he began to rave[ap] inside the house with a spear in his hand. 11 Saul hurled it, thinking,[aq] “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David escaped from him twice.
12 Now Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him and had departed from Saul. 13 Saul removed David[ar] from his presence and made him an officer over a division of soldiers.[as] So David led the troops in battle.[at] 14 David was successful in all that he did, for the Lord was with him. 15 When Saul saw that David[au] was highly successful, he feared him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David because he led them in battle.[av]
David Marries Saul’s Daughter
17 Saul told David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I’ll give her to you as a wife. Just be an excellent soldier for me and fight the Lord’s battles.” Now Saul told himself,[aw] “I won’t harm him myself.[ax] Instead, I’ll let the Philistines harm him.”[ay]
18 David told Saul, “Who am I and what is my life or my father’s family in Israel that I should be the king’s son-in-law?” 19 And when the time came to give Saul’s daughter Merab to David, she was given as a wife to Adriel of Meholah.
20 Saul’s daughter Michal loved David. Saul was informed of this and he liked the idea.[az] 21 Saul told himself,[ba] “I’ll give her to him and she can be a snare to him and the Philistines will harm him.”[bb] So Saul told David, “For a second time you can be my son-in-law today.”
22 Saul commanded his officials,[bc] “Speak with David privately and say, ‘Look, the king delights in you, and all his officials[bd] love you. Now become the king’s son-in-law.’”
23 Saul’s officials[be] delivered this message to David,[bf] and he[bg] asked, “Is becoming the king’s son-in-law an unimportant thing to you? I’m a poor and unimportant man.”
24 Saul’s officials[bh] reported to him: “This is what David said.”
25 Saul said, “This is what you are to tell David, ‘The king desires no bride price except 100 Philistine foreskins to take vengeance on the king’s enemies.’” Now Saul thought he would cause David to die at the hand of the Philistines. 26 When his officials[bi] delivered this message to David, David decided it would be a good thing to become the king’s son-in-law. Before the time was up, 27 David got up, went out with his men, and struck down 200 Philistine men. David brought their foreskins and gave them all to the king so he could become the king’s son-in-law. So Saul gave him his daughter Michal as a wife. 28 As Saul continued to observe, he realized that the Lord was with David and that Saul’s daughter Michal loved him. 29 Then Saul was even more afraid of David, and Saul was David’s enemy from that time on.[bj]
30 The Philistine commanders would go out to fight[bk] and whenever they did, David was more successful than any of Saul’s other leaders.[bl] His name was held in high esteem.
Teaching about Prayer(A)
11 Once Jesus[a] was praying in a certain place. After he had finished, one of his disciples told him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”
2 So he told them, “Whenever you pray you are to say,
‘Father,[b] may your name be kept holy.
May your kingdom come.[c]
3 Keep giving us every day our daily bread,[d]
4 and forgive us our sins,
as we forgive everyone who sins against us.[e]
And never bring us into temptation.’”[f]
5 Then he told them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, let me borrow three loaves of bread. 6 A friend of mine on a trip has dropped in on me, and I don’t have anything to serve him.’ 7 Suppose he answers from inside, ‘Stop bothering me! The door is already locked, and my children are here with us in the bedroom.[g] I can’t get up and give you anything!’ 8 I tell you, even though that man[h] doesn’t want to get up and give him anything because he is his friend, he will get up and give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.
Ask, Search, Knock(B)
9 So I say to you: Keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door[i] will be opened for you, 10 because everyone who keeps asking will receive, and the person who keeps searching will find, and the person who keeps knocking will have the door[j] opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for bread, would give him a stone, or if he asks for a fish,[k] would give him a snake instead of the fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, would he give him a scorpion? 13 So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who keep asking him!”
Jesus is Accused of Working with Beelzebul(C)
14 Jesus[l] was driving a demon out of a man who was[m] unable to talk. When the demon had gone out, the man[n] began to speak, and the crowds were amazed. 15 But some of them said, “He drives out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” 16 Others, wanting to test Jesus,[o] kept asking him for a sign from heaven.
17 Since he knew what they were thinking, he told them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is devastated, and a divided household collapses.[p] 18 Now, if Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom last? After all, you say that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. 19 If I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own followers[q] drive them out? That is why they will be your judges! 20 But if I drive out demons by the power[r] of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.
21 “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own mansion, his property is safe. 22 But when a stronger man than he attacks and defeats him, the stronger man[s] strips off that man’s armor in which he trusted and then divides his plunder.
23 “The person who isn’t with me is against me, and the person who doesn’t gather with me scatters.”
The Return of the Unclean Spirit(D)
24 “Whenever an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it wanders through dry places looking for a place to rest but doesn’t find any. So it says, ‘I will go back to my home that I left.’ 25 When it gets back home, it finds it swept clean and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all go in and settle there. And so the final condition of that person is worse than the first.”
True Blessedness
27 As Jesus[t] was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and told him, “How blessed is the womb that gave birth to you and the breasts that nursed you!”
28 But he said, “Instead, how blessed are those who hear God’s word and obey it!”
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.