THE FIRST BOOK OF
SAMUEL,
1 Samuel 17 ©
The camps of the Philistines and Israelites situated one against another, v. 1, etc. The giant Goliath draws near, and frightens the Israelites with his huge stature, armor, and daring challenge, 4. David, being sent by his father into the camp unto his brethren and seeing this, is troubled at the proud and lofty carriage of this uncircumcised Goliath, and shows himself willing and ready to combat with him,12. For which he is sorely reviled by his eldest brother, 28. Saul causes David to be sent for, who abides constant in his offer, and shows the ground or reason of his courage and confidence, 31. Goes unarmed, only with his staff and a sling against the proud Goliath, 38. Who despises, curses, and threatens him, 42. But David, full of faith and confidence in God, brings him down, and slays him, 45. Whereupon the Philistines fleeing, are smitten and plundered, 51. Saul takes notice of David, 55.
NOW1 the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at 2Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and 3Azekah, in 4Ephes-dammim.
And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.
And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.
¶And there went out 5a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and 6a span.
And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was 7five thousand shekels of brass.
And he had greavesa of brass upon his legs, and a 8target of brass between his shoulders.
And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.
And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, 9Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to 10me.
If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.
11And the Philistine said, 12I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.
When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.
¶Now David was the son of 13that Ephrathite of Beth-lehem-judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had 14eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul.
And 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 unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.
And David was the 15youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul.
16But David went and returned 17from Saul to feed his father’s sheepb at Beth-lehem.
And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.
And Jesse said unto David his son, Take 18now for thy brethren 19an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren;
And carry these ten 20cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and 21take their pledge.
Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
¶And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and hec came 22to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and 23shouted for the battle.
For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.
And David left 24his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and 25saluted his brethren.
And as he talked with them, behold, there came 26up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the 27armies of the Philistines, and spake 28according to the same words: and David heard them.
And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.
And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and 29make his father's house free in Israel.
And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, 30What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.
¶And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.
And David said, 31What have I now done? 32Is there not a cause?
¶And he turned from him toward another, 33and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.
And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he 34sent for him.
¶And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; 35thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.
And Saul said to David, Thou art not 36able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but 37a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
And David said unto Saul, Thy servant 38kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took 39a lamb out of the flock:
And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: 40and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the 41paw of the lion, and out of the 42paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.
¶And Saul armed David with 43his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.
And David girded his sword upon his armour, 44and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with 45these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.
And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s 46bag which he had, even in a scrip;d and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.
And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the 47man that bare the shield went before him.
And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.
And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me 48with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.
Then said David to the Philistine, 49Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in 50the 51name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, 52whom thou hast defied.
This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is 53a God in Israel.
And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: 54for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hands.
And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran 55toward the army to meet the Philistine.
And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and 56smote the Philistine in his forehead, 57that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.
So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.
And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou come 58to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to 59Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron.
And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their 60tents.
And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his 61armour in his tent.
¶And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, 62whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell.
And the king said, Enquire thou whose son the stripling is.
And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.
And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Beth-lehemite.