Christian Standard Bible

International Standard Version

1The Philistines gathered their forces for war at Socoh in Judah and camped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim.

1The 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.

2Saul and the men of Israel gathered and camped in the Valley of Elah; then they lined up in battle formation to face the Philistines.

2Saul and the Israelis assembled and camped in the valley of Elah, where they set up their forces to meet the Philistines.

3The Philistines were standing on one hill, and the Israelites were standing on another hill with a ravine between them.

3The 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.

4Then a champion named Goliath, from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was nine feet, nine inches tall

4A champion named Goliath from Gath came out from the Philistine camp. He was four cubits and a span tall,

5and wore a bronze helmet and bronze scale armor that weighed one hundred twenty-five pounds.

5wore a bronze helmet on his head, and wore bronze scale armor that weighed about 5,000 shekels.

6There was bronze armor on his shins, and a bronze javelin was slung between his shoulders.

6He had bronze armor on his legs and carried a bronze javelin slung between his shoulders.

7His spear shaft was like a weaver's beam, and the iron point of his spear weighed fifteen pounds. In addition, a shield-bearer was walking in front of him.

7The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam and the iron point of his spear weighed 600 shekels. A man carrying his shield walked in front of him.

8He stood and shouted to the Israelite battle formations: "Why do you come out to line up in battle formation?" He asked them, "Am I not a Philistine and are you not servants of Saul? Choose one of your men and have him come down against me.

8He 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.

9If he wins in a fight against me and kills me, we will be your servants. But if I win against him and kill him, then you will be our servants and serve us."

9If 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."

10Then the Philistine said, "I defy the ranks of Israel today. Send me a man so we can fight each other!"

10The Philistine said, "I defy the ranks of Israel today. Send me one man and let's fight together."

11When Saul and all Israel heard these words from the Philistine, they lost their courage and were terrified.

11When Saul and all the Israelis heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and very frightened.

12Now David was the son of the Ephrathite from Bethlehem of Judah named Jesse. Jesse had eight sons and during Saul's reign was already an old man.

12David 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.

13Jesse's three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war, and their names were Eliab, the firstborn, Abinadab, the next, and Shammah, the third,

13The 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.

14and David was the youngest. The three oldest had followed Saul,

14David was the youngest, while the three oldest had followed Saul.

15but David kept going back and forth from Saul to tend his father's flock in Bethlehem.

15And David would go back and forth from Saul to tend his father's sheep in Bethlehem.

16Every morning and evening for forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand.

16For 40 days the Philistine would come forward, morning and evening, to take his position.

17One day Jesse had told his son David: "Take this half-bushel of roasted grain along with these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp.

17Jesse told his son David, "Take this ephah of roasted grain to your brothers, along with these ten loaves of bread, and quickly take them to your brothers in the camp.

18Also take these ten portions of cheese to the field commander. Check on the well-being of your brothers and bring a confirmation from them.

18Take these ten pieces of cheese to the commander of the unit, check on the well-being of your brothers, and bring something back from them.

19They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah fighting with the Philistines."

19Saul, your brothers, and all the men of Israel are in the valley of Elah fighting with the Philistines."

20So David got up early in the morning, left the flock with someone to keep it, loaded up, and set out as Jesse had charged him. He arrived at the perimeter of the camp as the army was marching out to its battle formation shouting their battle cry.

20David got up early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, took the supplies, and went as Jesse had directed him. He arrived at the encampment as the army was going out to the battle line, shouting the battle cry.

21Israel and the Philistines lined up in battle formation facing each other.

21Israel and the Philistines moved into position for battle, battle line facing battle line.

22David left his supplies in the care of the quartermaster and ran to the battle line. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were.

22David 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.

23While he was speaking with them, suddenly the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, came forward from the Philistine battle line and shouted his usual words, which David heard.

23As he was speaking with them, the Philistine champion named Goliath from Gath came up from the Philistine battle lines and spoke his usual words, as David listened.

24When all the Israelite men saw Goliath, they retreated from him terrified.

24When all the Israelis saw the man, they fled from him and were very frightened.

25Previously, an Israelite man had declared: "Do you see this man who keeps coming out? He comes to defy Israel. The king will make the man who kills him very rich and will give him his daughter. The king will also make the family of that man's father exempt from paying taxes in Israel."

25"Did all of you see this man coming up?" one Israeli asked. "He comes up to defy 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 free in Israel."

26David spoke to the men who were standing with him: "What will be done for the man who kills that Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?"

26David 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 the armies of the living God?"

27The troops told him about the offer, concluding, "That is what will be done for the man who kills him."

27The people also told him the same thing, saying, "This is what will be done for the man who kills him."

28David's oldest brother Eliab listened as he spoke to the men, and he became angry with him. "Why did you come down here?" he asked. "Who did you leave those few sheep with in the wilderness? I know your arrogance and your evil heart--you came down to see the battle!"

28Eliab 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. You came down just to see the battle!"

29"What have I done now?" protested David. "It was just a question."

29"What have I done now?" David asked. "It was just a question, wasn't it?"

30Then he turned from those beside him to others in front of him and asked about the offer. The people gave him the same answer as before.

30Then 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.

31What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, so he had David brought to him.

31When the words that David had spoken were heard, they were reported to Saul, and he sent for him.

32David said to Saul, "Don't let anyone be discouraged by him; your servant will go and fight this Philistine!"

32David told Saul, "Let no one's courage fail because of him; your servant will go fight this Philistine."

33But Saul replied, "You can't go fight this Philistine. You're just a youth, and he's been a warrior since he was young."

33Saul 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."

34David answered Saul: "Your servant has been tending his father's sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock,

34David told Saul, "Your servant has been a shepherd for his father. When a lion or bear came and took a lamb from the flock,

35I went after it, struck it down, and rescued the lamb from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur, strike it down, and kill it.

35I would go out after it, strike it down, and rescue the lamb from its mouth. Then when it rose up against me, I would grab it by its fur, strike it down, and kill it.

36Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God."

36Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he defied the armies of the living God."

37Then David said, "The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and may the LORD be with you."

37David continued, "The LORD who delivered me from the power of the lion and the power of the bear will also deliver me from the power of this Philistine." Saul told David, "Go! And may the LORD be with you."

38Then Saul had his own military clothes put on David. He put a bronze helmet on David's head and had him put on armor.

38Saul put his garments on David, set a bronze helmet on his head, and put armor on him.

39David strapped his sword on over the military clothes and tried to walk, but he was not used to them. "I can't walk in these," David said to Saul, "I'm not used to them." So David took them off.

39David strapped Saul's sword over his garments and tried to walk, but he was not used to the armor. David told Saul, "I can't walk in these because I'm not used to them," and then took them off.

40Instead, he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in the pouch, in his shepherd's bag. Then, with his sling in his hand, he approached the Philistine.

40He 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.

41The Philistine came closer and closer to David, with the shield-bearer in front of him.

41With a man carrying his shield in front of him, the Philistine kept coming closer to David.

42When the Philistine looked and saw David, he despised him because he was just a youth, healthy and handsome.

42When 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.

43He said to David, "Am I a dog that you come against me with sticks?" Then he cursed David by his gods.

43The 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"Come here," the Philistine called to David, "and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts!"

44told David, "Come to me! I'll give your flesh to the birds of the sky and to the beasts of the field."

45David said to the Philistine: "You come against me with a sword, spear, and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of Armies, the God of the ranks of Israel--you have defied him.

45Then 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.

46Today, the LORD will hand you over to me. Today, I'll strike you down, remove your head, and give the corpses of the Philistine camp to the birds of the sky and the wild creatures of the earth. Then all the world will know that Israel has a God,

46This 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,

47and this whole assembly will know that it is not by sword or by spear that the LORD saves, for the battle is the LORD's. He will hand you over to us."

47and 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."

48When the Philistine started forward to attack him, David ran quickly to the battle line to meet the Philistine.

48When the Philistine got up and came closer to meet David, David quickly ran to the battle line to meet the Philistine.

49David put his hand in the bag, took out a stone, slung it, and hit the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown to the ground.

49David 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.

50David defeated the Philistine with a sling and a stone. David overpowered the Philistine and killed him without having a sword.

50David 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.

51David ran and stood over him. He grabbed the Philistine's sword, pulled it from its sheath, and used it to kill him. Then he cut off his head. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they fled.

51David ran and stood over the Philistine. He took the Philistine's 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.

52The men of Israel and Judah rallied, shouting their battle cry, and chased the Philistines to the entrance of the valley and to the gates of Ekron. Philistine bodies were strewn all along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron.

52The men of Israel and Judah got up with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance to the valley and to the gates of Ekron. Wounded Philistines fell along the way to Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron.

53When the Israelites returned from the pursuit of the Philistines, they plundered their camps.

53The Israelis returned from pursuing the Philistines and plundered their camp.

54David took Goliath's head and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put Goliath's weapons in his own tent.

54David took the Philistine's head and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put Goliath's weapons in his tent.

55When Saul had seen David going out to confront the Philistine, he asked Abner the commander of the army, "Whose son is this youth, Abner?" "Your Majesty, as surely as you live, I don't know," Abner replied.

55When 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."

56The king said, "Find out whose son this young man is!"

56The king replied, "Go find out whose son the young man is."

57When David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the Philistine's head still in his hand.

57When David returned from striking down the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him to Saul with the Philistine's head in his hand.

58Saul said to him, "Whose son are you, young man?" "The son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem," David answered.

58Saul told him, "Whose son are you, young man?" David said, "The son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem."

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.