1Now the Philistines gathered their armies together for battle at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and camped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. 2And Saul and the men of Israel gathered, and camped by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. 3And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. 4And a champion named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span (nine and a half feet tall) came out from the Philistines camp. 5And he was equipped with a bronze helmet, and a bronze coat of mail that weighed five thousand shekels (about 125 pounds). 6And he had bronze shin guards on his legs, and carried a bronze javelin between his shoulders. 7And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's iron head weighed six hundred shekels (about 15 pounds); and a man carrying a shield went ahead of him. 8And Goliath stood and shouted to the armies of Israel, “Why have you come out to set your battle in array? Am I not a Philistine, and you servants of Saul? Choose a man and let him come down to me. 9If he can fight with and kill me, then will we be your servants; but if I prevail, and kill him, then you shall serve us.” 10Then he added, “I defy the armies of Israel this day; to give me a man, that we may fight together.” 11When Saul and all Israel heard those words from the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.

12Now David, one of the eight sons of Jesse, Ephrathite of Bethlehem-judah, and Jesse was an old man in the days of Saul. 13And his three eldest sons - first-born Eliab, next, Abinadab , and Shammah, the third eldest, were present at the battle. 14David was the youngest of Jesse’s eight sons; and only the three eldest joined Saul’s army. 15And David had returned from serving Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. 16And this giant Philistine had challenged Israel morning and evening, for forty days. 17And Jesse said to David, “Run to the camp with this ephah of parched grain, and these ten loaves for your brothers; 18And take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand, see how your brothers are faring, and bring me their report.” 19Now Saul, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, opposing the Philistines.

20And David arose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the army was going out to the fight, with their battle cries. 21For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army. 22And David left his baggage in the hand of the keeper of baggage, and ran into the army ranks, to greet his brothers. 23And as he talked with them, Goliath, the Philistine of Gath came out from of the Philistine army ranks, and shouted the same words as before; and David heard them. 24And all the men of Israel, when they saw the giant, shrank back from him, and were very much afraid. 25And the Israelites had been saying “Do you see this man who keeps coming out? Surely, he comes out to defy Israel; and whoever kills him, the king will reward with great riches, will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free of taxes in Israel.” 26And David asked the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine, and removes this reproach from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 27And the men answered him, “So shall it be done for the man who kills him.” 28And Eliab, his eldest brother, heard David’s discussion with the men; and Eliab's anger flared against David, and he said, “Why did you come here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride, and the wickedness of your heart; for you have only come to see the battle.” 29And David said, “Now what have I done? I only asked a question!” 30And he turned from Eliab to another, and spoke in the same manner; and the men answered him like the others had.

31And when David’s words were heard, they reported them to Saul; and he sent for him. 32And David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart because of this Philistine; I will go and fight with him.” 33And Saul said, “You are not able to go and fight with this Philistine; you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” 34And David replied, “Your servant kept his father's sheep, and when a lion or a bear came, and took a lamb out of the flock, 35I went out after and struck it, and rescued the lamb from its mouth. And if it turned on me, I caught it by its beard, struck and killed it. 36Your servant has killed both a lion and a bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37David said moreover, “The LORD Who rescued me from the paws of the lion, and the bear - He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and may the LORD be with you.”

38And Saul equipped David with his own armor - a bronze helmet for his head; and a coat of mail. 39And David strapped Saul’s sword on his armor, and he tried to walk; And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these; I am not used to them.” And David took them off. 40And then he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in his shepherd's bag, like a wallet; and his sling was in his hand: and he approached the Philistine. 41And the Philistine approached David, along with the man who carried his shield ahead of him. 42And when the Philistine saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, ruddy, and of a fair countenance. 43And Goliath said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with staves?” And he cursed David by his gods. 44And then Goliath said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air, and to the beasts of the field.” 45Then David replied, “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 defied. 46Today will the LORD deliver you into my hand; and I will strike you down, and remove your head from you; and I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47And all those gathered here shall know that the LORD does not rescue with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD's, and He will give you to us.”

48And when Goliath came closer to meet David, David quickly ran forward to meet the Philistine. 49And David took a stone from his bag, and slung it; and it struck the Philistine so hard that the stone sunk into his forehead; and Goliath fell upon his face to the earth. 50So David defeated the Philistine with a sling and a stone that struck and killed Goliath. But David had no sword in his hand, 51So David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, drew Goliath’s sword from its sheath, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 52And then men of Israel and Judah arose, shouted, and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. And the dead and wounded of the Philistines were strewn along the Shaaraim road as far as Gath, and Ekron. 53And the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, and plundered their camp. 54And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put Goliath’s armor in his tent.

55And when Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?” And Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I cannot tell you.” 56And the king said, “Inquire whose son the stripling is.” 57And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine still in his hand. 58And Saul asked him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “I am the son of your servant, Jesse, the Bethlehemite.”