Now the
Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And the Philistines stood on the
mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side,
with a valley between them. 4 And there came out from the camp of the
Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was
six [a] cubits [b] and a span. 5 He had a helmet
of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of
the coat was five thousand shekels[c] of bronze. 6 And he had
bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his
shoulders. 7 The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his
spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went
before him.
8 He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why
have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not
servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 9 If
he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if
I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” 10 And
the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man,
that we may fight together.” 11 When Saul and all Israel heard
these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem
in Judah, named Jesse, who had eight sons. In the days of Saul the man was
already old and advanced in years.[d] 17 And Jesse said to David his
son, “Take for your brothers an ephah [e] of this parched grain,
and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers. 18 Also
take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See if your brothers
are well, and bring some token from them.”
20 And David rose early in the morning and left the
sheep with a keeper and took the provisions and went, as Jesse had commanded
him. And he came to the encampment as the host was going out to the battle
line, shouting the war cry. And David said to Saul, “Let no man's heart fail
because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33 And
Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight
with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” 34 But
David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And
when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I
went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he
arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 Your
servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine
shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 And
David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the
paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul
said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!” 38 Then Saul
clothed David with his armor. He put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed
him with a coat of mail, 39 and David strapped his sword over his
armor. And he tried in vain to go, for he had not tested them. Then David said
to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” So David
put them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five
smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd's pouch. His sling
was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine.
Footnotes:
1 Samuel 17:4 Hebrew; Septuagint, Dead Sea
Scroll and Josephus four
1 Samuel 17:4 A cubit was about 18 inches
or 45 centimeters
1 Samuel 17:5 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce
or 11 grams
1 Samuel 17:12 Septuagint, Syriac; Hebrew
advanced among men
1 Samuel 17:17 An ephah was about 3/5
bushel or 22 liters
1 Samuel 17:52 Septuagint; Hebrew Gai
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version.
ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing
ministry of Good News Publishers.
Illustration from a woodcut by Baron Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld, 1794-1872, a distinguished German artist known especially for his book, Das Buch der Bücher in Bilden (The Book of Books in Pictures). © WELS used by permission for personal and congregational use.
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