| New International Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Sokoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Sokoh and Azekah. | 1Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war at Socoh in Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim. |
| 2Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. | 2Saul and the men of Israel assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah, arraying themselves for battle against the Philistines. |
| 3The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them. | 3The Philistines stood on one hill and the Israelites stood on another, with the valley between them. |
| 4A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span. | 4Then a champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was six cubits and a span in height, |
| 5He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels; | 5and he had a bronze helmet on his head. He wore a bronze coat of mail weighing five thousand shekels, |
| 6on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. | 6and he had armor of bronze on his legs and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. |
| 7His spear shaft was like a weaver's rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him. | 7The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. In addition, his shield bearer went before him. |
| 8Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. | 8And Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and array yourselves for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose one of your men and have him come down against me. |
| 9If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us." | 9If he is able to fight 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 labor for us.” |
| 10Then the Philistine said, "This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other." | 10Then the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day! Give me a man to fight!” |
| 11On hearing the Philistine's words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified. | 11On hearing the words of the Philistine, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and greatly afraid. |
| 12Now David was the son of an Ephrathite named Jesse, who was from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and in Saul's time he was very old. | 12Now David was the son of a man named Jesse, an Ephrathite from Bethlehem of Judah who had eight sons in the days of Saul. And Jesse was old and well along in years. |
| 13Jesse's three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab; the second, Abinadab; and the third, Shammah. | 13The three older sons of Jesse had followed Saul into battle: The firstborn was Eliab, the second was Abinadab, and the third was Shammah. |
| 14David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul, | 14And David was the youngest. The three oldest had followed Saul, |
| 15but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father's sheep at Bethlehem. | 15but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep in Bethlehem. |
| 16For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand. | 16For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening to take his stand. |
| 17Now Jesse said to his son David, "Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. | 17One day Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. |
| 18Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance from them. | 18Take also these ten portions of cheese to the commander of their unit. Check on the welfare of your brothers and bring back an assurance from them. |
| 19They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines." | 19They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.” |
| 20Early in the morning David left the flock in the care of a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry. | 20So David got up early in the morning, left the flock with a keeper, loaded up, and set out as Jesse had instructed him. He reached the camp as the army was marching out to its position and shouting the battle cry. |
| 21Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other. | 21And Israel and the Philistines arrayed in formation against each other. |
| 22David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and asked his brothers how they were. | 22Then David 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 doing. |
| 23As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. | 23And as he was speaking with them, suddenly the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, came forward from the Philistines and shouted his usual words, which David also heard. |
| 24Whenever the Israelites saw the man, they all fled from him in great fear. | 24When all the men of Israel saw Goliath, they fled from him in great fear. |
| 25Now the Israelites had been saying, "Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his family from taxes in Israel." | 25Now the men of Israel had been saying, “Do you see this man who keeps coming out to defy Israel? To the man who kills him the king will give great riches. And he will give him his daughter in marriage and exempt his father’s house from taxation in Israel.” |
| 26David asked the men standing near him, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" | 26David asked the men who were standing with him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” |
| 27They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, "This is what will be done for the man who kills him." | 27The people told him about the offer, saying, “That is what will be done for the man who kills him.” |
| 28When Eliab, David's oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, "Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle." | 28Now when David’s oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men, his anger burned against David. “Why have you come down here?” he asked. “And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and wickedness of heart—you have come down to see the battle!” |
| 29"Now what have I done?" said David. "Can't I even speak?" | 29“What have I done now?” said David. “Was it not just a question?” |
| 30He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before. | 30Then he turned from him toward another and asked about the offer, and those people answered him just as the first ones had answered. |
| 31What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him. | 31Now David’s words were overheard and reported to Saul, who called for him. |
| 32David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him." | 32And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail on account of this Philistine. Your servant will go and fight him!” |
| 33Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth." | 33But Saul replied, “You cannot go out against this Philistine to fight him. You are just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” |
| 34But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, | 34David replied, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep, and whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock, |
| 35I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. | 35I went after it, struck it down, and delivered the lamb from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur, strike it down, and kill it. |
| 36Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. | 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.” |
| 37The 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 the LORD be with you." | 37David added, “The LORD, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” “Go,” said Saul, “and may the LORD be with you.” |
| 38Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. | 38Then Saul clothed David in his own tunic, put a bronze helmet on his head, and dressed him in armor. |
| 39David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. "I cannot go in these," he said to Saul, "because I am not used to them." So he took them off. | 39David strapped his sword over the tunic and tried to walk, but he was not accustomed to them. “I cannot walk in these,” David said to Saul. “I am not accustomed to them.” So David took them off. |
| 40Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. | 40And David took his staff in his hand, selected five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag. And with his sling in hand, he approached the Philistine. |
| 41Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. | 41Now the Philistine came closer and closer to David, with his shield-bearer before him. |
| 42He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him. | 42When the Philistine looked and saw David, he despised him because he was just a boy, ruddy and handsome. |
| 43He said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. | 43“Am I a dog,” he said to David, “that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. |
| 44"Come here," he said, "and I'll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!" | 44“Come here,” he called to David, “and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” |
| 45David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. | 45But David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. |
| 46This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. | 46This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand. This day I will strike you down, cut off your head, and give the carcasses of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the creatures of the earth. Then the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. |
| 47All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands." | 47And all those assembled here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give all of you into our hands.” |
| 48As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. | 48As the Philistine started forward to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. |
| 49Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. | 49Then David reached into his bag, took out a stone, and slung it, striking the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. |
| 50So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. | 50Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. |
| 51David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine's sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. | 51David ran and stood over him. He grabbed the Philistine’s sword and pulled it from its sheath and killed him; and he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. |
| 52Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. | 52Then the men of Israel and Judah charged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. And the bodies of the Philistines were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. |
| 53When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp. | 53When the Israelites returned from their pursuit of the Philistines, they plundered their camps. |
| 54David took the Philistine's head and brought it to Jerusalem; he put the Philistine's weapons in his own tent. | 54David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, and he put Goliath’s weapons in his own tent. |
| 55As Saul watched David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, "Abner, whose son is that young man?" Abner replied, "As surely as you live, Your Majesty, I don't know." | 55As Saul had watched David going out to confront the Philistine, he said to Abner the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?” “As surely as you live, O king,” Abner replied, “I do not know.” |
| 56The king said, "Find out whose son this young man is." | 56“Find out whose son this young man is!” said the king. |
| 57As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine's head. | 57So when David returned from killing the Philistine, still holding his head in his hand, Abner took him and brought him before Saul. |
| 58"Whose son are you, young man?" Saul asked him. David said, "I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem." | 58“Whose son are you, young man?” asked Saul. “I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem,” David replied. |
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