| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle, and were gathered at Sochoh, which belongs to Judah; they encamped between Sochoh and Azekah, in Ephes Dammim. | 1Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war at Socoh in Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim. |
| 2And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and they encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array against 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 stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. | 3The Philistines stood on one hill and the Israelites stood on another, with the valley between them. |
| 4And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose 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 he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. | 5and he had a bronze helmet on his head. He wore a bronze coat of mail weighing five thousand shekels, |
| 6And he had bronze armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders. | 6and he had armor of bronze on his legs and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. |
| 7Now the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels; and a shield-bearer went before 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. |
| 8Then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, “Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let 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 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.” | 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.” |
| 10And the Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.” | 10Then the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day! Give me a man to fight!” |
| 11When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. | 11On hearing the words of the Philistine, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and greatly afraid. |
| 12Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, whose name was Jesse, and who had eight sons. And the man was old, advanced in years, in the days of Saul. | 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. |
| 13The three oldest sons of Jesse had gone to follow Saul to the battle. The names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, next to him 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. And the three oldest followed Saul. | 14And David was the youngest. The three oldest had followed Saul, |
| 15But David occasionally went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem. | 15but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep in Bethlehem. |
| 16And the Philistine drew near and presented himself forty days, morning and evening. | 16For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening to take his stand. |
| 17Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the 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. |
| 18And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and see how your brothers fare, and bring back news of 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. |
| 19Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. | 19They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.” |
| 20So David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and took the things and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the camp as the army was going out to the fight and shouting for the battle. | 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. |
| 21For Israel and the Philistines had drawn up in battle array, army against army. | 21And Israel and the Philistines arrayed in formation against each other. |
| 22And David left his supplies in the hand of the supply keeper, ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers. | 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. |
| 23Then as he talked with them, there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines; and he spoke according to the same words. So David heard them. | 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. |
| 24And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid. | 24When all the men of Israel saw Goliath, they fled from him in great fear. |
| 25So the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, will give him his daughter, and give his father’s house exemption 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.” |
| 26Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For 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?” |
| 27And the people answered him in this manner, saying, “So shall it 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.” |
| 28Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger was aroused against David, and he said, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see 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!” |
| 29And David said, “What have I done now? Is there not a cause?” | 29“What have I done now?” said David. “Was it not just a question?” |
| 30Then he turned from him toward another and said the same thing; and these people answered him as the first ones did. | 30Then he turned from him toward another and asked about the offer, and those people answered him just as the first ones had answered. |
| 31Now when the words which David spoke were heard, they reported them to Saul; and he sent for him. | 31Now David’s words were overheard and reported to Saul, who called for him. |
| 32Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” | 32And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail on account of this Philistine. Your servant will go and fight him!” |
| 33And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war 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 used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of 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 out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck 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 lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing 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.” |
| 37Moreover David said, “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And 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.” |
| 38So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. | 38Then Saul clothed David in his own tunic, put a bronze helmet on his head, and dressed him in armor. |
| 39David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David 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; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to 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. |
| 41So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him. | 41Now the Philistine came closer and closer to David, with his shield-bearer before him. |
| 42And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking. | 42When the Philistine looked and saw David, he despised him because he was just a boy, ruddy and handsome. |
| 43So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to 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. |
| 44And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” | 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!” |
| 45Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, 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 hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may 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. |
| 47Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give 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.” |
| 48So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. | 48As the Philistine started forward to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. |
| 49Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. | 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 prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. | 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. |
| 51Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. | 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. |
| 52Now the men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance of the valley and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell along the road to Shaaraim, even as far as 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. |
| 53Then the children of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their tents. | 53When the Israelites returned from their pursuit of the Philistines, they plundered their camps. |
| 54And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent. | 54David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, and he put Goliath’s weapons in his own tent. |
| 55When Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?” And Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not 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.” |
| 56So the king said, “Inquire whose son this young man is.” | 56“Find out whose son this young man is!” said the king. |
| 57Then, 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. | 57So when David returned from killing the Philistine, still holding his head in his hand, Abner took him and brought him before Saul. |
| 58And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” So David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.” | 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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