Goliath’s Challenge 2 Brenton And Saul and the men of Israel gather together, and they encamp in the valley, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. BSB BSB: Saul and the men of Israel assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah, arraying themselves for battle against the Philistines.
3 Brenton And the Philistines stand on the mountain on one side, and Israel stands on the mountain on the other side, and the valley was between them. BSB BSB: The Philistines stood on one hill and the Israelites stood on another, with the valley between them.
5 Brenton And he had a helmet upon his head, and he wore a breastplate of chain armour; and the weight of his breastplate was five thousand shekels of brass and iron. BSB BSB: and he had a bronze helmet on his head. He wore a bronze coat of mail weighing five thousand shekels,
6 Brenton And greaves of brass were upon his legs, and a brazen target was between his shoulders. BSB BSB: and he had armor of bronze on his legs and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders.
7 Brenton And the staff of his spear was like a weavers' beam, and the spear's head was formed of six hundred shekels of iron; and his armour-bearer went before him. BSB BSB: The 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.
8 Brenton And he stood and cried to the army of Israel, and said to them, Why are ye come forth to set yourselves in battle array against us? Am not I a Philistine, and ye Hebrews of Saul? choose for yourselves a man, and let him come down to me. BSB BSB: And 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.
9 Brenton And if he shall be able to fight against me, and shall smite me, then will we be your servants: but if I should prevail and smite him, ye shall be our servants, and serve us. BSB BSB: If 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 work for us.”
10 Brenton And the Philistine said, Behold, I have defied the armies of Israel this very day: give me a man, and we will both of us fight in single combat. BSB BSB: Then the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day! Give me a man to fight!”
11 Brenton And Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, and they were dismayed, and greatly terrified. BSB BSB: On hearing the words of the Philistine, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and greatly afraid.
David Accepts the Challenge 12 Brenton And David son of an Ephrathite said, this Ephrathite was of Bethleem Juda, and his name was Jessae, and he had eight sons. And the man passed for an old man among men in the days of Saul. BSB BSB: Now David was the son of a man named Jesse, an Ephrathite from Bethlehem of Judah who had eight sons. And in the days of Saul, Jesse was old and well along in years.
13 Brenton And the three elder sons of Jessae went and followed Saul to the war, and the names of his sons that went to the war were, Eliab his first-born, and his second Aminadab, and his third son Samma. BSB BSB: The three older sons of Jesse had followed Saul into battle: The firstborn was Eliab, the second was Abinadab, and the third was Shammah.
14 Brenton And David himself was the younger son, and the three elder followed Saul. BSB BSB: And David was the youngest. The three oldest had followed Saul,
15 Brenton And David departed and returned from Saul, to feed his father’s sheep in Bethleem; BSB BSB: but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep in Bethlehem.
16 Brenton And the Philistine advanced morning and evening, and stood up forty days. BSB BSB: For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening to take his stand.
17 Brenton And Jessae said to David, Take now to thy brethren an ephah of this meal, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp and give them to thy brothers. BSB BSB: One 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.
18 Brenton And thou shalt carry to the captain of the thousand these ten cheeses of milk, and thou shalt see how thy brethren fare, and learn what they want. BSB BSB: Take 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.
19 Brenton And Saul himself and all the men of Israel were in the valley of the Oak, warring with the Philistines. BSB BSB: They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.”
20 Brenton And David rose early in the morning, and left the sheep to a keeper, and took and went as Jessae commanded him, and he came to the trench and to the army as it was going out to fight, and they shouted for the battle. BSB BSB: So 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.
21 Brenton And Israel and the Philistines formed their lines one opposite the other. BSB BSB: And Israel and the Philistines arrayed in formation against each other.
22 Brenton And David deposited his burden in the hand of a keeper, and ran to the line, and went and asked his brethren how they Were. BSB BSB: Then 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.
23 Brenton And while he was speaking with them, behold the Amessaean advanced, Goliath by name, the Philistine of Geth, of the armies of the Philistines, and he spoke as before, and David heard. BSB BSB: And as he was speaking with them, suddenly the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, came forward from the ranks of the Philistines and shouted his usual words, which David also heard.
24 Brenton And all the men of Israel when they saw the man fled from before him, and they were greatly terrified. BSB BSB: When all the men of Israel saw Goliath, they fled from him in great fear.
25 Brenton And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that comes up? for he has reproached Israel and has come up; and it shall be that the man who shall smite him, the king shall enrich him with great wealth and shall give him his daughter, and shall make his father’s house free in Israel. BSB BSB: Now the men of Israel had been saying, “Do you see how this man 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.”
26 Brenton and David spoke to the men who stood with him saying, Shall it indeed be done thus to the man who shall smite that Philistine, and take away reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he has defied the army of the living God? BSB BSB: David 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?”
27 Brenton And the people spoke to him according to this Word, saying Thus shall it be done to the man Who shall smite him. BSB BSB: The people told him about the offer, saying, “That is what will be done for the man who kills him.”
28 Brenton And Eliab his elder brother heard as he spoke to the men, and Eliab was very angry with David and said, Why hast thou thus come down, and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride and the naughtiness of thine heart, for thou art come down to see the battle. BSB BSB: Now 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 Brenton And David said what have I done now? Have I no business here? BSB BSB: “What have I done now?” said David. “Was it not just a question?”
30 Brenton And he turned from him towards another, and he spoke after the same manner; and the people answered him after the former manner. BSB BSB: Then he turned from him toward another and asked about the offer, and those people answered him just as the first ones had answered.
31 Brenton And the Words which David spoke were heard and were reported to Saul. And he took him to himself. BSB BSB: Now David’s words were overheard and reported to Saul, who sent for him.
32 Brenton And David said to Saul, Let not, I pray thee, the heart of my lord be dejected within him: thy servant will go, and fight with this Philistine. BSB BSB: And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail on account of this Philistine. Your servant will go and fight him!”
33 Brenton And Saul said to David, Thou wilt not in anywise be able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for thou art a mere youth, and he a man of war from his youth. BSB BSB: But 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.”
34 Brenton And David said to Saul, Thy servant was tending the flock for his father; and when a lion came and a she-bear, and took a sheep out of the flock, BSB BSB: David 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,
35 Brenton then I went forth after him, and smote him, and drew the spoil out of his mouth: and as he rose up against me, then I caught hold of his throat, and smote him, and slew him. BSB BSB: I 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.
36 Brenton Thy servant smote both the lion and the bear, and the uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them: shall I not go and smite him, and remove this day a reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised one, who has defied the army of the living God? BSB BSB: Your 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.”
37 Brenton The Lord who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this uncircumcised Philistine. And Saul said to David, Go, and the Lord shall be with thee. BSB BSB: David 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.”
David Slays Goliath 38 Brenton And Saul clothed David with a military coat, and put his brazen helmet on his head. BSB BSB: Then Saul clothed David in his own tunic, put a bronze helmet on his head, and dressed him in armor.
39 Brenton And he girt David with his sword over his coat: and he made trial walking with them once and again: and David said to Saul, I shall not be able to go with these, for I have not proved them : so they remove them from him. BSB BSB: David 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.
40 Brenton And he took his staff in his hand, and he chose for himself five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd's scrip which he had for his store, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine. BSB BSB: And 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.
42 Brenton And Goliath saw David, and despised him; for he was a lad, and ruddy, with a fair countenance. BSB BSB: When the Philistine looked and saw David, he despised him because he was just a boy, ruddy and handsome.
44 Brenton And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh to the birds of the air, and to the beasts of the earth. BSB BSB: “Come here,” he called to David, “and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”
45 Brenton And David said to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with sword, and with spear, and with shield; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord God of hosts of the army of Israel, which thou hast defied BSB BSB: But 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.
46 Brenton this day. And the Lord shall deliver thee this day into my hand; and I will slay thee, and take away thy head from off thee, and will give thy limbs and the limbs of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky, and to the wild beasts of the earth; and all the earth shall know that there is a God in Israel. BSB BSB: This 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 Philistine army 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.
47 Brenton And all this assembly shall know that the Lord delivers not by sword or spear, for the battle is the Lord's, and the Lord will deliver you into our hands. BSB BSB: And 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.”
48 Brenton And the Philistine arose and went to meet David. BSB BSB: As the Philistine started forward to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.
49 Brenton And David stretched out his hand to his scrip, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine on his forehead, and the stone penetrated through the helmet into his forehead, and he fell upon his face to the ground. BSB BSB: Then 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.
51 Brenton And David ran, and stood upon him, and took his sword, and slew him, and cut off his head: and the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, and they fled. BSB BSB: David 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.
53 Brenton And the men of Israel returned from pursuing after the Philistines, and they destroyed their camp. BSB BSB: When the Israelites returned from their pursuit of the Philistines, they plundered their camps.
54 Brenton And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent. BSB BSB: David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, and he put Goliath’s weapons in his own tent.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.