₁The Philistines gathered for battle in Socoh, a town in Judah; they camped at a place called Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah.

₄A man named Goliath, from the city of Gath, came out from the Philistine camp to challenge the Israelites. He was nearly three metres tall ₅and wore bronze armour that weighed about 57 kilogrammes and a bronze helmet. ₆His legs were also protected by bronze armour, and he carried a bronze javelin slung over his shoulder. ₇His spear was as thick as the bar on a weaver's loom, and its iron head weighed about seven kilogrammes. A soldier walked in front of him carrying his shield. ₈Goliath stood and shouted at the Israelites, “What are you doing there, lined up for battle? I am a Philistine, you slaves of Saul! Choose one of your men to fight me. ₉If he wins and kills me, we will be your slaves; but if I win and kill him, you will be our slaves. ₁₀Here and now I challenge the Israelite army. I dare you to pick someone to fight me!” ₁₁When Saul and his men heard this, they were terrified.

₁₉King Saul, your brothers, and all the other Israelites are in the Valley of Elah fighting the Philistines.”

₂₀David got up early the next morning, left someone else in charge of the sheep, took the food, and went as Jesse had told him to. He arrived at the camp just as the Israelites were going out to their battle line, shouting the war cry. ₂₁The Philistine and the Israelite armies took up positions for battle, facing each other. ₂₂David left the food with the officer in charge of the supplies, ran to the battle line, went to his brothers, and asked how they were getting on. ₂₃As he was talking to them, Goliath came forward and challenged the Israelites as he had done before. And David heard him.

₃₂David said to Saul, “Your Majesty, no one should be afraid of this Philistine! I will go and fight him.”

₃₃“No,” answered Saul. “How could you fight him? You're just a boy, and he has been a soldier all his life!”

₃₄“Your Majesty,” David said, “I take care of my father's sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear carries off a lamb, ₃₅I go after it, attack it, and rescue the lamb. And if the lion or bear turns on me, I grab it by the throat and beat it to death. ₃₆I have killed lions and bears, and I will do the same to this heathen Philistine, who has defied the army of the living God. ₃₇The LORD has saved me from lions and bears; he will save me from this Philistine.”

“All right,” Saul answered. “Go, and the LORD be with you.” ₃₈He gave his own armour to David for him to wear: a bronze helmet, which he put on David's head, and a coat of armour. ₃₉David strapped Saul's sword over the armour and tried to walk, but he couldn't, because he wasn't used to wearing them. “I can't fight with all this,” he said to Saul. “I'm not used to it.” So he took it all off. ₄₀He took his shepherd's stick and then picked up five smooth stones from the stream and put them in his bag. With his sling ready, he went out to meet Goliath.

₄₁The Philistine started walking towards David, with his shield-bearer walking in front of him. He kept coming closer, ₄₂and when he got a good look at David, he was filled with scorn for him because he was just a nice, good-looking boy. ₄₃He said to David, “What's that stick for? Do you think I'm a dog?” And he called down curses from his god on David. ₄₄“Come on,” he challenged David, “and I will give your body to the birds and animals to eat.”

₄₅David answered, “You are coming against me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the Israelite armies, which you have defied. ₄₆This very day the LORD will put you in my power; I will defeat you and cut off your head. And I will give the bodies of the Philistine soldiers to the birds and animals to eat. Then the whole world will know that Israel has a God, ₄₇and everyone here will see that the LORD does not need swords or spears to save his people. He is victorious in battle, and he will put all of you in our power.”

₄₈Goliath started walking towards David again, and David ran quickly towards the Philistine battle line to fight him. ₄₉He put his hand into his bag and took out a stone, which he slung at Goliath. It hit him on the forehead and broke his skull, and Goliath fell face downwards on the ground.

₁₀The next day an evil spirit from God suddenly took control of Saul, and he raved in his house like a madman. David was playing the harp, as he did every day, and Saul was holding a spear. ₁₁“I'll pin him to the wall,” Saul said to himself, and he threw the spear at him twice; but David dodged each time.

₁₂Saul was afraid of David because the LORD was with David but had abandoned him. ₁₃So Saul sent him away and put him in command of a thousand men. David led his men in battle ₁₄and was successful in all he did, because the LORD was with him. ₁₅Saul noticed David's success and became even more afraid of him. ₁₆But everyone in Israel and Judah loved David because he was such a successful leader.