1 Samuel 17:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58
1 Samuel 17:1 NLT
The Philistines now mustered their army for battle and camped between Socoh in Judah and Azekah at Ephes-dammim.
1 Samuel 17:3 NLT
So the Philistines and Israelites faced each other on opposite hills, with the valley between them.
1 Samuel 17:4 NLT
Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was over nine feet tall!
1 Samuel 17:9 NLT
If he kills me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our slaves!
1 Samuel 17:12 NLT
Now David was the son of a man named Jesse, an Ephrathite from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. Jesse was an old man at that time, and he had eight sons.
1 Samuel 17:13 NLT
Jesse’s three oldest sons—Eliab, Abinadab, and Shimea—had already joined Saul’s army to fight the Philistines.
1 Samuel 17:15 NLT
but David went back and forth so he could help his father with the sheep in Bethlehem.
1 Samuel 17:16 NLT
For forty days, every morning and evening, the Philistine champion strutted in front of the Israelite army.
1 Samuel 17:18 NLT
And give these ten cuts of cheese to their captain. See how your brothers are getting along, and bring back a report on how they are doing.”
1 Samuel 17:19 NLT
David’s brothers were with Saul and the Israelite army at the valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.
1 Samuel 17:21 NLT
Soon the Israelite and Philistine forces stood facing each other, army against army.
1 Samuel 17:22 NLT
David left his things with the keeper of supplies and hurried out to the ranks to greet his brothers.
1 Samuel 17:27 NLT
And these men gave David the same reply. They said, “Yes, that is the reward for killing him.”
1 Samuel 17:30 NLT
He walked over to some others and asked them the same thing and received the same answer.
1 Samuel 17:34 NLT
But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock
1 Samuel 17:35 NLT
I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death.
1 Samuel 17:36 NLT
I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God!
1 Samuel 17:43 NLT
“Am I a dog,” he roared at David, “that you come at me with a stick?” And he cursed David by the names of his gods.
1 Samuel 17:44 NLT
“Come over here, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!” Goliath yelled.
1 Samuel 17:47 NLT
And everyone assembled here will know that the LORD rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the LORD’s battle, and he will give you to us!”
1 Samuel 17:50 NLT
So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword.
1 Samuel 17:54 NLT
(David took the Philistine’s head to Jerusalem, but he stored the man’s armor in his own tent.)
1 Samuel 17:57 NLT
As soon as David returned from killing Goliath, Abner brought him to Saul with the Philistine’s head still in his hand.
1 Samuel 17:58 NLT
“Tell me about your father, young man,” Saul said. And David replied, “His name is Jesse, and we live in Bethlehem.”