1 The Philistines {pelishtim: Sea Peoples} gathered their camps for battle {milchamah: armed conflict}; they assembled at Socoh in Judah and set up camp between Socoh and Azekah at Efes Dammim.
2 Saul {Sha'ul: Anointed King} and the men of Israel gathered and camped in the Valley of Elah {emek: broad valley}, and they arranged their battle lines to meet the Philistines.
3 The Philistines held their ground {omdim: military posture} on the hill on one side, and Israel held the hill on the other side, with the valley {gai: deep ravine} between them.
4 A champion {ish-habbenayim: man of the space between} came out from the Philistine camps. His name was Goliath from Gath, and his height was six cubits and a span {zaret: ancient hand-span}.
5 He had a helmet of bronze {nechoshet: Bronze Alloy} on his head and wore a coat of mail {shiryon: Protective Armor} made of scales; its weight was five thousand shekels of bronze.
6 Bronze greaves {mitschat: metal leg guards} were on his legs, and a bronze javelin was slung between his shoulders {keteifav: upper back area}.
7 The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam {kimnor: heavy wooden frame}, and the blade of his spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron {barzel: strong metal}; and the shield-bearer walked before him.
8 He stood and summoned Israel’s ranks and addressed them, “Why have you come out to arrange battle {milchamah: organized conflict}? Am I not a Philistine, and you servants of Saul {shaul: first king of Israel}? Select one man from among you and let him come down to confront me.”
9 If he can engage me in battle and strike me down, then we will be your servants {avadim: subjugated laborers}; but if I prevail {ukhal: succeed decisively} against him and strike him down, then you will be our servants and serve us.
10 And the Philistine said, “I have defied the battle lines {maarkhot: military ranks} of Israel this day. Give me a man, and let us fight together {yakhad: face-to-face}.”
11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words {dibrê: urgent warning} of the Philistine, they were dismayed {yechattu: spirits crushed} and greatly afraid.
12 Now David was the son of this Ephrathite man from Bethlehem of Judah, whose name was Jesse {Yishai: ancestral name}; he had eight sons, and in the days of Saul he was old {zaken: advanced in years}.
13 The three oldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the war {milchamah: armed conflict}; the sons who went were Eliab the firstborn {bechor: primogeniture status}, Abinadab the second, and Shammah the third.
14 David was the youngest {qatan: least in age}, and the three oldest {gedolim: senior ones} went after Saul.
15 But David{david: devoted shepherd son} would go and return from Saul to tend the flock{tson: small household herd} of his father at Bethlehem.
16 The Philistine {hapelisti: enemy challenger} came forward morning and evening and stood firmly {vayyityatstsev: determined stance} for forty days.
17 Jesse said to his son David, “Take to your brothers this ephah of roasted grain {kali: parched grain} and these ten loaves of bread, and run quickly {veharetz: urgent motion} to the camp.”
18 Bring these ten slices of cheese to the commander of the thousand, check the welfare {shalom: wholeness, well-being} of your brothers, and take their pledge {arubah: token of assurance}.
19 Saul and all the men of Israel had assembled in the Valley {be'emeq: strategic battlefield} of Elah, locked in battle {nilchamim: sustained combat} with the Philistines.
20 And David rose early in the morning and left the flock {tson: sheep and goats} with a keeper, took the provisions, and went just as Jesse had commanded him. He came to the camp perimeter {ma’agalah: military camp} as the army was going out to the battle line and raising the battle shout.
21 Israel and the Philistines drew up {vata‘arokh: tactical deployment} in battle array, each battle line facing {liqrat: direct encounter} the other.
22 And David left the belongings {kelim: military gear} with the keeper of the baggage, ran to the battle line, and came to greet his brothers and ask about their well-being {shalom: sound health}.
23 While he was speaking with them, the champion {habbenayim: representative fighter} emerged—Goliath the Philistine from Gath—from the ranks of the Philistines; he spoke the same words {kaddevarim: verbal challenge}, and David heard.
24 Whenever the men of Israel saw {birotam: instantaneous recognition} the man, they fled from his presence and were stricken with dread {yare: awe-filled terror}.
25 An Israelite said, “Do you see this man who comes forward? He comes to taunt {lekharef: defy and mock} Israel. The man who strikes him down will be granted by the king {hamelekh: national ruler} abundant riches, receive his daughter as wife, and have his father’s house freed in Israel.”
26 And David said to the men standing with him, “What will be done for the man who strikes down this Philistine and removes disgrace {kherpah: public shame} from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should taunt the battle lines of the living God {Elohim, Living One}?”
27 The people answered him, “By that declaration {davar: binding promise}, it shall be done to the man who strikes him down {yakkenu: fatal strike}.”
28 Eliab heard him speaking to the men, and his anger burned against David. He said, “Why have you come down here? With whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness {midbar: arid grazing land}? I know your presumption {zdon: arrogant intent} and the evil of your heart; you came down only to see the battle.”
29 David said, “What have I done now {atah: present moment}? Was it not only a word {davar: spoken matter}?”
30 He turned away from beside him toward another, spoke the same thing {ka-davar: exact repetition}, and the people answered him as before {harishon: earlier response}.
31 The words {devarim: spoken messages} David spoke were heard and presented before Saul {Shaul: asked-for leader}, and Saul had him brought.
32 David said to Saul, “Let no one’s heart falter {yippol: fail} because of him; your servant will go and fight this Philistine {Pelishti: enemy warrior}.”
33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go to this Philistine to fight him, for you are a youth {na’ar: inexperienced youth}, and he has been a man of war {milchamah: military professional} from his youth.”
34 And David said to Saul, “Your servant was a shepherd {roeh: animal caretaker} for his father among the sheep, when a lion and a bear came and carried off a sheep {seh: young lamb} from the flock.”
35 I went out in pursuit, struck it, and pulled it free {hitsalti: rescue act} from its jaws. When it rose against me, I grasped its beard {ziqan: jaw hair}, struck it, and killed it.
36 Your servant struck both the lion and the bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has taunted the battle-lines {ma'arkhot: arrayed ranks} of the living God {Elohim, Living Defender}.
37 David said, “The LORD {YHWH, Rescuer} who delivered me from the hand of the lion and from the hand of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and may the LORD be with you {immakh: by your side}.”
38 Saul dressed David in his own battle garments {maddayav: warrior’s attire}, placed a bronze helmet {nechoshet: copper alloy} on his head, and put a coat of mail on him.
39 David {David: anointed leader} girded his sword {cherev: edged weapon} over his armor and tried to go, for he had not tested them; and he said to Saul, “I cannot go in these, for I have not tried them.” So he removed them from himself.
40 He took his staff {makel: shepherd’s rod} in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the wadi {nachal: seasonal stream}, placed them in his shepherd’s pouch, and with his sling in hand approached the Philistine.
41 The Philistine {hapelishti: warrior of the sea peoples} advanced and drew near to David, and the man carrying the shield {tsinnah: defensive shield} went ahead of him.
42 The Philistine looked and saw David and despised him, for David was a youth {na'ar: adolescent}, ruddy, and pleasing in appearance {mar'eh: visible form}.
43 The Philistine said to David, “Am I the dog {kelev: contemptible animal}, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods {elohav: pagan deities}.
44 And the Philistine {hapelisti: enemy champion} said to David, “Draw near to me, and I will consign your flesh {besarkha: mortal frame} to the carrion birds of the sky and to the wild beasts of the field.”
45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin {kiydon: barbed spear}, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of hosts {YHWH Tsevaot, Commander of Armies}, the God of the ranks of Israel {Elohei ma’arkhot, Protector of Ranks}, whom you have defied {heraphta: treated with contempt}.”
46 This day the LORD {YHWH, Victor in Battle} will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and remove your head from upon you. And this day I will give the bodies of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the heavens so that all the earth may know that there is a God {elohim: true Deity} in Israel.
47 And all this company {qahal: gathered community} will know that the LORD {YHWH, Deliverer} does not save by sword or by spear; for the battle belongs to the LORD and He will hand you over into our hand.
48 When the Philistine {pelishti: enemy warrior} rose and came forward to meet David, David hurried and ran toward the battle line {maarakhah: battle formation} to meet the Philistine.
49 Then David reached into the sling pouch {keli: small leather pouch}, drew out a stone, hurled it, and struck the Philistine champion {pelishti: skilled adversary} on the forehead. The stone embedded itself there, and he fell face-first to the ground.
50 David {David: chosen champion} prevailed over the Philistine with the sling {qela: leather projectile weapon} and with the stone; he struck the Philistine and killed him, and there was no sword in David’s hand.