1 Samuel 17

1 Ref Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle; and they were gathered together at Socoh, which belongeth to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim.

2 Ref And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and encamped in the vale of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.

3 And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.

4 Ref And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

5 And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was clad with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.

6 Ref And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a javelin of brass between his shoulders.

7 Ref And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head `weighed' six hundred shekels of iron: and his shield-bearer went before him.

8 Ref And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.

9 Ref If he be able to fight with me, and kill me, then will we be your servants; but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.

10 Ref And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.

11 Ref And when Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.

12 Ref Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Beth-lehem-judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man was an old man in the days of Saul, stricken `in years' among men.

13 Ref And the three eldest sons of Jesse had gone after Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the first-born, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.

14 Ref And David was the youngest; and the three eldest followed Saul.

15 Ref Now David went to and fro from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Beth-lehem.

16 Ref And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.

17 Ref And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry `them' quickly to the camp to thy brethren;

18 Ref and bring these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge.

Chapter 17 of 31

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