1 Ajuntaram os filisteus as suas tropas para a guerra, e congregaram-se em Socó, que está em Judá, e acamparam-se entre Socó e Azeca, em Efes-Damim. 2 Porém Saul e os homens de Israel se ajuntaram, e acamparam no vale de Elá, e ali ordenaram a batalha contra os filisteus. 3 Estavam estes num monte do lado dalém, e os israelitas, no outro monte do lado daquém; e, entre eles, o vale.

4 Então, saiu do arraial dos filisteus um homem guerreiro, cujo nome era Golias, de Gate, da altura de seis côvados e um palmo. 5 Trazia na cabeça um capacete de bronze e vestia uma couraça de escamas cujo peso era de cinco mil siclos de bronze. 6 Trazia caneleiras de bronze nas pernas e um dardo de bronze entre os ombros. 7 A haste da sua lança era como o eixo do tecelão, e a ponta da sua lança, de seiscentos siclos de ferro; e diante dele ia o escudeiro. 8 Parou, clamou às tropas de Israel e disse-lhes: Para que saís, formando-vos em linha de batalha? Não sou eu filisteu, e vós, servos de Saul? Escolhei dentre vós um homem que desça contra mim. 9 Se ele puder pelejar comigo e me ferir, seremos vossos servos; porém, se eu o vencer e o ferir, então, sereis nossos servos e nos servireis. 10 Disse mais o filisteu: Hoje, afronto as tropas de Israel. Dai-me um homem, para que ambos pelejemos. 11 Ouvindo Saul e todo o Israel estas palavras do filisteu, espantaram-se e temeram muito.

12 Davi era filho daquele efrateu de Belém de Judá cujo nome era Jessé, que tinha oito filhos; nos dias de Saul, era já velho e adiantado em anos entre os homens. 13 Apresentaram-se os três filhos mais velhos de Jessé a Saul e o seguiram à guerra; chamavam-se: Eliabe, o primogênito, o segundo, Abinadabe, e o terceiro, Samá. 14 Davi era o mais moço; só os três maiores seguiram Saul. 15 Davi, porém, ia a Saul e voltava, para apascentar as ovelhas de seu pai, em Belém. 16 Chegava-se, pois, o filisteu pela manhã e à tarde; e apresentou-se por quarenta dias.

17 Disse Jessé a Davi, seu filho: Leva, peço-te, para teus irmãos um efa deste trigo tostado e estes dez pães e corre a levá-los ao acampamento, a teus irmãos. 18 Porém estes dez queijos, leva-os ao comandante de mil; e visitarás teus irmãos, a ver se vão bem; e trarás uma prova de como passam. 19 Saul, e eles, e todos os homens de Israel estão no vale de Elá, pelejando com os filisteus.

20 Davi, pois, no dia seguinte, se levantou de madrugada, deixou as ovelhas com um guarda, carregou-se e partiu, como Jessé lhe ordenara; e chegou ao acampamento quando já as tropas saíam para formar-se em ordem de batalha e, a gritos, chamavam à peleja. 21 Os israelitas e filisteus se puseram em ordem, fileira contra fileira. 22 Davi, deixando o que trouxera aos cuidados do guarda da bagagem, correu à batalha; e, chegando, perguntou a seus irmãos se estavam bem. 23 Estando Davi ainda a falar com eles, eis que vinha subindo do exército dos filisteus o duelista, cujo nome era Golias, o filisteu de Gate; e falou as mesmas coisas que antes falara, e Davi o ouviu.

24 Todos os israelitas, vendo aquele homem, fugiam de diante dele, e temiam grandemente, 25 e diziam uns aos outros: Vistes aquele homem que subiu? Pois subiu para afrontar a Israel. A quem o matar, o rei o cumulará de grandes riquezas, e lhe dará por mulher a filha, e à casa de seu pai isentará de impostos em Israel. 26 Então, falou Davi aos homens que estavam consigo, dizendo: Que farão àquele homem que ferir a este filisteu e tirar a afronta de sobre Israel? Quem é, pois, esse incircunciso filisteu, para afrontar os exércitos do Deus vivo? 27 E o povo lhe repetiu as mesmas palavras, dizendo: Assim farão ao homem que o ferir.

28 Ouvindo-o Eliabe, seu irmão mais velho, falar àqueles homens, acendeu-se-lhe a ira contra Davi, e disse: Por que desceste aqui? E a quem deixaste aquelas poucas ovelhas no deserto? Bem conheço a tua presunção e a tua maldade; desceste apenas para ver a peleja. 29 Respondeu Davi: Que fiz eu agora? Fiz somente uma pergunta. 30 Desviou-se dele para outro e falou a mesma coisa; e o povo lhe tornou a responder como dantes.

31 Ouvidas as palavras que Davi falara, anunciaram-nas a Saul, que mandou chamá-lo. 32 Davi disse a Saul: Não desfaleça o coração de ninguém por causa dele; teu servo irá e pelejará contra o filisteu. 33 Porém Saul disse a Davi: Contra o filisteu não poderás ir para pelejar com ele; pois tu és ainda moço, e ele, guerreiro desde a sua mocidade. 34 Respondeu Davi a Saul: Teu servo apascentava as ovelhas de seu pai; quando veio um leão ou um urso e tomou um cordeiro do rebanho, 35 eu saí após ele, e o feri, e livrei o cordeiro da sua boca; levantando-se ele contra mim, agarrei-o pela barba, e o feri, e o matei. 36 O teu servo matou tanto o leão como o urso; este incircunciso filisteu será como um deles, porquanto afrontou os exércitos do Deus vivo. 37 Disse mais Davi: O Senhor me livrou das garras do leão e das do urso; ele me livrará das mãos deste filisteu. Então, disse Saul a Davi: Vai-te, e o Senhor seja contigo. 38 Saul vestiu a Davi da sua armadura, e lhe pôs sobre a cabeça um capacete de bronze, e o vestiu de uma couraça. 39 Davi cingiu a espada sobre a armadura e experimentou andar, pois jamais a havia usado; então, disse Davi a Saul: Não posso andar com isto, pois nunca o usei. E Davi tirou aquilo de sobre si. 40 Tomou o seu cajado na mão, e escolheu para si cinco pedras lisas do ribeiro, e as pôs no alforje de pastor, que trazia, a saber, no surrão; e, lançando mão da sua funda, foi-se chegando ao filisteu.

41 O filisteu também se vinha chegando a Davi; e o seu escudeiro ia adiante dele. 42 Olhando o filisteu e vendo a Davi, o desprezou, porquanto era moço ruivo e de boa aparência. 43 Disse o filisteu a Davi: Sou eu algum cão, para vires a mim com paus? E, pelos seus deuses, amaldiçoou o filisteu a Davi. 44 Disse mais o filisteu a Davi: Vem a mim, e darei a tua carne às aves do céu e às bestas-feras do campo. 45 Davi, porém, disse ao filisteu: Tu vens contra mim com espada, e com lança, e com escudo; eu, porém, vou contra ti em nome do Senhor dos Exércitos, o Deus dos exércitos de Israel, a quem tens afrontado. 46 Hoje mesmo, o Senhor te entregará nas minhas mãos; ferir-te-ei, tirar-te-ei a cabeça e os cadáveres do arraial dos filisteus darei, hoje mesmo, às aves dos céus e às bestas-feras da terra; e toda a terra saberá que há Deus em Israel. 47 Saberá toda esta multidão que o Senhor salva, não com espada, nem com lança; porque do Senhor é a guerra, e ele vos entregará nas nossas mãos.

48 Sucedeu que, dispondo-se o filisteu a encontrar-se com Davi, este se apressou e, deixando as suas fileiras, correu de encontro ao filisteu. 49 Davi meteu a mão no alforje, e tomou dali uma pedra, e com a funda lha atirou, e feriu o filisteu na testa; a pedra encravou-se-lhe na testa, e ele caiu com o rosto em terra. 50 Assim, prevaleceu Davi contra o filisteu, com uma funda e com uma pedra, e o feriu, e o matou; porém não havia espada na mão de Davi. 51 Pelo que correu Davi, e, lançando-se sobre o filisteu, tomou-lhe a espada, e desembainhou-a, e o matou, cortando-lhe com ela a cabeça. Vendo os filisteus que era morto o seu herói, fugiram. 52 Então, os homens de Israel e Judá se levantaram, e jubilaram, e perseguiram os filisteus, até Gate e até às portas de Ecrom. E caíram filisteus feridos pelo caminho, de Saaraim até Gate e até Ecrom. 53 Então, voltaram os filhos de Israel de perseguirem os filisteus e lhes despojaram os acampamentos. 54 Tomou Davi a cabeça do filisteu e a trouxe a Jerusalém; porém as armas dele pô-las Davi na sua tenda.

55 Quando Saul viu sair Davi a encontrar-se com o filisteu, disse a Abner, o comandante do exército: De quem é filho este jovem, Abner? Respondeu Abner: Tão certo como tu vives, ó rei, não o sei. 56 Disse o rei: Pergunta, pois, de quem é filho este jovem. 57 Voltando Davi de haver ferido o filisteu, Abner o tomou e o levou à presença de Saul, trazendo ele na mão a cabeça do filisteu. 58 Então, Saul lhe perguntou: De quem és filho, jovem? Respondeu Davi: Filho de teu servo Jessé, belemita.

1 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 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 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 And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a javelin of brass between his shoulders. 7 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 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 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 And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. 11 And when Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.

12 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 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 And David was the youngest; and the three eldest followed Saul. 15 Now David went to and fro from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Beth-lehem. 16 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.

17 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 and bring these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge. 19 Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the vale of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. 20 And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the place of the wagons, as the host which was going forth to the fight shouted for the battle. 21 And Israel and the Philistines put the battle in array, army against army. 22 And David left his baggage in the hand of the keeper of the baggage, and ran to the army, and came and saluted his brethren. 23 And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the ranks of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them. 24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. 25 And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel. 26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? 27 And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.

28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why art thou come down? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thy heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. 29 And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? 30 And he turned away from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.

31 And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul; and he sent for him. 32 And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. 33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. 34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant was keeping his father’s sheep; and when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock, 35 I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth; and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. 36 Thy servant smote both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. 37 And David said, Jehovah that 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 Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and Jehovah shall be with thee. 38 And Saul clad David with his apparel, and he put a helmet of brass upon his head, and he clad him with a coat of mail. 39 And David girded his sword upon his apparel, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him. 40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, even in his wallet; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

41 And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him. 42 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and withal of a fair countenance. 43 And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the birds of the heavens, and to the beasts of the field. 45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin: but I come to thee in the name of Jehovah of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 46 This day will Jehovah deliver thee into my hand; and I will smite thee, and take thy head from off thee; and I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day unto the birds of the heavens, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all this assembly may know that Jehovah saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is Jehovah’s, and he will give you into our hand. 48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead; and the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell upon his face to the earth.

50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Then David ran, and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 52 And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou comest to Gai, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron. 53 And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they plundered their camp. 54 And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armor in his tent.

55 And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell. 56 And the king said, Inquire thou whose son the stripling is. 57 And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58 And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Beth-lehemite.

1 Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Sokoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Sokoh and Azekah.

2 Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines.

3 The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them.

4 A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span. [^1]

5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels ";

6 on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back.

7 His spear shaft was like a weaver's rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. "His shield bearer went ahead of him.

8 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me.

9 If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us."

10 Then the Philistine said, "This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other."

11 On hearing the Philistine's words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.

12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite named Jesse, who was from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and in Saul's time he was very old.

13 Jesse's three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab; the second, Abinadab; and the third, Shammah.

14 David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul,

15 but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father's sheep at Bethlehem.

16 For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand.

17 Now 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 Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance "from them.

19 They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines."

20 Early in the morning David left the flock in the care of a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry.

21 Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other.

22 David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and asked his brothers how they were.

23 As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it.

24 Whenever the Israelites saw the man, they all fled from him in great fear.

25 Now the Israelites had been saying, "Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his family from taxes in Israel."

26 David asked the men standing near him, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?"

27 They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, "This is what will be done for the man who kills him."

28 When Eliab, David's oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, "Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle."

29 "Now what have I done?" said David. "Can't I even speak?"

30 He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before.

31 What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him.

32 David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him."

33 Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth."

34 But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock,

35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.

36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.

37 The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you."

38 Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head.

39 David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. "I cannot go in these," he said to Saul, "because I am not used to them." So he took them off.

40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.

41 Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David.

42 He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him.

43 He said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

44 "Come here," he said, "and I'll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!"

45 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 Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.

47 All those gathered 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 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.

49 Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.

50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

51 David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine's sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran.

52 Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath "and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron.

53 When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp.

54 David took the Philistine's head and brought it to Jerusalem; he put the Philistine's weapons in his own tent.

55 As Saul watched David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, "Abner, whose son is that young man?" Abner replied, "As surely as you live, Your Majesty, I don't know."

56 The king said, "Find out whose son this young man is."

57 As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine's head.

58 "Whose son are you, young man?" Saul asked him. David said, "I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem."