1 Os filisteus juntaram suas forças para a guerra e reuniram-se em Socó de Judá. E acamparam em Efes-Damim, entre Socó e Azeca.2 Saul e os israelitas reuniram-se e acamparam no vale de Elá, posicionando-se em linha de batalha para enfrentar os filisteus.3 Os filisteus ocuparam uma colina e os israelitas outra, estando o vale entre eles.4 Um guerreiro chamado Golias, que era de Gate, veio do acampamento filisteu. Tinha dois metros e noventa centímetros de altura.5 Ele usava um capacete de bronze e vestia uma couraça de escamas de bronze que pesava sessenta quilos;6 nas pernas usava caneleiras de bronze e tinha um dardo de bronze pendurado nas costas.7 A haste de sua lança era parecida com uma lançadeira de tecelão, e sua ponta de ferro pesava sete quilos e duzentos gramas. Seu escudeiro ia à frente dele.8 Golias parou e gritou às tropas de Israel: "Por que vocês estão se posicionando para a batalha? Não sou eu um filisteu, e vocês os servos de Saul? Escolham um homem para lutar comigo.9 Se ele puder lutar e matar-me, nós seremos seus escravos; todavia, se eu o vencer e o matar, vocês serão nossos escravos e nos servirão".10 E acrescentou: "Eu desafio hoje as tropas de Israel! Mandem-me um homem para lutar sozinho comigo".11 Ao ouvirem as palavras do filisteu, Saul e todos os israelitas ficaram atônitos e apavorados.12 Davi era filho de um efrateu, de Belém de Judá, chamado Jessé. Este tinha oito filhos e já era idoso na época de Saul.13 Os três filhos mais velhos de Jessé tinham ido para a guerra com Saul: Eliabe, o mais velho, Abinadabe, o segundo e Samá, o terceiro.14 Davi era o caçula. Os três mais velhos seguiram Saul,15 mas Davi ia ao acampamento de Saul e voltava para apascentar as ovelhas de seu pai, em Belém.16 Durante quarenta dias o filisteu aproximava-se, de manhã e de tarde, e tomava posição.17 Nessa ocasião Jessé disse a seu filho Davi: "Pegue uma arroba de grãos tostados e dez pães e leve-os rapidamente para seus irmãos no acampamento.18 Leve também estes dez queijos ao comandante da unidade deles. Veja como estão seus irmãos e traga-me alguma garantia de que estão bem.19 Eles estão com Saul e com todos os homens de Israel no vale de Elá, lutando contra os filisteus".20 Levantando-se de madrugada, Davi deixou o rebanho com outro pastor, pegou a carga e partiu, conforme Jessé lhe havia ordenado. Chegou ao acampamento na hora em que, com grito de batalha, o exército estava saindo para suas posições de combate.21 Israel e os filisteus estavam se posicionando em linha de batalha, frente a frente.22 Davi deixou o que havia trazido com o responsável pelos suprimentos, correu para a linha de batalha para saber como estavam seus irmãos.23 Enquanto conversava com eles, Golias, o guerreiro filisteu de Gate, avançou e lançou seu desafio habitual; e Davi o ouviu.24 Quando os israelitas viram o homem, todos fugiram com muito medo.25 Os israelitas diziam entre si: "Vocês viram aquele homem? Ele veio desafiar Israel. O rei dará grandes riquezas a quem o matar. Também lhe dará sua filha em casamento e isentará de impostos em Israel a família de seu pai".26 Davi perguntou aos soldados que estavam ali ao seu lado: "O que receberá o homem que matar esse filisteu e salvar a honra de Israel? Quem é esse filisteu incircunciso para desafiar os exércitos do Deus vivo? "27 Repetiram a Davi o que haviam comentado e lhe disseram: "Isto é o que receberá o homem que matá-lo".28 Quando Eliabe, o irmão mais velho, ouviu Davi falando com os soldados, ficou muito irritado com ele e perguntou: "Por que você veio até aqui? Com quem deixou aquelas poucas ovelhas no deserto? Sei que você é presunçoso e como seu coração é mau; você veio só para ver a batalha".29 E disse Davi: "O que fiz agora? Será que não posso nem mesmo conversar? "30 Ele então se virou para outro e perguntou a mesma coisa, e os homens responderam-lhe como antes.31 As palavras de Davi chegaram aos ouvidos de Saul, que o mandou chamar.32 Davi disse a Saul: "Ninguém deve ficar com o coração abatido por causa desse filisteu; teu servo irá e lutará com ele".33 Respondeu Saul: "Você não tem condições de lutar contra este filisteu; você é apenas um rapaz, e ele é um guerreiro desde a mocidade".34 Davi, entretanto, disse a Saul: "Teu servo toma conta das ovelhas de seu pai. Quando aparece um leão ou um urso e leva uma ovelha do rebanho,35 eu vou atrás dele, atinjo-o com golpes e livro a ovelha de sua boca. Quando se vira contra mim, eu o pego pela juba, atinjo-o com golpes até matá-lo.36 Teu servo é capaz de matar tanto um leão quanto um urso; esse filisteu incircunciso será como um deles, pois desafiou os exércitos do Deus vivo.37 O Senhor que me livrou das garras do leão e das garras do urso me livrará das mãos desse filisteu". Diante disso Saul disse a Davi: "Vá, e que o Senhor esteja com você".38 Então Saul vestiu Davi com sua própria túnica. Colocou-lhe uma armadura e um capacete de bronze na cabeça.39 Davi prendeu sua espada sobre a túnica e tentou andar, pois não estava acostumado àquilo. E disse a Saul: "Não consigo andar com isto, pois não estou acostumado". Assim tirou tudo aquilo,40 e em seguida pegou seu cajado, escolheu no riacho cinco pedras lisas, colocou-as na bolsa, isto é, no seu alforje de pastor e, com sua atiradeira na mão, aproximou-se do filisteu.41 Enquanto isso, o filisteu, com seu escudeiro à frente, vinha se aproximando de Davi.42 Olhou para Davi com desprezo, viu que era só um rapaz, ruivo e de boa aparência, e fez pouco caso dele.43 E disse a Davi: "Por acaso sou um cão para que você venha contra mim com pedaços de pau? " E o filisteu amaldiçoou Davi invocando seus deuses,44 e disse: "Venha aqui, e darei sua carne às aves do céu e aos animais do campo! "45 E Davi disse ao filisteu: "Você vem contra mim com espada, com lança e com dardo, mas eu vou contra você em nome do Senhor dos Exércitos, o Deus dos exércitos de Israel, a quem você desafiou.46 Hoje mesmo o Senhor o entregará nas minhas mãos, e eu o matarei e cortarei a sua cabeça. Hoje mesmo darei os cadáveres do exército filisteu às aves do céu e aos animais selvagens, e toda a terra saberá que há Deus em Israel.47 Todos que estão aqui saberão que não é por espada ou por lança que o Senhor concede vitória; pois a batalha é do Senhor, e ele entregará todos vocês em nossas mãos".48 Quando o filisteu começou a vir na direção de Davi, este correu depressa na direção da linha de batalha para enfrentá-lo.49 Retirando uma pedra de seu alforje ele a arremessou com a atiradeira e atingiu o filisteu na testa, de tal modo que ela ficou encravada, e ele caiu com o rosto no chão.50 Assim Davi venceu o filisteu com uma atiradeira e uma pedra; sem espada na mão ele derrubou o filisteu e o matou.51 Davi correu e se pôs de pé sobre ele; e desembainhando a espada do filisteu acabou de matá-lo, cortando-lhe a cabeça com ela. Quando os filisteus viram que seu guerreiro estava morto, recuaram e fugiram.52 Então os homens de Israel e de Judá deram o grito de guerra e perseguiram os filisteus até a entrada de Gate, e até as portas de Ecrom. Cadáveres de filisteus ficaram espalhados ao longo da estrada de Saaraim até Gate e Ecrom.53 Quando os israelitas voltaram da perseguição aos filisteus, levaram tudo o que havia no acampamento deles.54 Davi pegou a cabeça do filisteu, levou-a para Jerusalém e guardou as armas do filisteu em sua própria tenda.55 Quando Saul viu Davi avançando para enfrentar o filisteu, perguntou a Abner, o comandante do exército: "Abner, quem é o pai daquele rapaz? " Abner respondeu: "Juro por tua vida, ó rei, que eu não sei".56 E o rei ordenou-lhe: "Descubra quem é o pai dele".57 Logo que Davi voltou, depois de ter matado o filisteu, Abner levou-o perante Saul. Davi ainda segurava a cabeça de Golias.58 E Saul lhe perguntou: "De quem você é filho, meu jovem? " Respondeu Davi: "Sou filho de teu servo Jessé, de Belém".

1 Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle; and they were gathered together at Socoh, which belongs 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 valley 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 bronze on his head, and he was clad with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze.6 And he had greaves of bronze on his legs, and a javelin of bronze 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 to the armies of Israel, and said to them, Why do you{+} come out to set your{+} battle in array? Am I not a Philistine, and you{+} slaves to Saul? Choose{+} a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.9 If he is able to fight with me, and kill me, then we will be your{+} slaves; but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then you{+} will be our slaves, 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 a man, an Ephrathite of Beth-lehem-judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man, in the days of Saul, was old and notable among men.13 And the three eldest sons of Jesse had gone after Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to 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 shepherd 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 to David his son, Now take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry [them] quickly to the camp to your brothers;18 and bring these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and see how your brothers fare, and take their pledge.19 Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley 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 greeted his brothers.23 And as he talked with them, look, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the ranks of the Philistines, and spoke 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 very afraid.25 And the men of Israel said, Have you{+} seen this man that has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel: and it will be, that the man who kills 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 spoke to the men that stood by him, saying, What will be done to the man that kills this Philistine, and takes 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 it will be done to the man that kills him.28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride, and the naughtiness of your heart; for you have come down that you might see the battle.29 And David said, What have I done now? Is there not a cause?30 And he turned away from him toward another, and spoke after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.31 And when the words were heard which David spoke, they rehearsed them before Saul; and he sent for him.32 And David said to Saul, Don't let the heart of man fail because of him; your slave will go and fight with this Philistine.33 And Saul said to David, You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth, and he is a man of war from his youth.34 And David said to Saul, Your slave was shepherding his father's sheep; and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock,35 I went out after him, and struck him, and delivered it out of his mouth; and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and struck him, and slew him.36 Your slave struck both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine will be as one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.37 And David said, Yahweh who 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 to David, Go, and Yahweh will be with you.38 And Saul clad David with his apparel, and he put a helmet of bronze on his head, and he clad him with a coat of mail.39 And David girded his sword on his apparel, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said to Saul, I can't go with these; for I haven't proved them. And David put them off him.40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose himself 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 upon and drew near to David; and the man who bore 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 handsome.43 And the Philistine said to David, Am I a dog, that you come 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 your flesh to the birds of the heavens, and to the beasts of the field.45 Then said David to the Philistine, You come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin: but I come to you in the name of Yahweh of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.46 This day Yahweh will deliver you into my hand; and I will strike you, and take your head from off you; and I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to 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 Yahweh does not save with sword and spear: for the battle is Yahweh's, and he will give you{+} into our hand.48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took a stone from there, and slang it, and struck the Philistine in his forehead; and the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck 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 its sheath, and slew him, and cut off his head with it. 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 you come to Gai, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath, and to Ekron.53 And the sons 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 to Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As your soul lives, O king, I don't know.56 And the king said, You inquire 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 are you, young man? And David answered, I am the son of your slave Jesse the Beth-lehemite.