1 Os filisteus convocaram o seu exército para uma guerra, e acamparam entre Sucote em Judá e Azeca, em Efes-Damim.
2 Saul opunha-se-lhes com um ajuntamento de tropas, reunidas no vale de Elá.
3 Desta forma, os filisteus e os israelitas encontravam-se frente a frente em duas colinas opostas, com o vale entre eles.
4 Golias, um grande guerreiro, originário de Gate, avançou, vindo das fileiras dos filisteus e pôs-se diante das forças militares israelitas. Tratava-se de um verdadeiro gigante, media para cima de três metros de altura! Trazia um capacete de bronze, vestia uma couraça que pesava uns cem quilos, tinha as pernas protegidas com caneleiras também de bronze, e a sua lança, do mesmo metal, era de vários centímetros de espessura, guarnecida com uma ponta de ferro de perto de doze quilos. O seu escudeiro ia à frente, carregando-lhe com um grande escudo.
8 Golias parou então e gritou para os israelitas: Para que precisam vocês de um exército inteiro para resolver esta questão? Eu serei o delegado de todos os filisteus, e vocês escolham alguém que vos represente, e resolveremos este combate entre os dois. Se o vosso homem conseguir matar-me, seremos vossos escravos. Mas se for eu a matá-lo, serão vocês nossos escravos! Desafio pois os exércitos de Israel! Mandem ter comigo um homem que combata comigo!
11 Ao ouvirem isto, Saul e todo o exército israelita ficaram extremamente angustiados e aterrorizados.
12 David, o filho de Jessé (da tribo de Efraim, que vivia em Belém de Judá), tinha sete irmãos mais velhos que ele. Os três mais velhos - Eliabe, Abinadabe e Samá - tinham seguido, como voluntários, o exército de Saul para combaterem os filisteus. David, que era o mais novo dos irmãos, fazia parte da corte de Saul, mas a tempo parcial. O resto do tempo voltava para ajudar o pai nos rebanhos.
16 Entretanto e durante quarenta dias, duas vezes por dia, de manhã e de tarde, o gigante filisteu pavoneava-se perante as forças israelitas.
17 Um dia Jessé disse a David, seu filho: Leva-me estes trinta e cinco litros de grão torrado mais estes dez bolos aos teus irmãos. Dá também esses queijos ao capitão deles e vê se estão a passar bem. Toma conta de algum recado que me queiram mandar.
19 Saul e as suas forças militares estavam acampados no vale de Elá.
20 David deixou as ovelhas entregues a outro pastor e partiu de manhã cedo com o que o pai mandava aos filhos. Chegou assim à entrada do acampamento quando o exército israelita se preparava para a batalha com gritos e apelos à luta. Ambas as forças inimigas se encontravam frente a frente, em disposição de combate.
22 David entregou o seu fardo ao bagageiro e correu para as fileiras à procura dos irmãos.
23 Enquanto conversava com estes, viu Golias avançar de entre os pelotões filisteus e gritar o seu desafio às tropas de Israel.
24 Estas, assim que o viram, recuaram de terror.
25 Viste? Viste aquele gigante?, perguntavam os soldados. Tem insultado o exército de Israel. O rei ofereceu já uma enorme recompensa a quem o matar: dar-lhe-á uma das suas filhas, e toda a sua família ficará isenta de impostos!
26 Foi assim que David se informou, junto de alguns que ali estavam perto, sobre o que fariam àquele que matasse o filisteu e parasse com aqueles insultos a Israel. Quem é este pagão filisteus que ousa assim desafiar os exércitos do Deus vivo?, perguntava.
27 E davam-lhe sempre a mesma resposta.
28 O irmão mais velho de David, Eliabe, quando ouviu David a falar desta maneira, ficou muito zangado: Mas afinal o que é que estás tu aqui a fazer? A quem deixaste tu aquelas poucas ovelhas lá no deserto? Sei bem como és maroto e gabarola. O que queres é vir ver a peleja!
29 Que foi agora que eu fiz? Fiz apenas uma pergunta! E afastou-se para continuar a falar com outros, dizendo-lhe toda a gente sempre a mesma coisa.
31 As pessoas começaram a reparar nele e no que dizia e foram contar a Saul; este mandou chamá-lo.
32 Que ninguém se angustie por causa daquele gigante, disse David. Eu me encarregarei desse filisteu!
33 Olha lá, como é que um rapazinho como tu poderia fazer frente a um homem daqueles, que é soldado desde a sua mocidade?
34 Mas David insistiu: Quando estou a tomar conta das ovelhas do meu pai, se me aparece um leão ou um urso para me roubar um animal do rebanho, corro atrás dele com uma tranca e tiro-lhe o cordeiro da boca. Se ele se volta contra mim, agarro-o pelas mandíbulas e despedaço-o, até morrer. Fiz isto já, tanto com ursos como com leões; certamente que poderei fazer o mesmo em relação a esse pagão filisteu que teve a ousadia de desafiar os exércitos do Deus vivo! O Senhor, que me salvou dos dentes das feras, salvar-me-á também deste filisteu!Saul por fim consentiu: Está bem, vai lá então, e que o Senhor seja contigo!
38 Saul deu-lhe a sua própria armadura - uma couraça de bronze e uma cota de malha. David pôs aquilo tudo sobre si, cingiu a espada, e deu dois ou três passos para ver como se sentia, porque era a primeira vez que usava um equipamento de combate. Mas eu nem sequer me posso mexer! Nunca andei com coisas destas! exclamou, e tirou tudo de sobre si.
40 Foi depois buscar à torrente que por ali passava cinco pequenos seixos e pô-los no seu alforge de pastor; pegou no bordão, na funda e dirigiu-se na direcção de Golias. Este veio também ao encontro dele, com o homem que lhe levava o escudo, à sua frente, olhando com desprezo para aquele mocinho de rosto corado e de gentil aspecto!
43 Ouve lá, sou eu algum cão, rugiu para David, para vires contra mim com um pau? E amaldiçoou David pelos nomes dos seus deuses. Vem cá, vem, para que dê a tua carne comer às aves e aos animais selvagens, gritou Golias.
45 David por sua vez gritou-lhe como resposta: Tu vens contra mim armado de lança e de escudo; mas eu lutarei contigo em nome do Senhor dos exércitos celestiais e de Israel - o verdadeiro Deus, a quem tens afrontado.
46 Hoje o Senhor te entregará na minha mão; hei-de matar-te e cortar-te a cabeça e depois darei os corpos mortos dos teus homens aos pássaros e às feras; todo o mundo ficará assim a saber que há um Deus em Israel! Israel, também, aprenderá assim que o Senhor não está dependente de armas de guerra para dar cumprimento aos seus planos de salvação - ele actua sem estar sujeito a meios humanos. Esta questão agora é só dele, e ele vos entregará na nossa mão.
48 Golias aproximou-se, David correu ao seu encontro e, tirando do alforge uma das pequenas pedras, pô-la na funda e feriu o filisteu na cabeça. O seixo cravou-se-lhe mesmo na fronte de tal forma que o homem caiu com o rosto em terra. David conseguiu assim vencer o gigante filisteu com uma simples funda e uma pedra. Como não tinha espada, correu para Golias, tirou a dele da bainha, matou-o e cortou-lhe a cabeça. Quando os filisteus viram aquilo, e que o seu campeão estava morto, desataram a fugir.
52 Os israelitas deram um grande grito de triunfo e foram atrás deles, perseguindo-os mesmo até Gate e até às portas de Ecrom. Os corpos dos mortos e dos feridos espalhavam-se por todo o caminho de Saaraim. As tropas israelitas regressaram e despojaram o acampamento abandonado pelos filisteus.
54 Mais tarde David levou a cabeça de Golias para Jerusalém, mas guardou as armas de Golias na sua própria tenda.
55 Saul, quando estava a ver David a dirigir-se em direcção de Golias, perguntou a Abner, o general do seu exército: Abner, a que família pertence este mocinho? Realmente não sei!
56 Bom, então procura informar-te, disse-lhe o rei.
57 Depois de David ter matado Golias, Abner trouxe-o junto de Saul, com a cabeça do gigante ainda nas mãos.
58 Fala-me lá então de teu pai, meu rapaz, pediu-lhe Saul David: Chama-se Jessé. Vivemos em Belém.
1 And the Philistines gathered together their hosts, unto battle, and they were gathered together unto Socoh, which belongeth unto Judah,and they encamped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim;
2 and, Saul and the men of Israel, gathered themselves together, and encamped in the vale of Elah, and set the army in array against the Philistines.
3 And, the Philistines, were standing near the hill on one side, and, the Israelites, were standing near the hill on the other side,while, the valley, was between them.
4 And there came forth a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, Goliath, his name, from Gath,his height, six cubits and a span;
5 with a helmet of bronze on his head, and, with a scaly coat of mail, was he clad,the weight of the coat, being five thousand shekels of bronze;
6 and, greaves of bronze, on his feet,and, a javelin of bronze, between his shoulders;
7 and, the shaft of his spear, was like a weavers beam, and, the flashing head of his spear, was six hundred shekels of iron,and, his shield-bearer, was coming on before him.
8 And he took his stand, and cried unto the ranks of Israel, and said unto them, Wherefore should ye come out, to set in array for battle? Am not, I, a Philistine, while, ye, are servants unto Saul? Choose you a man, and let him come down unto me:
9 If he prevail in fighting with me, and smite me, then will we become your servants,but, if, I, prevail over him, and smite him, then shall ye become our servants, and serve, us.
10 And the Philistine saidI, reproach the ranks of Israel, this day,give me a man, that we may fight together.
11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and feared exceedingly.
12 Now, David, was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem-judah, whose, name, was Jesse, and, who, had eight sons,and, the man, in the days of Saul was old, advanced in years.
13 And the three eldest sons of Jesse had followed Saul to the battle,and, the names of his three sons who went into the battle, were Eliab the firstborn, and, the next to him, Abinadab, and, the third, Shammah.
14 But, as for David, he, was the youngest,and, the three eldest, followed Saul;
15 whereas, David, kept going and returning from Saul,to tend his fathers sheep at Bethlehem.
16 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening,and presented himself forty days.
17 And Jesse said unto David his son, Take, I pray thee, unto thy brethrenthis ephah of parched corn, and these ten loaves,and run to the camp unto thy brethren;
18 also these ten slices of soft cheese, shalt thou take to the captain of their thousand,and, as for thy brethren, give good heed to their welfare, their pledge, also shalt thou receive.
19 Now, Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the vale of Elah, ready to fight with the Philistines.
20 So then David rose up early in the morning, and entrusted the sheep to a keeper, and took up and went his way, as Jesse had commanded him,and came into the circular rampart, as, the force, was going forth into the ranks, and shouted for the fight.
21 So Israel and the Philistines set in array for battle, army against army.
22 Then David entrusted the provisions that were upon him to the care of the keeper of the stores, and ran unto the ranks,and came and asked for the welfare of his brethren.
23 Now, as he was speaking with them, lo! the champion coming up, Goliath the Philistine, by name, of Gath, .
24 Now, all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from before him, and feared exceedingly.
25 And the men of Israel saidHave ye seen this man that is coming up? For, to reproach Israel, is he coming. So then it shall be, that, the man that shall smite him, the same, will the king enrich with great riches, and, his own daughter, will give him, and, his fathers house, will he make free in Israel.
26 Then spake David unto the men that were standing by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that shall smite yonder Philistine, and so shall take away reproach from off Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he hath reproached the ranks of a Living God?
27 And the people answered him, according to this word saying,So, shall it be done to the man that shall smite him.
28 Now Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men,then was kindled the anger of Eliab against David, and he saidWherefore is it that thou hast come down? and to whom hast thou entrusted those few sheep in the wilderness? I, know thy pride, and the foolishness of thy heart, for, to see the battle, hast thou come down.
29 And David said, What have I done, now? Was there not, a cause?
30 Then turned he from him unto another, and saidaccording to this word,and the people returned him an answer, like the first.
31 And the words which David spake were overheard,and, when they told them before Saul, he summoned him.
32 And David said unto Saul, Let not the heart of my lord fail, because of him,thy servant, will go, and fight with this Philistine.
33 And Saul said unto DavidThou art not able to go against this Philistine, to fight with him,for, a youth, art, thou, but, he, a man of war, from his youth.
34 Then said David unto Saul, Thy servant used to tend his fathers sheep,and there would come a lion, or a bear, and carry off a lamb out of the flock;
35 and I would go out after him, and smite him, and rescue it out of his mouth,and, if he rose against me, I would catch him by his beard, and smite him, and slay him.
36 Thy servant could slay, either a lion or a bear,and, this uncircumcised Philistine, shall become, as one of them, for he hath reproached the ranks of a Living God.
37 And David said, Yahweh, who hath rescued me out of the power of the lion, and out of the power of the bear, he, will rescue us out of the hand of this Philistine. Then said Saul unto DavidGo! and, Yahweh, will be with thee.
38 And Saul clad David with his own military coat, and set a helmet of bronze upon his head,and clad him with a coat of mail.
39 And David girded his sword above his military coat, but was reluctant to go, for he had not proved them,so David said unto SaulI cannot go in these, for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.
40 Then took he his stick in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the torrent-bed, and put them in the shepherds-pouch which he hadeven in the wallet, and had his sling in his hand,and so drew near unto the Philistine.
41 And the Philistine came on and on, and drew near unto David,and the man carrying the shield was before him.
42 And, when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him,for he was a youth, and ruddy, a stripling of fair countenance.
43 Then said the Philistine unto David, A dog, am, I, that thou art coming unto me, with sticks? And the Philistine cursed David, by his god.
44 And the Philistine said unto David,Come, unto me, that I may give thy flesh to the birds of heaven, and to the beasts of the field.
45 Then said David unto the PhilistineThou, art coming unto me with sword, and with spear, and with javelin,but, I, am coming unto thee in the name of Yahweh of hosts, God of the ranks of Israel which thou hast reproached.
46 This day, will Yahweh deliver thee into my hand, and I will smite thee, and take thy head from off thee, and will give thy dead body and the dead bodies of the host of Philistines, this day, unto the birds of heaven, and unto the wild beasts of the earth,that all the earth may know that Israel hath a God;
47 and that all this gathered host may know that, not with sword and with spear, doth Yahweh save,for, unto Yahweh, belongeth the battle, and he will deliver you into our hand.
48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew near to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the ranks to meet the Philistine.
49 And David thrust his hand into his pouch, and took from thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine, in his forehead,that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell upon his face, to the earth.
50 Thus David prevailed over the Philistine, with the sling and with the stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him,but, sword, was there none in the hand of David.
51 So David ran, and stood by the Philistine, and took his sword and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off, therewith, his head,and, when the Philistines saw that their hero was slain, they fled.
52 Then arose the men of Israel and Judah, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, as far as the entrance into Gath, and as far as the gates of Ekron,and the slain of the Philistines fell in the way to the two gates, even as far as Gath and as far as Ekron.
53 And the sons of Israel returned from hotly pursuing the Philistines,and plundered their camps.
54 And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it into Jerusalem,but, his armour, put he into his tent.
55 And, when Saul saw David going forth to meet the Philistine, he said unto Abner, prince of the host, Whose son is the young man, Abner? And Abner said, By the life of thy soul, O king! I know not.
56 Then said the king,Ask, thou, whose son the stripling is?
57 And, when David returned from smiting the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul,with the head of the Philistine in his hand.
58 And Saul said unto him, Whose son art, thou, O young man? And David said, Son of thy servant Jesse, the Bethlehemite.