David and Goliath
1 Kingdoms 17, verse 1. Now the Philistines brought their armies together for battle, and they gathered at Sochoh of Judah. They encamped between Sochoh and Azekah in Ephes Dammim. 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 2. And Saul and the men of Israel gathered, and they were encamped in the valley. They were to set up in battle formation opposite the Philistines. 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 3. The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with the valley between them. 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 4. And a mighty man went out from the battle line of the Philistines named Goliath, from Gath. His height was four cubits and a span. 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 5. He had a helmet on his head, and he wore a breastplate of chain mail; and the weight of his breastplate was five thousand shekels of brass and iron. 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 6. And he had armor made of bronze on his legs and a bronze shield between his shoulders. 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 7. Now the staff of his spear was like the beam of a loom, and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels. A shield-bearer went before him. 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 8. Then he stood and shouted out to the armies of Israel and said to them, “Why have you come out to line up for battle against us? Am I not a Philistine, and you Hebrews of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 9. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I am able to kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 10. And the Philistine said, “Look! This very day I challenge the ranks of the armies of Israel. Give me a man that the two of us can fight one on one.” 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 11. When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 12. But David said to Saul, “Let not the heart of my lord fall in regards to him. Your servant will go and fight with this foreigner.” 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 13. And Saul said to David, “No, you are not able to go to the Philistine to fight him, since you are a young man, and he is a man of war from his youth.” 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 14. But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to tend the flock for his father, and when a lion or a bear came and took a sheep out of the flock, 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 15. I followed it and struck it, and delivered the sheep from its mouth. And as it arose against me, I caught it by its throat and struck and killed it. 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 16. Your servant smote both the lion and the bear; and the uncircumcised Philistine will be as one of them to me. Will I not go and kill him today, and remove the reproach of Israel? For who is this uncircumcised one who challenged the ranks of the armies of Israel? 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 17. The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this uncircumcised Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord will be with you!” 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 18. So Saul clothed David with armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head, 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 19. and he girded David with his sword over his armor. David made a trial walking with them a time or two. And David said to Saul, “I am not able to go with these, for I have not tested them.” So they removed them. 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 20. Then David took his staff in his hand, and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook. He put them in a shepherd's bag to store away, and in his hand was his sling. He then approached the Philistine. 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 21. And when Goliath saw David, he disdained him; for he was a young boy, ruddy with a good countenance. 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 22. So the Philistine said to David, “Am I as a dog, that you come against me with a staff and stones?” Then David said, “No, worse than a dog!” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 23. And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of heaven and the beasts of the field!” 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 24. Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a shield. But I come to you in the name of the Lord Sabaoth, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you reproached today. 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 25. Today the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will kill you and take your head from you. And this day I will give your carcass and the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of heaven and the wild beasts of the earth, and all the earth will know that there is a God in Israel. 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 26. Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's, and the Lord will deliver you into our hands.” 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 27. And the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David. 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 28. Then David put his hand in his bag and took out one stone. He slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone penetrated through his helmet and into his forehead. He fell to the ground on his face. 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 29. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone. He struck the Philistine and killed him, and there was no sword in the hand of David. 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 30. Therefore, David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword, and killed him and cut off his head. And the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, and they fled. 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 31. Now the men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted, and pursued them as far as the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ashkelon. And the wounded Philistines fell on the way to the gates, even as far as Gath and Ashkelon. 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 32. Then the men of Israel returned from pursuing the Philistines, and they plundered their camp. 1 Kingdoms 17, verse 33. And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem. He put his armor in his tent.