1 Samuel 17

David and Goliath

1Now the Philistines agathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at bSocoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and cAzekah, in dEphes-dammim. 2And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in ethe Valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines. 3And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. 4And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named fGoliath of gGath, whose height was six
Hebrew; Septuagint, Dead Sea Scroll and Josephus four
cubits
A  cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
and a span.
5He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels
A  shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
of bronze.
6And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a kjavelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. 7The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. lAnd his shield-bearer went before him. 8He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and mare you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 9If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants nand serve us.” 10And the Philistine said, o“I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.” 11When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

12Now David was pthe son of an qEphrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, rnamed Jesse, swho had eight sons. In the days of Saul the man was already old and advanced in years.
Septuagint, Syriac; Hebrew  advanced among men
13The three oldest sons of Jesse had followed Saul to the battle. And uthe names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14 vDavid was the youngest. The three eldest followed Saul, 15but David went back and forth from Saul wto feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem. 16For forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand, morning and evening.

17And Jesse said to David his son, “Take for your brothers an ephah
An  ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters
of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers.
18 yAlso take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. zSee if your brothers are well, and bring some token from them.”

19Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. 20And David rose early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper and took the provisions and went, as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to aathe encampment as the host was going out to the battle line, shouting the war cry. 21And Israel and the Philistines drew up for battle, army against army. 22And David left the abthings in charge of the keeper of the acbaggage and ran to the ranks and went and greeted his brothers. 23As he talked with them, behold, adthe champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines and spoke aethe same words as before. And David heard him.

24All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid. 25And the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to afdefy Israel. And the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches agand will give him his daughter and make his father’s house free in Israel.” 26And David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away ahthe reproach from Israel? For who is this aiuncircumcised Philistine, that he should ajdefy the armies of akthe living God?” 27And the people answered him in the same way, alSo shall it be done to the man who kills him.”

28Now 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 presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.” 29And David said, “What have I done now? Was it not but a word?” 30And he turned away from him toward another, and spoke amin the same way, and the people answered him again as before.

31When the words that David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul, and he sent for him. 32And David said to Saul, an“Let no man’s heart fail because of him. aoYour servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33And 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 has been a man of war from his youth.” 34But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, apfor he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37And David said, aq“The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, arand the Lord be with you!”

38Then Saul clothed David with his armor. He put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail, 39and David strapped his sword over his armor. And he tried in vain to go, for he had not tested them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” So David put them off. 40Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd’s pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine.

41And the Philistine moved forward and came near to David, aswith his shield-bearer in front of him. 42And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, atruddy and handsome in appearance. 43And the Philistine said to David, “Am I aua dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh avto the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.” 45Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with awa javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, axwhom you have defied. 46This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. ayAnd I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day azto the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, bathat all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47and that all this assembly may know that bbthe Lord saves not with sword and spear. bcFor the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand.”

48When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.

50So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David. 51Then David ran and stood over the Philistine bdand took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, bethey fled. 52And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath
Septuagint; Hebrew Gai
and the gates of bgEkron, so that the wounded Philistines fell on the way from bhShaaraim as far as biGath and Ekron.
53And the people of Israel came back from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their camp. 54And David took bjthe head of the Philistine bkand brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent.

55As soon as Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, blthe commander of the army, “Abner, bmwhose son is this youth?” And Abner said, bn“As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.” 56And the king said, “Inquire whose son the boy is.” 57And as soon as David returned from the striking down of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul bowith the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, bp“I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”

1 Samuel 28

Saul and the Medium of En-dor

1In those days bqthe Philistines gathered their forces for war, to fight against Israel. And Achish said to David, “Understand that you and your men are to go out with me in the army.” 2David said to Achish, “Very well, you shall know what your servant can do.” And Achish said to David, “Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life.”

3Now brSamuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him bsin Ramah, his own city. And Saul had put btthe mediums and the necromancers out of the land. 4The Philistines assembled and came and encamped buat Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped bvat Gilboa. 5When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. 6And when Saul inquired of the Lord, bwthe Lord did not answer him, either bxby dreams, or byby Urim, or by prophets. 7Then Saul said to his servants, bz“Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a medium at caEn-dor.”

8So Saul cbdisguised himself and put on other garments and went, he and two men with him. And they came to the woman by night. And he said, ccDivine for me by a spirit and bring up for me whomever I shall name to you.” 9The woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done, cdhow he has cut off the mediums and the necromancers from the land. Why then are you laying a trap for my life to bring about my death?” 10But Saul swore to her by the Lord, ce“As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.” 11Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” He said, “Bring up Samuel for me.” 12When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul.” 13The king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a god coming up out of the earth.” 14He said to her, “What is his appearance?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped cfin a robe.” And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and paid homage.

15Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Saul answered, “I am in great distress, for the Philistines are warring against me, and cgGod has turned away from me and chanswers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams. Therefore I have summoned you to tell me what I shall do.” 16And Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the Lord has turned from you and become your enemy? 17The Lord has done to you as he spoke by me, for cithe Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. 18 cjBecause you did not obey the voice of the Lord and did not carry out his fierce wrath against Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day. 19Moreover, the Lord will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you ckand your sons shall be with me. The Lord will give the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines.”

20Then Saul fell at once full length on the ground, filled with fear because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night. 21And the woman came to Saul, and when she saw that he was terrified, she said to him, “Behold, your servant has obeyed you. clI have taken my life in my hand and have listened to what you have said to me. 22Now therefore, you also obey your servant. Let me set a morsel of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength when you go on your way.” 23He refused and said, “I will not eat.” But his servants, together with the woman, urged him, and he listened to their words. So he arose from the earth and sat on the bed. 24Now the woman had a fattened calf in the house, and she quickly killed it, and she took flour and kneaded it and baked unleavened bread of it, 25and she put it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose and went away that night.

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