David Slays Goliath

Then Saul clothed David in his own tunic, put a bronze helmet on his head, and dressed him in armor. 39 David strapped his sword over the tunic and tried to walk, but he was not accustomed [to them].

“ I cannot walk in these,” David said to Saul.“I am not accustomed [to them].” So David took them off. 40 And [David] took his staff in his hand, selected five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag. And with his sling in hand, he approached the Philistine.

41 

Now the Philistine came closer and closer to David, with his shield-bearer before him. 42 When the Philistine looked and saw David, he despised him because he was just a boy, ruddy and handsome 43 “Am I a dog,” he said to David,“that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 “Come here,” he called to David,“and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”

45 

But 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 of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand. This day I will strike you down, cut off your head and give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the creatures of the earth. Then the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 And all those assembled 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 started forward to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. 49 Then David reached into his bag, took out a stone, and slung it, striking the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell vvv facedown on the ground.

50 

Thus David prevailed 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 grabbed the Philistine’s sword and pulled it from its sheath and killed him, and 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 charged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath[fn] and to the gates of Ekron. And the bodies of the Philistines were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron.

53 

When the Israelites returned from their pursuit of the Philistines, they plundered their camps. 54 David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, and he put Goliath’s weapons in his own tent.

55 

As Saul had watched David going out to confront the Philistine, he said to Abner the commander of the army,“Abner, whose son is this young man?”

“As surely as you live, O king,” Abner replied,“I do not know.”

56 

“Find out whose son this young man is!” said the king.

57 

So when David returned from killing the Philistine, still holding [his] head in his hand, Abner took him and brought him before Saul.

58 

“Whose son are you, young man?” asked Saul

“[I am] the son of your servant Jesse vvv of Bethlehem,” David replied. 18