1 Samuel 17:20-32

17:20 So David got up early in the morning and entrusted the flock to someone else who would watch over it. ¹  After loading up, he went just as Jesse had instructed him. He arrived at the camp ²  as the army was going out to the battle lines shouting its battle cry. 17:21 Israel and the Philistines drew up their battle lines opposite one another. 17:22 After David had entrusted his cargo to the care of the supply officer, ³  he ran to the battlefront. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were doing. 17:23 As he was speaking with them, the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, was coming up from the battle lines of the Philistines. He spoke the way he usually did, ⁴  and David heard it. 17:24 When all the men of Israel saw this man, they retreated ⁵  from his presence and were very afraid.

17:25 The men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who is coming up? He does so ⁶  to defy Israel. But the king will make the man who can strike him down very wealthy! He will give him his daughter in marriage, and he will make his father’s house exempt from tax obligations in Israel.”

17:26 David asked the men who were standing near him, “What will be done for the man who strikes down this Philistine and frees Israel from this humiliation? ⁷  For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he defies the armies of the living God?” 17:27 The soldiers ⁸  told him what had been promised, saying, ⁹  “This is what will be done for the man who can strike him down.”

17:28 When David’s ¹⁰  oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men, he became angry ¹¹  with David and said, “Why have you come down here? To whom did you entrust those few sheep in the desert? I am familiar with your pride and deceit! ¹²  You have come down here to watch the battle!”

17:29 David replied, “What have I done now? Can’t I say anything?” ¹³  17:30 Then he turned from those who were nearby to someone else and asked the same question, ¹⁴  but they ¹⁵  gave him the same answer as before. 17:31 When David’s words were overheard and reported to Saul, he called for him. ¹⁶ 

17:32 David said to Saul, “Don’t let anyone be discouraged. ¹⁷  Your servant will go and fight this Philistine!”

[17:20]  ¹ tn Heb “to a guard”; KJV, NASB, NRSV “with a keeper”; NIV “with a shepherd.” Since in contemporary English “guard” sounds like someone at a military installation or a prison, the present translation uses “to someone else who would watch over it.”

[17:20]  ² tn Or “entrenchment.”

[17:22]  ³ tn Heb “the guard of the equipment.”

[17:23]  ⁴ tn Heb “according to these words.”

[17:24]  ⁵ tn Or “fled.”

[17:25]  ⁶ tn Heb “he is coming up.”

[17:26]  ⁷ tn Heb “and turns aside humiliation from upon Israel.”

[17:27]  ⁸ tn Heb “people.”

[17:27]  ⁹ tn Heb “according to this word, saying.”

[17:28]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “his”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:28]  ¹¹ tn Heb “the anger of Eliab became hot.”

[17:28]  ¹² tn Heb “the wickedness of your heart.”

[17:29]  ¹³ tn Heb “Is it not [just] a word?”

[17:30]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and spoke according to this word.”

[17:30]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “the people.”

[17:31]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “he took him.”

[17:32]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “Let not the heart of a man fall upon him.” The LXX reads “my lord,” instead of “a man.”