David and Goliath
1Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Sokoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Sokoh and Azekah. 2Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. 3The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them.
4A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span.17:4 That is, about 9 feet 9 inches or about 3 meters 5He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels17:5 That is, about 125 pounds or about 58 kilograms; 6on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. 7His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels.17:7 That is, about 15 pounds or about 6.9 kilograms His shield bearer went ahead of him.
8Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. 9If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” 10Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.” 11On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.
12Now David was the son of an Ephrathite named Jesse, who was from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and in Saul’s time he was very old. 13Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab; the second, Abinadab; and the third, Shammah. 14David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul, 15but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.
16For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand.
17Now Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah17:17 That is, probably about 36 pounds or about 16 kilograms of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. 18Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance17:18 Or some token; or some pledge of spoils from them. 19They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.”
20Early in the morning David left the flock in the care of a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry. 21Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other. 22David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and asked his brothers how they were. 23As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. 24Whenever the Israelites saw the man, they all fled from him in great fear.
25Now the Israelites had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his family from taxes in Israel.”
26David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
27They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, “This is what will be done for the man who kills him.”
28When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.”
29“Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even speak?” 30He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before. 31What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him.
32David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”
33Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”
34But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”
Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”
38Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. 39David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them.
“I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. 40Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.
41Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. 42He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him. 43He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44“Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!”
45David 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 Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47All those gathered 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.”
48As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. 49Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.
50So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.
51David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword.
When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. 52Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath17:52 Some Septuagint manuscripts; Hebrew of a valley and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. 53When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp.
54David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem; he put the Philistine’s weapons in his own tent.
55As Saul watched David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is that young man?”
Abner replied, “As surely as you live, Your Majesty, I don’t know.”
56The king said, “Find out whose son this young man is.”
57As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine’s head.
58“Whose son are you, young man?” Saul asked him.
David said, “I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.”
Daudi Na Goliathi
117:1 1Sam 13:5; Yos 15:35; 2Nya 28:18; Yos 10:10, 11Wakati huu Wafilisti wakakusanya majeshi yao kwa ajili ya vita, nao wakakusanyika huko Soko katika Yuda. Wakapiga kambi huko Efes-Damimu, kati ya Soko na Azeka. 217:2 1Sam 21:9Sauli na Waisraeli wakakusanyika na kupiga kambi katika Bonde la Ela na kupanga jeshi ili kupigana vita na Wafilisti. 3Wafilisti wakawa katika kilima kimoja na Waisraeli katika kilima kingine, hilo bonde likiwa kati yao.
417:4 1Sam 21:9; Yos 11:21-22; 2Sam 21:19; 1Nya 20:5; 8:13; 18:1; 2Nya 26:6; Amo 6:2Shujaa aliyeitwa Goliathi, aliyetoka Gathi, akajitokeza kutoka kambi ya Wafilisti. Alikuwa na urefu dhiraa sita na shibiri moja.17:4 Dhiraa sita na shibiri moja ni sawa na mita 3, au futi 9 na inchi 8. 5Alikuwa na chapeo ya shaba kichwani mwake, na alivaa dirii ya shaba kifuani mwake yenye uzito wa shekeli elfu tano.17:5 Shekeli 15,000 ni sawa na kilo 50. 617:6 1Sam 18:10Miguuni mwake alivaa mabamba ya shaba, na alikuwa na mkuki wa shaba mgongoni mwake. 717:7 2Sam 21:19; 1Nya 11:23; 20:5Mpini wa huo mkuki ulikuwa kama mti wa mfumaji, na ncha ya chuma yake ilikuwa na uzito wa shekeli mia sita.17:7 Shekeli 600 ni sawa na kilo 7. Mbeba ngao wake alitangulia mbele yake.
817:8 2Sam 2:12-17; 1Sam 8:17; 1Nya 21:3Goliathi alisimama na kuwapigia kelele majeshi ya Israeli, akisema, “Kwa nini mmetoka kupanga vita? Je, mimi si Mfilisti, na ninyi ni watumishi wa Sauli? Chagueni mtu na anishukie mimi. 917:9 1Sam 11:1Kama anaweza kupigana nami na kuniua, tutakuwa chini yenu; lakini kama nikimshinda na kumuua, ninyi mtakuwa chini yetu na mtatutumikia.” 1017:10 2Sam 21:21; Hes 23:7-8; Neh 2:19Kisha yule Mfilisti akasema, “Siku hii ya leo nayatukana majeshi ya Israeli! Nipeni mtu tupigane.” 11Kwa kusikia maneno ya Wafilisti, Sauli na Waisraeli wote wakafadhaika na kuogopa.
1217:12 Mwa 35:16; 48:7; Za 132:6; Rut 4:17, 22; 1Sam 16; 11; Mwa 35:19; 1Sam 16:10, 11; 1Nya 2:13Basi Daudi alikuwa mwana wa Mwefrathi jina lake Yese aliyekuwa ametoka Bethlehemu ya Yuda. Yese alikuwa na wana wanane, naye wakati wa Sauli alikuwa mzee tena wa umri mkubwa. 1317:13 1Sam 16:6-9; 1Nya 2:13Wana wakubwa watatu wa Yese walikuwa wamefuatana na Sauli vitani: Mzaliwa wa kwanza alikuwa Eliabu, wa pili Abinadabu, na wa tatu Shama. 14Daudi ndiye alikuwa mdogo wa wote. Hao wakubwa watatu wakamfuata Sauli, 1517:15 1Sam 16:19; Mwa 37:2lakini Daudi alikuwa akienda kwa Sauli na kurudi ili kuchunga kondoo wa baba yake huko Bethlehemu.
16Kwa siku arobaini huyo Mfilisti alikuwa akija mbele kila siku asubuhi na jioni na kujionyesha.
1717:17 Mwa 37:14Wakati huo Yese akamwambia mwanawe Daudi, “Chukua hii efa17:17 Efa moja ni sawa na kilo 22. ya bisi na hii mikate kumi kwa ajili ya ndugu zako uwapelekee upesi kambini mwao. 1817:18 Law 19:36; 23:14; 1Sam 25:18Chukua pamoja na hizi jibini kumi kwa jemadari wa kikosi chao. Ujue hali ya ndugu zako na uniletee taarifa za uhakika kutoka kwao. 19Wao wako pamoja na Sauli na watu wote wa Israeli huko kwenye Bonde la Ela, wakipigana na Wafilisti.”
20Asubuhi na mapema Daudi akaondoka, akaliacha kundi la kondoo pamoja na mchungaji, akapakia vitu vile na kuondoka, kama vile Yese alivyokuwa amemwagiza. Akafika kambini wakati jeshi lilikuwa likitoka kwenda kwenye sehemu yake ya kupigania, huku wakipiga kelele za vita. 21Israeli na Wafilisti walikuwa wakipanga safu zao wakitazamana. 2217:22 Mwa 37:14Daudi akaacha vile vitu vyake kwa mtunza vifaa, akakimbilia katika safu za vita na kuwasalimu ndugu zake. 2317:23 Mwa 43:27; Amu 18:15Alipokuwa akisema nao, Goliathi, yule Mfilisti shujaa kutoka Gathi, akajitokeza mbele ya safu zake na kupiga ile kelele yake ya kawaida ya matukano, naye Daudi akayasikia. 24Waisraeli walipomwona yule mtu, wote wakamkimbia kwa woga mkuu.
2517:25 Yos 1:11; 15:16Basi Waisraeli walikuwa wakisema, “Je, mnaona jinsi mtu huyu anavyoendelea kujitokeza. Hujitokeza ili kutukana Israeli. Mfalme atatoa utajiri mwingi kwa yule mtu atakayemuua. Pia atamwoza binti yake na atasamehe jamaa ya baba yake kulipa kodi katika Israeli.”
2617:26 1Sam 18:17; 8:15; Yos 15:16; Kum 5:26; Yer 10:10Daudi akauliza watu waliokuwa wamesimama karibu naye, “Je, atafanyiwa nini mtu atakayemuua huyu Mfilisti na kuondoa aibu hii katika Israeli? Ni nani huyu Mfilisti asiyetahiriwa hata atukane majeshi ya Mungu aliye hai?”
27Wakarudia yale yaliyokuwa yamesemwa na kumwambia kuwa, “Hili ndilo atakalotendewa mtu yule atakayemuua.”
2817:28 Mwa 27:41; Mit 18:19; Mwa 37:8, 11; Mt 10:38; Mwa 37:4; Mhu 4:4; Mk 3:21Eliabu nduguye mkubwa Daudi alipomsikia akizungumza na watu hasira ikawaka juu yake akamuuliza, “Kwa nini umeteremka kuja hapa? Nao wale kondoo wachache kule nyikani umewaacha na nani? Ninajua jinsi ulivyo na kiburi na jinsi moyo wako ulivyo mwovu; umekuja hapa kutazama vita tu.”
2917:29 Mit 15:1Daudi akasema, “Sasa nimefanya nini? Je, siwezi hata kuongea.” 30Daudi akamgeukia mtu mwingine na kumuuliza jambo lilo hilo, nao watu wakamjibu vilevile kama mwanzo. 31Lile Daudi alilosema likasikiwa na kuelezwa kwa Sauli, naye Sauli akatuma aitwe.
3217:32 Kum 20:3; Za 18:45; Isa 7:4; Yer 4:9; 38:4; Dan 11:30; Hes 13:30; 14:9; Ebr 12:12; Isa 30:3Daudi akamwambia Sauli, “Mtu yeyote asife moyo kwa habari ya huyu Mfilisti; mtumishi wako atakwenda kupigana naye.”
3317:33 Hes 13:31; Kum 9:2Sauli akamjibu Daudi, “Wewe hutaweza kwenda kupigana dhidi ya huyu Mfilisti; wewe ni kijana tu, naye amekuwa mtu wa vita tangu ujana wake.”
3417:34 Ay 10:16; Isa 31:4; Yer 49:19; Hos 13:8; Amo 3:12Lakini Daudi akamwambia Sauli, “Mtumishi wako amekuwa akichunga kondoo wa baba yake. Wakati simba au dubu alikuja na kuchukua kondoo kutoka kundi, 3517:35 Amu 14:6nilifuatia, nikampiga na nikampokonya kondoo kwenye kinywa chake. Aliponigeukia, nilimkamata nywele zake, nikampiga na kumuua. 3617:36 1Nya 11:22Mtumishi wako ameshaua simba na dubu pia; huyu Mfilisti asiyetahiriwa atakuwa kama mmoja wa hao, kwa sababu ameyatukana majeshi ya Mungu aliye hai. 3717:37 2Kor 1:10; 2Tim 4:17; 1Sam 16:18; 18:12; 1Nya 22:11, 16; 1Sam 7:12; Za 18:16, 17Bwana ambaye aliniokoa toka katika makucha ya simba na makucha ya dubu ataniokoa kutoka mikono ya huyu Mfilisti.”
Sauli akamwambia Daudi, “Nenda, naye Bwana na awe pamoja nawe.”
3817:38 Mwa 41:42Ndipo Sauli akamvika Daudi silaha zake mwenyewe za vita. Akamvika dirii na chapeo ya shaba kichwani mwake. 39Daudi akajifunga upanga juu ya hayo mavazi na kujaribu kutembea kwa sababu alikuwa hana uzoefu navyo.
Daudi akamwambia Sauli, “Siwezi kwenda nikiwa nimevaa hivi, kwa sababu sina uzoefu navyo.” Hivyo akavivua. 40Kisha akachukua fimbo yake mkononi, akachagua mawe laini matano kutoka kwenye kijito, akayaweka kwenye kifuko ndani ya mfuko wake wa kichungaji, akiwa na kombeo yake mkononi mwake, akamkaribia yule Mfilisti.
41Wakati ule ule, yule Mfilisti, akiwa na mbeba ngao wake mbele yake, akaendelea kujongea karibu na Daudi. 4217:42 1Sam 16:12; Za 123:3-4; Mit 16:18; 1Kor 1:27, 28Mfilisti akamwangalia Daudi kote na kumwona kuwa ni kijana tu, mwekundu na mzuri wa kupendeza, naye akamdharau. 4317:43 1Sam 24:14; 2Sam 3:8; 9:8; 2Fal 8:13Akamwambia Daudi, “Je, mimi ni mbwa, hata unanijia na fimbo?” Yule Mfilisti akamlaani Daudi kwa miungu yake. 4417:44 Mwa 40:19; Ufu 19:7; 2Sam 21:10; Yer 34:20; 1Fal 20:10-11Tena Mfilisti akamwambia, “Njoo hapa, nami nitawapa ndege wa angani na wanyama wa mwituni nyama yako.”
4517:45 Kum 20:1; 2Nya 13:12; 14:11; 32:8; Za 20:7-8; 124:8; Ebr 11:32-34; 2Sam 22:33, 35; 2Nya 32:8; Za 124:8; 125:1; Mit 18:10; Flp 4:13Daudi akamwambia yule Mfilisti. “Wewe unanijia na upanga, mkuki na fumo, lakini mimi ninakujia kwa jina la Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, Mungu wa majeshi ya Israeli, ambaye wewe umemtukana. 4617:46 1Sam 14:12; Kum 28:26; Yos 4; 24; Isa 11:9; 1Fal 18:36; 2Fal 5:8; 19:19; Isa 37:20; Za 44:6-7; Zek 4:6Siku hii leo Bwana atakutia mkononi mwangu, nami nitakupiga na kukukata kichwa chako. Leo nitawapa ndege wa angani na wanyama wa nchi mizoga ya jeshi la Wafilisti, nayo dunia yote itajua kuwa yuko Mungu katika Israeli. 4717:47 1Sam 25:29; 2Sam 23:21; Za 44:6, 7; Hos 1:7; Zek 4:6; 2Nya 20:15Wale wote waliokusanyika hapa watajua kuwa Bwana haokoi kwa upanga wala kwa mkuki; kwa kuwa vita ni vya Bwana, naye atawatia wote mikononi mwetu.”
48Yule Mfilisti aliposogea karibu ili kumshambulia, Daudi akaenda mbio kuelekea safu ya vita kukutana naye. 49Daudi akatia mkono wake mfukoni na kuchukua jiwe, akalirusha kwa kombeo, nalo likampiga yule Mfilisti kwenye paji la uso. Lile jiwe likaingia kipajini mwa uso, akaanguka chini kifudifudi.
5017:50 Ebr 11:34; 1Sam 21:9; 22:10; Amu 3:31; 15:15; 2Sam 23:21Basi Daudi akamshinda huyo Mfilisti kwa kombeo na jiwe; bila kuwa na upanga mikononi mwake akampiga huyo Mfilisti na kumuua.
5117:51 Ebr 11:34Daudi akakimbia na kusimama juu yake. Akaushika upanga wa huyo Mfilisti na kuuvuta toka kwenye ala yake. Baada ya kumuua, akakata kichwa chake kwa ule upanga.
Wafilisti walipoona kuwa shujaa wao amekufa, wakageuka na kukimbia. 5217:52 Yos 15:11; 15:36Ndipo watu wa Israeli na Yuda wakainuka kwenda mbele wakipiga kelele na kufuatia Wafilisti mpaka kwenye ingilio la Gathi kwenye malango ya Ekroni. Maiti zao zilitawanyika kando ya barabara ya Shaaraimu hadi Gathi na Ekroni. 53Waisraeli waliporudi kutoka kuwafukuza Wafilisti, waliteka nyara kutoka kambi yao. 54Daudi akachukua kichwa cha yule Mfilisti na kukileta Yerusalemu, naye akaweka silaha za huyo Mfilisti katika hema lake mwenyewe.
5517:55 1Sam 16:21; 26:5Sauli alipomwona Daudi anakwenda kukabiliana na huyo Mfilisti, alimwambia Abneri, jemadari wa jeshi, “Abneri, yule kijana ni mwana wa nani?”
Abneri akajibu, “Hakika kama uishivyo, ee mfalme, mimi sifahamu.”
56Mfalme akasema, “Uliza huyu kijana ni mwana wa nani.”
57Mara Daudi aliporudi kutoka kumuua huyo Mfilisti, Abneri akamchukua na kumleta mbele ya Sauli. Daudi alikuwa bado anakishikilia kichwa cha yule Mfilisti.
5817:58 Rut 4:17Sauli akamuuliza, “Kijana, wewe ni mwana wa nani?”
Daudi akasema, “Mimi ni mwana wa mtumishi wako Yese wa Bethlehemu.”
