1 Samuel 17:12-30 - David Enters The Scene Of Battle

¹² David was the son of that Ephrathite man named Jesse from Bethlehem in Judah. He had eight sons; at the time when Saul was king he was old, having lived to an advanced age. ¹³ The three oldest sons of Jesse followed Saul into battle. The names of his three sons who went to the battle were his firstborn Eliab, Abinadab, his second son, and Shammah, the third. ¹⁴ David was the youngest, while the three oldest had followed Saul. ¹⁵ And David would go back and forth from Saul to tend his father's sheep in Bethlehem.

¹⁶ For 40 days the Philistine would come forward, morning and evening, to take his position. ¹⁷ Jesse told his son David, "Take this ephah of roasted grain to your brothers, along with these ten loaves of bread, and quickly take them to your brothers in the camp. ¹⁸ Take these ten pieces of cheese to the commander of the unit, check on the well-being of your brothers, and bring something back from them. ¹⁹ Saul, your brothers, and all the men of Israel are in the valley of Elah fighting with the Philistines."

²⁰ David got up early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, took the supplies, and went as Jesse had directed him. He arrived at the encampment as the army was going out to the battle line, shouting the battle cry. ²¹ Israel and the Philistines moved into position for battle, battle line facing battle line. ²² David left the supplies he had with him in the care of the supply keeper and ran to the battle line. When he arrived there, he asked his brothers about their well-being. ²³ As he was speaking with them, the Philistine champion named Goliath from Gath came up from the Philistine battle lines and spoke his usual words, as David listened. ²⁴ When all the Israelis saw the man, they fled from him and were very frightened.

²⁵ "Did all of you see this man coming up?" one Israeli asked. "He comes up to defy Israel, and the king will richly reward the man who kills him. He will give his daughter to him and will make his father's house tax free in Israel."

²⁶ David asked the men who were standing by him, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? Indeed, who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?"

²⁷ The people also told him the same thing, saying, "This is what will be done for the man who kills him."

²⁸ Eliab his oldest brother heard him talking to the men. Eliab was angry with David and said, "Why did you come down here? And who did you leave those few sheep with in the wilderness? I know your insolence and wicked intentions. You came down just to see the battle!"

²⁹ "What have I done now?" David asked. "It was just a question, wasn't it?" ³⁰ Then he turned from him toward another person and asked the same thing. The people replied to him the same way as the first one had.