1 Samuel 17:1-11 - The Philistine Champion Taunts Israel

¹ Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongs to Judah, and pitched camp between Shochoh and Azekah in Ephesdammim. ² And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together and pitched camp by the valley of Elah and ordered the battle against the Philistines.

³ And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side; and there was a valley between them. ⁴ And a man named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span, came out of the camp of the Philistines and stood between the two camps. ⁵ And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was clothed with a coat of mail of scales; and the weight of the coat of mail was five thousand shekels of brass. ⁶ And he had greaves of brass upon his legs and a shield of brass between his shoulders. ⁷ And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron, and one bearing a shield went before him.

⁸ And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? Am I not a Philistine, and ye slaves to Saul? Choose a man from among you, and let him come down to me. ⁹ If he is able to fight with me and to overcome me, then will we be your slaves, but if I prevail against him and overcome him, then ye shall be our slaves and serve us. ¹⁰ And the Philistine said, I have dishonoured the ranks of Israel today; give me a man that we may fight together. ¹¹ When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.