And David was the youngest, and the three eldest followed Saul.

Now David went to and fro from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.

And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.

And Jesse said to David his son, Take now for thy brothers an ephah of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry [them] quickly to the camp to thy brothers.

And bring these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand. And look how thy brothers fare, and take their pledge.

Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the place of the wagons as the army which was going forth to the fight shouted for the battle.

And Israel and the Philistines put the battle in array, army against army.

And David left his baggage in the hand of the keeper of the baggage, and ran to the army, and came and saluted his brothers.

And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the ranks of the Philistines, and spoke according to the same words, and David heard them.

And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were greatly afraid.

And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man who has come up? Surely to defy Israel he has come up. And it shall be, that the man who kills him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and m

And David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man who kills this Philistine, and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the l

And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that kills him.

And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why have thou come down? And with whom have thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and t

And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?

And he turned away from him toward another, and spoke after the same manner, and the people answered him again after the former manner.

And when the words were heard which David spoke, they repeated them before Saul, and he sent for him.

And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him. Thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.

And Saul said to David, Thou are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for thou are but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.

And David said to Saul, Thy servant was keeping his father's sheep, and when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock,

I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth. And when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and killed him.

Thy servant smote both the lion and the bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.

And David said, LORD who delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Go, and LORD shall be with thee.

And Saul clad David with his apparel, and he put a helmet of brass upon his head, and he clad him with a coat of mail.

And David girded his sword upon his apparel, and he attempted to go, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them. And David put them off of him.

And he took his staff in his hand, and chose for him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his wallet. And his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine.

And the Philistine came on and drew near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him.

And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.

And the Philistine said to David, Am I a dog, that thou come to me with sticks? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh to the birds of the heavens, and to the beasts of the field.

Then David said to the Philistine, Thou come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin, but I come to thee in the name of LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou have defied.

This day LORD will deliver thee into my hand, and I will smite thee, and take thy head from off thee. And I will give the dead bodies of the armies of the Philistines this day to the birds of the heavens, and to the wild beasts of

and that all this assembly may know that LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is LORD's, and he will give you into our hand.

And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew near to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

And David put his hand in his bag, and took from there a stone, and slung it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell upon his face to the earth.

So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David.

Then David ran, and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath of it, and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines until thou come to Gai, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath, and to Ekron.

And the sons of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they plundered their camp.

And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent.

And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the captain of the army, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul lives, O king, I cannot tell.

And the king said, Inquire thou whose son the stripling is.

And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.

And Saul said to him, Whose son are thou, young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.

And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

And Saul took him that day, and would no more let him go home to his father's house.

Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.

And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his apparel, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his belt.

And David went out wherever Saul sent him, [and] behaved himself wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war, and it was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.

And it came to pass as they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with timbrels, with joy, and with instruments

And the women sang one to another as they played, and said, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him, and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands, and what can he have more but the kingdom?

And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

And it came to pass on the morrow, that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house. And David played with his hand, as he did day by day, and Saul had his spear in his hand.

And Saul cast the spear, for he said, I will smite David even to the wall. And David turned away from his presence twice.

And Saul was afraid of David because LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul.

Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand, and he went out and came in before the people.

And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways, and LORD was with him.

And when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.

But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them.

And Saul said to David, Behold, my elder daughter Merab, I will give her to thee for a wife. Only be thou valiant for me, and fight LORD's battles. For Saul said, Let not my hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be

And David said to Saul, Who am I, and what is my life, [or] my father's family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?

And Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David, and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.

And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Therefore Saul said to David, Thou shall this day be my son-in-law a second time.

And Saul commanded his servants, [saying], Converse with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king has delight in thee, and all his servants love thee. Now therefore be the king's son-in-law.

And Saul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, Does it seem to you a light thing to be the king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?

And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner David spoke.

And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king does not desire any dowry, but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son-in-law. And the days were not expired,

and David arose and went, he and his men, and killed of the Philistines two hundred men. And David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might be the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him Mi

And Saul saw and knew that LORD was with David, and Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him.

And Saul was yet the more afraid of David, and Saul was David's enemy continually.

Then the rulers of the Philistines went forth, and it came to pass, as often as they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was very precious.

And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan, Saul's son, delighted much in David.

And Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeks to kill thee. Now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself in the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself.

And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou are, and I will converse with my father of thee, and if I see anything, I will tell thee.

And Jonathan spoke good of David to Saul his father, and said to him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David, because he has not sinned against thee, and because his works have been very good toward thee.

For he put his life in his hand, and smote the Philistine, and LORD wrought a great victory for all Israel. Thou saw it, and rejoiced. Why then will thou sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?

And Saul hearkened to the voice of Jonathan. And Saul swore, As LORD lives, he shall not be put to death.

And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as beforetime.

And there was war again. And David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and killed them with a great slaughter, and they fled before him.

And an evil spirit from LORD was upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand, and David was playing with his hand.

And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the spear into the wall. And David fled, and escaped that night.

And Saul sent messengers to David's house, to watch him, and to kill him in the morning. And Michal, David's wife, told him, saying, If thou save not thy life tonight, tomorrow thou will be slain.

So Michal let David down through the window, and he went, and fled, and escaped.

And Michal took the teraphim, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats' [hair] at the head of it, and covered it with the clothes.

And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick.

And Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.

And when the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' [hair] at the head of it.

And Saul said to Michal, Why have thou deceived me thus, and let my enemy go, so that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said to me, Let me go. Why should I kill thee?

Now David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth.

And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.

And Saul sent messengers to take David. And when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.

And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied.

Then he also went to Ramah, and came to the great well that is in Secu. And he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah.

And he went there to Naioth in Ramah, and the Spirit of God came upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

And he also stripped off his clothes, and he also prophesied before Samuel, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?

And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? What is my iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeks my life?

And he said to him, Far from it. Thou shall not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small, but that he discloses it to me, and why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so.