Goliath Challenges Israel's Army
1 The Philistines got ready for war and brought their troops together to attack the town of Socoh in Judah. They set up camp at Ephes-Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah. 2-3 King Saul and the Israelite army set up camp on a hill overlooking Elah Valley, and they got ready to fight the Philistine army that was on a hill on the other side of the valley.
4 The Philistine army had a hero named Goliath who was from the town of Gath and was about three meters tall. 5-6 He wore a bronze helmet and had bronze armor to protect his chest and legs. The chest armor alone weighed about 57 kilograms. He carried a bronze sword strapped on his back, 7 and his spear was so big that the iron spearhead alone weighed about seven kilograms. A soldier always walked in front of Goliath to carry his shield.
8 Goliath went out and shouted to the army of Israel:
Why are you lining up for battle? I'm the best soldier in our army, and all of you are in Saul's army. Choose your best soldier to come out and fight me! 9 If he can kill me, our people will be your slaves. But if I kill him, your people will be our slaves. 10 Here and now I challenge Israel's whole army! Choose someone to fight me!
11 Saul and his men heard what Goliath said, but they were so frightened of Goliath that they couldn't do a thing.
David Decides To Challenge Goliath
12 David's father Jesse was an old man, who belonged to the Ephrath clan and lived in Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons: 13-14 the oldest was Eliab, the next was Abinadab, and Shammah was the third. The three of them had gone off to fight in Saul's army.
David was Jesse's youngest son. 15 He took care of his father's sheep, and he went back and forth between Bethlehem and Saul's camp.
16 Goliath came out and gave his challenge every morning and every evening for 40 days.
17 One day, Jesse told David, “Hurry and take this sack of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread to your brothers at the army camp. 18 And here are ten large chunks of cheese to take to their commanding officer. Find out how your brothers are doing and bring back something that shows that they're all right. 19 They're with Saul's army, fighting the Philistines in Elah Valley.”
20 David obeyed his father. He got up early the next morning and left someone else in charge of the sheep; then he loaded the supplies and started off. He reached the army camp just as the soldiers were taking their places and shouting the battle cry. 21 The army of Israel and the Philistine army stood there facing each other.
22 David left his things with the man in charge of supplies and ran up to the battle line to ask his brothers if they were well. 23 While David was talking with them, Goliath came out from the line of Philistines and started boasting as usual. David heard him.
24 When the Israelite soldiers saw Goliath, they were scared and ran off. 25 They said to each other, “Look how he keeps coming out to insult us. The king is offering a big reward to the man who kills Goliath. That man will even get to marry the king's daughter, and no one in his family will ever have to pay taxes again.”
26 David asked some soldiers standing nearby, “What will a man get for killing this Philistine and stopping him from insulting our people? Who does that worthless Philistine think he is? He's making fun of the army of the living God!”
27 The soldiers told David what the king would give the man who killed Goliath.
28 David's oldest brother Eliab heard him talking with the soldiers. Eliab was angry with him and said, “What are you doing here, anyway? Who's taking care of your little flock of sheep out in the desert? You spoiled brat! You came here just to watch the fighting, didn't you?”
29 “Now what have I done?” David answered. “Can't I even ask a question?” 30 Then he turned and asked another soldier the same thing he had asked the others, and he got the same answer.
31 Some soldiers overheard David talking, so they told Saul what David had said. Saul sent for David, and David came. 32 “Your Majesty,” he said, “this Philistine shouldn't turn us into cowards. I'll go out and fight him myself!”
33 “You don't have a chance against him,” Saul replied. “You're only a boy, and he's been a soldier all his life.”
34 But David told him:
Your Majesty, I take care of my father's sheep. And when one of them is dragged off by a lion or a bear, 35 I go after it and beat the wild animal until it lets the sheep go. If the wild animal turns and attacks me, I grab it by the throat and kill it.
36 Sir, I have killed lions and bears that way, and I can kill this worthless Philistine. He shouldn't have made fun of the army of the living God! 37 The Lord has rescued me from the claws of lions and bears, and he will keep me safe from the hands of this Philistine.
“All right,” Saul answered, “go ahead and fight him. And I hope the Lord will help you.”
38 Saul had his own military clothes and armor put on David, and he gave David a bronze helmet to wear. 39 David strapped on a sword and tried to walk around, but he was not used to wearing those things.
“I can't move with all this stuff on,” David said. “I'm just not used to it.”
David took off the armor 40 and picked up his shepherd's stick. He went out to a stream and picked up five smooth rocks and put them in his leather bag. Then with his sling in his hand, he went straight toward Goliath.
David Kills Goliath
41 Goliath came toward David, walking behind the soldier who was carrying his shield. 42 When Goliath saw that David was just a healthy, good-looking boy, he made fun of him. 43 “Do you think I'm a dog?” Goliath asked. “Is that why you've come after me with a stick?” He cursed David in the name of the Philistine gods 44 and shouted, “Come on! When I'm finished with you, I'll feed you to the birds and wild animals!”
45 David answered:
You've come out to fight me with a sword and a spear and a dagger. But I've come out to fight you in the name of the Lord All-Powerful. He is the God of Israel's army, and you have insulted him too!
46 Today the Lord will help me defeat you. I'll knock you down and cut off your head, and I'll feed the bodies of the other Philistine soldiers to the birds and wild animals. Then the whole world will know that Israel has a real God. 47 Everybody here will see that the Lord doesn't need swords or spears to save his people. The Lord always wins his battles, and he will help us defeat you.
48 When Goliath started forward, David ran toward him. 49 He put a rock in his sling and swung the sling around by its straps. When he let go of one strap, the rock flew out and hit Goliath on the forehead. It cracked his skull, and he fell facedown on the ground. 50 David defeated Goliath with a sling and a rock. He killed him without even using a sword.
51 David ran over and pulled out Goliath's sword. Then he used it to cut off Goliath's head.
When the Philistines saw what had happened to their hero, they started running away. 52 But the soldiers of Israel and Judah let out a battle cry and went after them as far as Gath and Ekron. The bodies of the Philistines were scattered all along the road from Shaaraim to Gath and Ekron.
53 When the Israelite army returned from chasing the Philistines, they took what they wanted from the enemy camp. 54 David took Goliath's head to Jerusalem, but he kept Goliath's weapons in his own tent.
David Becomes One of Saul's Officers
55 After King Saul had watched David go out to fight Goliath, Saul turned to the commander of his army and said, “Abner, who is that young man?”
“Your Majesty,” Abner answered, “I swear by your life that I don't know.”
56 “Then find out!” Saul told him.
57 When David came back from fighting Goliath, he was still carrying Goliath's head.
Abner took David to Saul, 58 and Saul asked, “Who are you?”
“I am David the son of Jesse, a loyal Israelite from Bethlehem.”
David ta dipaa Goliat
1 NOvafilisti va ongela omatanga avo ovakwaita va ka homone, ndele va ongala puSogo shomuJuda ndele va onga onhanda pokati kaSogo naAseka muEfes-Dammim. 2 Ndelenee Saul novalumenhu Ovaisraeli va ongala ndele va onga onhanda mefilu laEla, ndele va tanda ombinga va taalela Ovafilisti; 3 nOvafilisti va li komhunda kombinga yavo nOvaisraeli va li komhunda kombinga yavo, nefilu la li pokati kavo. 4 Opo nee meenhanda dOvafilisti omwa dja umwe, a deuka, ofule yokulwa, edina laye Goliat womuGat. Oule waye wa li omaludimbo ahamano noule weke. 5 Komutwe waye kwa li embale loshikushu, nokwa djala oshikutu shoipwakotolwa yoshivela, oudjuu woshikutu shoshivela wa li eekilograma omilongo nhano na heyali doshikushu. 6 Komaulu aye okwa djala oshikelelifovela shitwima nopokati komapepe eonga loshikushu. 7 Oshihengo sheonga laye sha li shi fike pongala yomushi, noudjuu wefo leonga laye wa li u fike peekilograma heyali doshikushu, nomuhumbati woshikelelifo shaye e mu pitila komesho. 8 Ndele ye okwa ehena ko ndee ta ingida ta ti kOvaisraeli ava va tanda ombinga ndee te va lombwele: “Omolwashike mwe uya mu tande ombinga? Ame ndishi Omufilisti, nye ovapiya vaSaul? Hoololeni omulumenhu umwe ne uye kwaame. 9 Ye ngeenge ta dulu okulwa naame nokudipaa nge, fye ohatu ka ninga ovapika veni. Ndelenee ame ngeenge handi mu taataa noku mu dipaa, nye mu nokuninga ovapika vetu noku tu longela. 10 Omufilisti ta ti vali: Onena eli nda sheka omatanga Ovaisraeli. Pei nge omulumenhu umwe ndi shiive okulwa naye.” 11 Saul nOvaisraeli aveshe eshi va uda eendjovo odo dOmufilisti, ova haluka ndele va tila unene. 12 Ndelenee David okwa li omona wOmuefrat womuBetlehem shomuJuda, edina laye Isai. Ye okwa li e na ovana ovamati vahetatu, ndele pefimbo laSaul omulumenhu ou okwa li a kulupa, omido daye da li dihapu. 13 Ndelenee ovana ovamati ovakulunhu vatatu vaIsai va ya naSaul molwoodi. Nomadina ovana ovo ovakulunhu vatatu va ya molwoodi, a li: Eliab, oshiveli, nondenge yaye Abinadab, naau e mu shikula Samma. 14 David okwa li onghelo. Ndele venya ovamwaina ovakulunhu vatatu va shikula Saul. 15 Ndelenee pomafimbo amwe David a dja puSaul nokwa ya kuBetlehem koufita weedi daxe.
16 Ndelenee Omufilisti okwa ehena po omafiku omilongo nhee, ongula nonguloshi ndee ta kala ofika. 17 Opo nee Isai a lombwela omona waye David: “Kufa eekilograma omulongo doilya ya fengwa nomingome edi omulongo ndele di twala diva kovamwaxo konhanda. 18 Ndelenee omingome edi omulongo domashini di twaalela omukulunhu weyovi, ndele u nokupula nhumbi ovamwaxo ve li, ndele pewa oshidimbulukifo kuvo u shi ete. 19 Ndele Saul naavenya novalumenhu aveshe Ovaisraeli va lwifa Ovafilisti mefilu laEla.” 20 Ndele ongula inene David okwa pyakuduka: Okwa yandja eedi komufita, a kufa omutengi ndee ta i ngaashi Isai e mu lombwela. Ndele ye eshi a fika konhanda yomatemba, ovakwaita va tanda ombinga ndele va mbuyaana. 21 Ovaisraeli ngaashi yo Ovafilisti va taalelafana va tanda ombinga. 22 Opo nee David a yandja omutengi waye komunangeli womatemba nokwa tondokela nokweendelela konhele yolwoodi. Ye eshi e uya ko, a pula ovamwaxe nhumbi ve li. 23 Ndele fimbo ta popi navo, Omufilisti wokuGat, edina laye Goliat, ou a deuka mokulwa, okwa dja mongudu yOvafilisti, ndee ta popi eendjovo tuu dinya, ndele David e di uda. 24 Ndelenee ovalumenhu aveshe Ovaisraeli eshi va mona omulumenhu ou, ove mu ya onhapo shaashi vo va tila unene. 25 Novalumenhu Ovaisraeli tava ti: “Omu wete omulumenhu ou ta di oko? Ye te uya okusheka Israel. Nohamba tai ka yandja komulumenhu ou te mu dipaa oupuna muhapu. Ndele tai mu pe omona wayo okakadona a ninge omwalikadi waye, ndele te mu mangulula mo mokuyandja efendelo.”
26 Opo nee David a pula ovalumenhu ava va kala ofika puye ndee ta ti: “Omulumenhu ou ta dipaa Omufilisti ou, ndee ta kombo po ohoni muIsrael, ota ka pewa shike? Osheshi Omufilisti ou ina pita etanda, omushike ngeno, eshi ta sheke omatanga ovakwaita vaKalunga omunamwenyo?” 27 Novakwaita tave mu lombwele ngaashi venya: Osho omulumenhu ou te mu dipaa, ta ka ningilwa. 28 Omukulu waye Eliab, eshi e mu uda ta popi novalumenhu, Eliab okwa handukila David ndee ta ti: “Omolwashike we uya oku: Nolyelye wa fiila okaufita keedi mombuwa? Oupwidi woye nowii womutima woye ondi u shii, shaashi we uya okutala olwoodi.” 29 Ndee David ta ti: “Ame onda ninga shike? Onda pula ashike.” 30 Ndele ye okwa dja po puye nokwa ya kuvamwe, ndee ta popi eendjovo tuu odo, novakwaita ve mu nyamukula paendjovo dotete. 31 Vo eshi va uda eendjovo odo David ta popi, ndele ve di shiivifila Saul. Ye okwe mu ifana.
32 Ndele David okwa lombwela Saul, ndee ta ti: Ovalumenhu vaha shushume molwawinya. Omupiya woye ta ka ya okulwifa Omufilisti winya. 33 Ndelenee Saul okwa nyamukula David: “Ito dulu okuya kOmufilisti ou noku mu lwifa, osheshi ove omunyasha, ndelenee winya omukwaita okudja kounyasha waye.”
34 Opo nee David ta ti kuSaul: “Omupiya woye okwa li koufita weedi daxe, ndele onghoshi ile emwangha eshi le uya ndee tali kwata mo odi ndee tali i nayo, 35 ame nde i shikula ndele handi i denge poshi ndele handi i nakula mokanya kalo. Ndele lo eshi la nhukila nge, ame nde li kwata keendjedi dalo nde li denga poshi ndele nde li dipaa. 36 Omupiya woye a dipaa onghoshi nemwangha, nOmufilisti ou ina pita etanda ta ka ningwa naanaa ngaashi imwe yomwaadinya, shaashi ye a sheka omatanga ovakwaita vaKalunga. 37 David ta ti vali: Omwene ou a xupifa nge meenyala donghoshi nomeenyala demwangha, Ye ota ka xupifa nge yo meke lOmufilisti ou.” Opo nee Saul ta ti kuDavid: “Inda, Omwene na kale naave!” 38 Ndele Saul okwa dika David oshikutu shaye shoita nokwa tula komutwe waye embale loshikushu, noshikutu shoshikushu okwe mu dika. 39 Ndele David okwa djala eongamukonda laye kombada yoikutu yaye, ndele a hetekela okweenda, osheshi ine shi hetekela nande shito, David ta ti kuSaul: “Ame itandi dulu okweenda nayo, osheshi inandi shi hetekela nande shito.” Ndele David okwe i lidula. 40 Opo nee ye okwa kwata oshiumbifo shaye meke laye nokwe likongela mokamulonga oumanya vatano va lalakana nokwe va xwekela mo mokakutu kaye e ka kwete mokakutu koshiumbifo. Ndele oshiumbifo shaye osha li meke laye, ye ta ehene popepi nOmufilisti.
41 NOmufilisti yo okwa ehena popepi naDavid, omuhumbati woshikelelifo shaye e mu pitila komesho. 42 Omufilisti eshi a tala ko nokwa mona David, ye okwe mu dina, shaashi ye okwa li omunyasha muwa nolupe liwa. 43 NOmufilisti ta pula David: “Aame ombwa hamba, ove eshi to uya kwaame noshiti?” NOmufilisti okwa tuka David nokwaana koikalunga yaye. 44 Omufilisti okwa lombwela vali David ndele ta ti: “Ila oku kwaame, opo ndi yandje ombelela yoye keedila dokeulu nokoinamwenyo yomomufitu.” 45 Ndelenee David ta ti kOmufilisti: “Ove to uya kwaame u neongamukonda neonga nomukonda, ndelenee ame handi uya kwoove medina lOmwene womatanga ovakwaita, Kalunga komatanga Ovaisraeli, ou we mu sheka. 46 Onena eli Omwene te ku yandje meke lange, opo ndi ku dipae ndele ndi kufe po omutwe woye ndele ndi shiive okuyandja oimhu yovakwaita Ovafilisti keedila dokeulu nokoifitukuti yokombada yedu, opo edu alishe li shiive nokutya, Israel e naKalunga. 47 Opo nee ongudu ei inene tai ka shiiva nokutya, Omwene ita xupifa neongamukonda neonga. Osheshi olwoodi olOmwene, ndele Ye ote ke mu yandja momake etu.” 48 Omufilisti eshi e lilongekida nokwa ehena popepi naDavid, David okwa tondokela diva konhele yolwoodi okushakeneka Omufilisti. 49 Ndele David okwa tula mo eke laye mokakutu nokwa kufa mo okamanya, nokwa kupula nokwa yasha Omufilisti mombaba yoshipala, okamanya ka ya mo mombaba yoshipala, ndele ye okwa wila poshi noshipala sha twa medu. 50 Osho ngaha hano David okwa finda Omufilisti noshiumbifo nokamanya. Ndele okwa dipaa Omufilisti noshiumbifo nokamanya, Ndele okwa dipaa Omufilisti nande meke laDavid kamwa li nande eongamukonda. 51 Opo nee David a tondoka unene nokwa kala ofika pOmufilisti nokwa kufa eongamukonda laye, e li pweya mo moshilaleko nokwe mu dipaa, ndele okwa teta ko nalo omutwe waye. Ovafilisti eshi va mona nokutya, omuladi wavo a fya, ova ya onhapo. 52 Opo nee ovalumenhu Ovaisraeli nOvajuda va fikama tava kaluka ndele va shikula Ovafilisti fiyo okoshivelo shaGat nofiyo okoivelo yaEkron, Ovafilisti ova dipawa va nangala mondjila okudja kuSaaraim fiyo okuGat naEkron. 53 Opo nee ovana vaIsrael va aluka ko kokutaataa Ovafilisti ndele va tikisha onhanda yavo. 54 Ndele David okwa kufa omutwe wOmufilisti nokwe u twala kuJerusalem, ndelenee oiti yaye e i tula metwali laye. 55 Saul eshi a mona David ta i a ka shakeneke Omufilisti ta ti kuAbner, ondjai: “Abner omulumenhu winya omunyasha, oye omona walyelye?” Ndele Abner ta nyamukula: “Oshili, ngaashi ove tatekulu ohamba u nomwenyo, ame nghi shi shii!” 56 Ndele ohamba tai ti: “Pula hano omunyasha ou, ye omona walyelye?” 57 Ndele David eshi a ehena po, ye eshi a dipaa Omufilisti, Abner okwe mu kufa ndee te mu twala koshipala shaSaul, fimbo ye e nomutwe wOmufilisti meke laye. 58 Ndele Saul te mu pula: “Omunyasha oove omona walyelye?” Ndele David ta ti: “Omona womupiya woye Isai, Omubetlehem.”
