1Los filisteos juntaron sus ejércitos para la batalla y acamparon entre Soco de Judá y Azeca, en Efesdamín.2Saúl también reunió sus fuerzas en el valle de Elá y las ordenó para la batalla.3Los filisteos y los israelitas estaban frente a frente en montañas opuestas, y el valle estaba entre ellos.4-8Entonces Goliat, campeón filisteo de Gat, salió de las filas filisteas y desafió a las fuerzas de Israel. Era un gigante de casi tres metros de alto. Usaba un yelmo de bronce, una cota de malla de unos sesenta kilos, grebas de bronce para las piernas, y una jabalina de bronce de varios centímetros de espesor, en cuyo extremo había una punta de lanza de hierro de más de siete kilos. Y su escudero llevaba un gran escudo delante de él. Goliat se paró y gritó para que lo oyeran los israelitas: «¿Necesitan todo un ejército para solucionar esto? Yo represento a los filisteos. Escojan a alguien que los represente y decidiremos la batalla en un combate singular.9Si el israelita puede matarme, nosotros seremos esclavos de ustedes. Pero si yo lo mato, ustedes serán nuestros esclavos.10Desafío a los ejércitos de Israel. Envíen un hombre que pelee conmigo».11Cuando Saúl y el ejército israelita escucharon esto, se sintieron desfallecer de temor.12David, hijo del anciano Isaí, miembro de la tribu de Judá que vivía en Belén de Judá, tenía siete hermanos mayores.13Los tres mayores, Eliab, Abinadab y Sama, se habían incorporado al ejército de Saúl para pelear contra los filisteos.14David era el menor de todos,15y alternaba sus viajes al campamento de Saúl con el cuidado de los rebaños de su padre en Belén.16Durante cuarenta días, dos veces al día, por la mañana y por la tarde, el gigante estuvo desafiando a los ejércitos de Israel.17Un día, Isaí dijo a David: «Toma estos veinticuatro kilos de grano tostado y estos diez panes y llévalos a tus hermanos.18Dale este queso al capitán y ve cómo lo están pasando tus hermanos. Y trae alguna prenda de ellos».19En ese momento el ejército israelita estaba acampado en el valle de Elá.20En la madrugada del día siguiente David dejó las ovejas con otro pastor y partió con los regalos. Llegó a las afueras del campamento en el momento en que el ejército de Israel salía en orden de batalla y lanzaba gritos de guerra.21Pronto las fuerzas israelitas y filisteas estuvieron frente a frente.22David dejó las cosas que llevaba en manos del encargado de las armas y provisiones y corrió a las filas en busca de sus hermanos.23Mientras conversaba con ellos, vio que el gigante Goliat se adelantaba a las tropas filisteas y su desafío al ejército de Israel.24Tan pronto como lo vieron los hombres de Israel comenzaron a huir llenos de miedo.25―¿Oyeron al gigante? —se decían los soldados—. Ha insultado otra vez al ejército de Israel. ¿Saben qué recompensa ha ofrecido el rey al que lo mate? El rey le dará una de sus hijas por esposa y toda su familia estará exenta de pagar impuestos.26David habló con otros que estaban por allí para verificar lo que había oído. ―¿Qué recibirá el hombre que mate al filisteo y ponga fin a nuestra humillación? —les preguntó—. ¿Quién es este filisteo incrédulo que se le permite que desafíe a los ejércitos del Dios vivo?27Y recibió la misma respuesta de antes.28Pero cuando el hermano mayor de David, Eliab, supo lo que decía David, se enojó. ¿Qué haces aquí? —le preguntó—. ¿No debes estar cuidando las ovejas? Yo conozco tu soberbia y tu malicia; solamente has venido a curiosear y ver la batalla.29―¿Qué he hecho ahora? —contestó David—. Solamente estaba haciendo una pregunta.30Y se acercó a otros y les preguntó lo mismo, y recibió la misma respuesta.31Cuando finalmente comprendieron la intención de David, alguien lo dijo al rey Saúl y el rey lo mandó a buscar.32―No se preocupe —le dijo David—. Yo me haré cargo de este filisteo.33―No seas tonto —contestó Saúl—. ¿Cómo puede un chiquillo como tú pelear con un hombre de ese tamaño? Tú eres tan solo un niño y él es un guerrero desde su juventud.34Pero David insistió. ―Cuando cuido las ovejas de mi padre y un león o un oso vienen a arrebatar un cordero del rebaño,35yo lo sigo con un palo y de sus fauces le quito el cordero. Si se vuelve hacia mí, lo tomo de la quijada y lo apaleo hasta matarlo.36He hecho esto con leones y osos, y lo haré también con este pagano filisteo, porque ha desafiado a los ejércitos del Dios vivo.37El SEÑOR que me salvó de las garras del león y del oso, me salvará también de este filisteo. Saúl finalmente aceptó. ―Bien, ve —le dijo—, y que el SEÑOR te acompañe.38Saúl le puso a David su armadura: un yelmo de bronce y una cota de malla.39David se la puso, se ciñó la espada y dio unos pasos para ver cómo se sentía con todo aquello, porque jamás había usado tales cosas. ―Apenas me puedo mover —exclamó—, y se lo quitó todo otra vez.40Luego tomó cinco piedras lisas del arroyo y las puso en su alforja, y armado solamente con una vara de pastor y una honda, comenzó a avanzar hacia Goliat.41Goliat se adelantó hacia David con su escudero delante.42Venía burlándose del apuesto jovencito de mejillas rosadas.43―¿Soy acaso un perro —rugió delante de David— que vienes a mí con un palo? —y maldijo a David en el nombre de sus dioses—.44Ven aquí y daré tus carnes a las aves de rapiña y a los animales salvajes —gritó Goliat.45David respondió gritando: ―Tú vienes a mí con espada y lanza, pero yo voy a ti en el nombre del SEÑOR de los ejércitos del cielo y de Israel, a quien tú has desafiado.46Hoy el SEÑOR te vencerá y yo te mataré y te cortaré la cabeza, y daré tu cadáver y el de tus compañeros a las aves de rapiña y a los animales salvajes. Así todo el mundo sabrá que hay Dios en Israel,47e Israel sabrá que el SEÑOR no depende de las armas para realizar sus planes. Esta batalla le pertenece al SEÑOR y él los va a entregar a ustedes en nuestras manos.48Goliat avanzó de nuevo y David corrió a su encuentro,49y sacando una piedra de la alforja la lanzó con la honda y golpeó al gigante en la frente. La piedra se le clavó en la frente al gigante y cayó de cara a tierra.50-51De esa manera David venció al gigante filisteo. Como no tenía espada, corrió y sacó la del gigante de la vaina y lo mató con ella, y luego le cortó la cabeza. Cuando los filisteos vieron que su campeón había muerto, huyeron.52Entonces los israelitas dieron un gran grito de triunfo y los persiguieron por todo el valle hasta Gat y hasta las puertas de Ecrón. Los cuerpos de los filisteos muertos y heridos quedaron regados a todo lo largo del camino a Sajarayin.53Después el ejército israelita regresó y saqueó el campamento de los filisteos.54Más tarde David llevó la cabeza de Goliat a Jerusalén, pero colocó sus armas en su tienda.55Cuando Saúl vio que David salía a pelear con el gigante, le preguntó a Abner, general de su ejército: ―Abner, ¿de qué familia procede este joven? ―No lo sé, realmente, —dijo Abner.56―Bien, averígualo —le dijo el rey.57Después que David dio muerte a Goliat, Abner lo llevó a la presencia de Saúl con la cabeza del filisteo aún en la mano.58―Dime, ¿quién es tu padre, hijo mío? —dijo Saúl—. Y David dijo: ―Se llama Isaí y vivimos en Belén.
1Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. (Jos 10:10; Jos 15:35; 1 S 13:5; 1 Cr 11:13; Neh 11:30)2And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines. (1 S 17:19; 1 S 21:9)3And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them.4And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six[1] cubits[2] and a span. (Jos 11:22; Jos 13:3; 1 S 21:10; 2 S 21:19; 1 Cr 20:4)5He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels[3] of bronze.6And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. (1 S 17:45)7The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went before him. (1 S 17:41)8He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. (1 S 8:17)9If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” (1 S 11:1)10And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.” (1 S 17:25; 1 S 17:36; 1 S 17:45; 2 S 21:21)11When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.12Now David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, named Jesse, who had eight sons. In the days of Saul the man was already old and advanced in years.[4] (Gn 35:19; Rt 4:22; 1 S 16:1; 1 S 16:10; 1 S 16:18; 1 S 17:58; 1 Cr 2:13)13The three oldest sons of Jesse had followed Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. (1 S 16:6; 1 S 16:8; 1 Cr 2:13)14David was the youngest. The three eldest followed Saul, (1 S 16:11)15but David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem. (1 S 16:19)16For forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand, morning and evening.17And Jesse said to David his son, “Take for your brothers an ephah[5] of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers.18Also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See if your brothers are well, and bring some token from them.” (Gn 37:14; 1 S 16:20)19Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.20And David rose early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper and took the provisions and went, as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the encampment as the host was going out to the battle line, shouting the war cry. (1 S 26:5; 1 S 26:7)21And Israel and the Philistines drew up for battle, army against army.22And David left the things in charge of the keeper of the baggage and ran to the ranks and went and greeted his brothers. (Is 10:28; Hch 21:15)23As he talked with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines and spoke the same words as before. And David heard him. (1 S 17:4; 1 S 17:8)24All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid.25And the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father’s house free in Israel.” (Jos 15:16; 1 S 17:10; 1 S 17:36; 1 S 17:45)26And David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for 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 living God?” (Dt 5:26; Jos 3:10; Jue 14:3; 1 S 11:2; 1 S 17:25)27And the people answered him in the same way, “So shall it be done to the man who kills him.” (1 S 17:25)28Now Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, “Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.”29And David said, “What have I done now? Was it not but a word?”30And he turned away from him toward another, and spoke in the same way, and the people answered him again as before. (1 S 17:26)31When the words that David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul, and he sent for him.32And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” (Dt 20:3; 1 S 16:18)33And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.”34But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock,35I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him.36Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” (1 S 17:10; 1 S 17:26)37And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!” (1 S 20:13; 1 Cr 22:11; 1 Cr 22:16; 2 Ti 4:17)38Then Saul clothed David with his armor. He put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail,39and David strapped his sword over his armor. And he tried in vain to go, for he had not tested them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” So David put them off.40Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd’s pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine.41And the Philistine moved forward and came near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. (1 S 17:7)42And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. (1 S 16:12)43And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. (1 S 24:14; 2 S 3:8; 2 S 9:8; 2 S 16:9; 2 R 8:13)44The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.” (1 S 17:46)45Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. (1 S 17:6; 1 S 17:36)46This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, (Dt 28:26; Jos 4:24; 1 S 17:44; 1 R 18:36)47and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand.” (2 Cr 20:15; Sal 44:6; Os 1:7; Zac 4:6)48When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.49And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.50So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David.51Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. (1 S 21:9; 2 S 23:21; Heb 11:34)52And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath[6] and the gates of Ekron, so that the wounded Philistines fell on the way from Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron. (Jos 15:11; Jos 15:36; 1 S 17:4)53And the people of Israel came back from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their camp.54And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent. (1 S 17:57; 2 S 5:6)55As soon as Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?” And Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.” (1 S 1:26; 1 S 16:21; 2 S 2:8)56And the king said, “Inquire whose son the boy is.”57And as soon as David returned from the striking down of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. (1 S 17:54)58And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.” (1 S 17:12)