¹ Nang mga araw na yaon ay walang hari sa Israel: at nang panahong yaon ay humahanap ang lipi ng mga Danita, ng isang mana na matatahanan; sapagka't hanggang sa araw na yaon, ay hindi nahuhulog sa mga lipi ng Israel ang kanilang mana.

² At ang mga anak ni Dan ay nagsugo ng limang lalake ng kanilang angkan, sa kanilang kabuoang bilang, ng mga lalaking may tapang, na mula sa Sora, at sa Esthaol, upang tiktikan ang lupain, at kilalanin; at sinabi nila sa kanila, Kayo'y yumaon, at inyong kilalanin ang lupain. At sila'y naparoon sa lupaing maburol ng Ephraim, sa bahay ni Michas, at tumuloy roon.

³ Nang sila'y malapit sa bahay ni Michas, ay nakilala nila ang tinig ng binatang Levita: at sila'y lumiko roon, at sinabi nila sa kaniya, Sinong nagdala sa iyo rito? at ano ang iyong ginagawa sa dakong ito? at anong mayroon ka rito?

⁴ At sinabi niya sa kanila, Ganito't ganito ang ginawa sa akin ni Michas, at kaniyang kinayaring upahan ako, at ako'y naging kaniyang saserdote.

⁵ At sinabi nila sa kaniya, Isinasamo namin sa iyo na usisain mo sa Dios, upang aming maalaman, kung ang aming lakad ay papalarin.

⁶ At sinabi ng saserdote sa kanila, Yumaon kayong payapa: nasa harap ng Panginoon ang daang inyong nilalakaran.

⁷ Nang magkagayo'y lumakad ang limang lalake at dumating sa Lais, at nakita ang bayan na naroon, kung paanong sila'y tumatahan sa katiwasayan, na gaya ng mga Sidonio, na tahimik at tiwasay: sapagka't wala sa lupain na nagaaring may kapangyarihan na makapagbibigay kahihiyan sa alin mang bagay, at malayo sa mga Sidonio, at walang pagkikipagkasundo sa kaninoman.

⁸ At sila'y naparoon sa kanilang mga kapatid sa Sora at Esthaol: at sinabi ng kanilang mga kapatid sa kanila, Ano kayo?

⁹ At kanilang sinabi, Kayo'y bumangon at tayo'y umahon laban sa kanila: sapagka't aming nakita ang lupain, at, narito, napakabuti: at natatamad ba kayo? huwag kayong magmakupad na yumaon at pumasok upang ariin ang lupain.

¹⁰ Paglakad ninyo'y darating kayo sa isang bayang tiwasay, at ang lupain ay malaki: sapagka't ibinigay ng Dios sa inyong kamay, isang dakong walang kakailanganing anomang bagay na nasa lupa.

¹¹ At umalis mula roon ang ilan sa angkan ng mga Danita, mula sa Sora at sa Esthaol, na anim na raang lalake na may sandata ng mga kasakbatan na pangdigma.

¹² At sila'y yumaon, at humantong sa Chiriath-jearim, sa Juda; kaya't kanilang tinawag ang dakong yaon na Mahane-dan hanggang sa araw na ito: narito, ito'y nasa likod ng Chiriath-jearim.

¹³ At sila'y nagdaan doon hanggang sa lupaing maburol ng Ephraim, at naparoon sa bahay ni Michas.

¹⁴ Nang magkagayo'y sumagot ang limang lalake na tumiktik ng lupain ng Lais, at sinabi sa kanilang mga kapatid, Nalalaman ba ninyo na mayroon sa mga bahay na ito na isang epod, at mga terap, at isang larawang inanyuan, at isang larawang binubo? ngayon nga'y akalain ninyo ang marapat ninyong gawin.

¹⁵ At sila'y lumiko roon, at naparoon sa bahay ng binatang Levita, sa makatuwid baga'y hanggang sa bahay ni Michas, at tinanong nila siya ng kaniyang kalagayan.

¹⁶ At ang anim na raang lalake na may sandata ng kanilang mga kasakbatan na pangdigma, na pawang mga anak ni Dan, ay nagsitayo sa pasukan ng pintuang-bayan.

¹⁷ At ang limang lalake na yumaong tumiktik ng lupain ay nagsiahon at pumasok doon, at kinuha ang larawang inanyuan, at ang epod, at ang mga terap, at ang larawang binubo, at ang saserdote ay nakatayo sa pasukan ng pintuang-bayan na kasama ng anim na raang lalake na may sandata ng kanilang mga kasakbatang pangdigma.

¹⁸ At nang pumasok ang mga ito sa bahay ni Michas, at makuha ang larawang inanyuan, ang epod, at ang mga terap, at ang larawang binubo, ay sinabi ng saserdote sa kanila, Ano ang inyong gagawin?

¹⁹ At sinabi nila sa kaniya, Pumayapa ka, itakip mo ang iyong kamay sa iyong bibig at sumama ka sa amin, at maging ama at saserdote ka namin: magaling ba kaya sa iyo ang maging saserdote sa bahay ng isang lalake o maging saserdote sa isang lipi at sa isang angkan sa Israel?

²⁰ At natuwa ang puso ng saserdote, at kaniyang kinuha ang epod, at ang mga terap, at ang larawang inanyuan, at yumaon sa gitna ng bayan.

²¹ Sa gayo'y bumalik sila, at yumaon, at inilagay ang mga bata at ang kawan, at ang mga daladalahan, sa unahan nila.

²² Nang sila'y malayo na sa bahay ni Michas, ang mga lalaking nasa mga bahay na kalapit ng bahay ni Michas ay nagpipisan at inabot ang mga anak ni Dan.

²³ At kaniyang sinigawan ang mga anak ni Dan. At inilingon nila ang kanilang mga mukha, at sinabi kay Michas, Anong mayroon ka, na ikaw ay nagpisan ng ganyang pulutong?

²⁴ At kaniyang sinabi, Inyong kinuha ang aking mga dios na aking ginawa, at ang saserdote, at kayo'y yumaon, at ano pang mayroon ako? at bakit nga sasabihin ninyo sa akin, Anong mayroon ka?

²⁵ At sinabi ng mga anak ni Dan sa kaniya, Huwag ng marinig ang iyong tinig, baka daluhungin ka ng mga mapusok na kasama, at iyong iwala ang iyong buhay, pati ng buhay ng iyong sangbahayan.

²⁶ At ipinagpatuloy ng mga anak ni Dan ang kanilang lakad: at nang makita ni Michas na sila'y totoong malakas kay sa kaniya, ay bumalik at umuwi sa kaniyang bahay.

²⁷ At kanilang kinuha ang ginawa ni Michas, at ang saserdote na kaniyang tinatangkilik, at naparoon sa Lais, sa bayang tahimik at tiwasay, at sinaktan nila ng talim ng tabak: at sinunog nila ang bayan.

²⁸ At walang magligtas, sapagka't malayo sa Sidon, at sila'y walang pakikipagkasundo sa kanino man, at nasa libis na lumalaganap sa dakong Bethrehob. At kanilang itinayo ang bayan, at tinahanan nila.

²⁹ At kanilang tinawag na Dan ang pangalan ng bayan, ayon sa pangalan ni Dan na kanilang ama na ipinanganak sa Israel: gayon ma'y ang pangalan ng bayan nang una ay Lais.

³⁰ At itinayo sa kanilang sarili ng mga anak ni Dan ang larawang inanyuan: at si Jonathan na anak ni Gerson, na anak ni Moises, siya at ang kaniyang mga anak ay siyang mga saserdote sa lipi ng mga Danita hanggang sa araw ng pagkabihag sa lupain.

³¹ Gayon nila itinayo ang larawang inanyuan ni Michas na kaniyang ginawa, sa buong panahon na ang bahay ng Dios ay nasa Silo.

¹ Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle; and they were gathered together at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim.

² Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and encamped in the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.

³ The Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.

⁴ There went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

⁵ He had a helmet of brass on his head, and he was clad with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.

⁶ He had brass shin armor on his legs, and a javelin of brass between his shoulders.

⁷ The staff 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.

⁸ He stood and cried to the armies of Israel, and said to them, "Why have you come out to set your battle in array? Am I not a Philistine, and you servants to Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.

⁹ If he be able to fight with me, and kill me, then will we be your servants; but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then you will be our servants, and serve us."

¹⁰ The Philistine said, "I defy the armies of Israel this day! 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.

¹² Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man was an old man in the days of Saul, stricken [in years] among men.

¹³ The three eldest sons of Jesse had gone after 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.

¹⁴ David was the youngest; and the three eldest followed Saul.

¹⁵ Now David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.

¹⁶ The Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.

¹⁷ Jesse said to David his son, "Now take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry [them] quickly to the camp to your brothers;

¹⁸ and bring these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and see how your brothers are doing, and bring back news."

¹⁹ Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

²⁰ 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.

²¹ Israel and the Philistines put the battle in array, army against army.

²² David left his baggage in the hand of the keeper of the baggage, and ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers.

²³ 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.

²⁴ All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were terrified.

²⁵ The men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who is come up? He has surely come up to defy Israel. It shall be, that the man who kills him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel."

²⁶ 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 living God?"

²⁷ The people answered him in this way, saying, "So shall it be done to the man who kills him."

²⁸ 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? With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride, and the naughtiness of your heart; for you have come down that you might see the battle."

²⁹ David said, "What have I now done? Is there not a cause?"

³⁰ He turned away from him toward another, and spoke like that again; and the people answered him again the same way.

³¹ When the words were heard which David spoke, they rehearsed them before Saul; and he sent for him.

³² David said to Saul, "Let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine."

³³ 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 a man of war from his youth."

³⁴ David said to Saul, "Your servant was keeping his father's sheep; and when a lion or a bear came, and took a lamb out of the flock,

³⁵ I went out after him, and struck him, and rescued it out of his mouth. When he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and struck him, and killed him.

³⁶ Your servant struck both the lion and the bear. This uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God."

³⁷ David said, "Yahweh 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." Saul said to David, "Go; and Yahweh shall be with you."

³⁸ Saul dressed David with his clothing. He put a helmet of brass on his head, and he clad him with a coat of mail.

³⁹ David strapped his sword on his clothing, and he tried to move; for he had not tested it. David said to Saul, "I can't go with these; for I have not tested them." David took them off.

⁴⁰ He took his staff in his hand, and chose for himself five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his wallet. His sling was in his hand; and he drew near to the Philistine.

⁴¹ The Philistine came on and drew near to David; and the man who bore the shield went before him.

⁴² When the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and withal of a fair face.

⁴³ The Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?" The Philistine cursed David by his gods.

⁴⁴ The Philistine said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky, and to the animals of the field."

⁴⁵ Then 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 Yahweh of Armies, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

⁴⁶ Today, Yahweh will deliver you into my hand. I will strike you, and take your head from off you. I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky, and to the wild animals of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,

⁴⁷ and that all this assembly may know that Yahweh doesn't save with sword and spear: for the battle is Yahweh's, and he will give you into our hand."

⁴⁸ It happened, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

⁴⁹ David put his hand in his bag, took a stone, and slung it, and struck the Philistine in his forehead; and the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.

⁵⁰ So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine, and killed him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

⁵¹ Then 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 therewith. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

⁵² The men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until you come to Gai, and to the gates of Ekron. The wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath, and to Ekron.

⁵³ The children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they plundered their camp.

⁵⁴ David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armor in his tent.

⁵⁵ When Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the captain of the army, "Abner, whose son is this youth?" Abner said, "As your soul lives, O king, I can't tell."

⁵⁶ The king said, "Inquire whose son the young man is!"

⁵⁷ 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.

⁵⁸ Saul said to him, "Whose son are you, you young man?" David answered, "I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite."