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 metres tall.
5-6. He wore a bronze helmet and had bronze armour to protect his chest and legs. The chest armour alone weighed about fifty-seven kilogrammes. He carried a bronze sword strapped on his back,
7. and his spear was so big that the iron spearhead alone weighed about seven kilogrammes. 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.
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 eldest 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 forty 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.”