21. Israel and the Philistines drew up their battle lines opposite one another.
22. After David had entrusted his cargo to the care of the supply officer, he ran to the battlefront. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were doing.
23. As he was speaking with them, the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, was coming up from the battle lines of the Philistines. He spoke the way he usually did, and David heard it.
24. When all the men of Israel saw this man, they retreated from his presence and were very afraid.
25. The men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who is coming up? He does so to defy Israel. But the king will make the man who can strike him down very wealthy! He will give him his daughter in marriage, and he will make his father’s house exempt from tax obligations in Israel.”
26. David asked the men who were standing near him, “What will be done for the man who strikes down this Philistine and frees Israel from this humiliation? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he defies the armies of the living God?”
27. The soldiers told him what had been promised, saying, “This is what will be done for the man who can strike him down.”
28. When David’s oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men, he became angry with David and said, “Why have you come down here? To whom did you entrust those few sheep in the desert? I am familiar with your pride and deceit! You have come down here to watch the battle!”
29. David replied, “What have I done now? Can’t I say anything?”
30. Then he turned from those who were nearby to someone else and asked the same question, but they gave him the same answer as before.
31. When David’s words were overheard and reported to Saul, he called for him.
32. David said to Saul, “Don’t let anyone be discouraged. Your servant will go and fight this Philistine!”
33. But Saul replied to David, “You aren’t able to go against this Philistine and fight him! You’re just a boy! He has been a warrior from his youth!”
34. David replied to Saul, “Your servant has been a shepherd for his father’s flock. Whenever a lion or bear would come and carry off a sheep from the flock,
35. I would go out after it, strike it down, and rescue the sheep from its mouth. If it rose up against me, I would grab it by its jaw, strike it, and kill it.
36. Your servant has struck down both the lion and the bear. This uncircumcised Philistine will be just like one of them. For he has defied the armies of the living God!”
37. David went on to say, “The Lord who delivered me from the lion and the bear will also deliver me from the hand of this Philistine!” Then Saul said to David, “Go! The Lord will be with you.”
38. Then Saul clothed David with his own fighting attire and put a bronze helmet on his head. He also put body armor on him.