22. David left what he had brought with the man who took care of the supplies. He ran to the battle lines and greeted his brothers.
23. As David was talking with them, Goliath stepped forward from his line. Goliath was a mighty Philistine hero from Gath. He again dared someone to fight him, and David heard it.
24. When Israel's army saw Goliath, all of them ran away from him. That's because they were filled with fear.
25. The men of Israel had been saying, "Just look at how this man keeps stepping forward! Again and again he dares Israel to fight him. The king will make the man who kills him very wealthy. He will also give him his daughter to be his wife. He won't require anyone in his family to pay any taxes in Israel."
26. David spoke to the men who were standing near him. He asked them, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine? Goliath is bringing shame on Israel. What will be done for the one who removes it? This Philistine isn't even circumcised. He dares the armies of the living God to fight him. Who does he think he is?"
27. The men told David what Israel's soldiers had been saying. The men told him what would be done for the man who killed Goliath.
28. David's oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking with the men. So he burned with anger at him. He asked him, "Why have you come down here? Who did you leave those few sheep in the desert with? I know how proud you are. I know how evil your heart is. The only reason you came down here was to watch the battle."
29. "What have I done now?" said David. "Can't I even speak?"
30. Then he turned away to speak to some other men. He asked them the same question he had asked before. And they gave him the same answer.
31. Someone heard what David said and reported it to Saul. So Saul sent for him.
32. David said to Saul, "Don't let anyone lose hope because of that Philistine. I'll go out and fight him."
33. Saul replied, "You aren't able to go out there and fight that Philistine. You are too young. He's been a fighting man ever since he was a boy."
34. But David said to Saul, "I've been taking care of my father's sheep. Sometimes a lion or a bear would come and carry off a sheep from the flock.
35. Then I would go after it and hit it. I would save the sheep it was carrying in its mouth. If it turned around to attack me, I would grab hold of its hair. I would strike it down and kill it.
36. In fact, I've killed both a lion and a bear. I'll do the same thing to this Philistine. He isn't even circumcised. He has dared the armies of the living God to fight him.