36. Sir, I have killed lions and bears that way, and I can kill this worthless Philistine. He shouldn't have made fun of the army of the living God!
37. The Lord has rescued me from the claws of lions and bears, and he will keep me safe from the hands of this Philistine.“All right,” Saul answered, “go ahead and fight him. And I hope the Lord will help you.”
38. Saul had his own military clothes and armour put on David, and he gave David a bronze helmet to wear.
39. David strapped on a sword and tried to walk around, but he was not used to wearing those things.“I can't move with all this stuff on,” David said. “I'm just not used to it.”David took off the armour
40. and picked up his shepherd's stick. He went out to a stream and picked up five smooth stones and put them in his leather bag. Then with his sling in his hand, he went straight towards Goliath.
41. Goliath came towards David, walking behind the soldier who was carrying his shield.
42. When Goliath saw that David was just a healthy, good-looking boy, he made fun of him.
43. “Do you think I'm a dog?” Goliath asked. “Is that why you've come after me with a stick?” He cursed David in the name of the Philistine gods
44. and shouted, “Come on! When I'm finished with you, I'll feed you to the birds and wild animals!”
45. David answered:You've come out to fight me with a sword and a spear and a dagger. But I've come out to fight you in the name of the Lord All-Powerful. He is the God of Israel's army, and you have insulted him too!
46. Today the Lord will help me defeat you. I'll knock you down and cut off your head, and I'll feed the bodies of the other Philistine soldiers to the birds and wild animals. Then the whole world will know that Israel has a real God.
47. Everybody here will see that the Lord doesn't need swords or spears to save his people. The Lord always wins his battles, and he will help us defeat you.
48. When Goliath started forward, David ran towards him.
49. He put a stone in his sling and swung the sling around by its straps. When he let go of one strap, the stone flew out and hit Goliath on the forehead. It cracked his skull, and he fell face down on the ground.
50. David defeated Goliath with a sling and a stone. He killed him without even using a sword.