5. and wore bronze armour that weighed about 57 kilogrammes and a bronze helmet.
6. His legs were also protected by bronze armour, and he carried a bronze javelin slung over his shoulder.
7. His spear was as thick as the bar on a weaver's loom, and its iron head weighed about seven kilogrammes. A soldier walked in front of him carrying his shield.
8. Goliath stood and shouted at the Israelites, “What are you doing there, lined up for battle? I am a Philistine, you slaves of Saul! Choose one of your men to fight me.
9. If he wins and kills me, we will be your slaves; but if I win and kill him, you will be our slaves.
10. Here and now I challenge the Israelite army. I dare you to pick someone to fight me!”
11. When Saul and his men heard this, they were terrified.
12. David was the son of Jesse, who was an Ephrathite from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and at the time Saul was king, he was already a very old man.
13. His three eldest sons had gone with Saul to war. The eldest was Eliab, the next was Abinadab, and the third was Shammah.
14. David was the youngest son, and while the three eldest brothers stayed with Saul,
15. David would go back to Bethlehem from time to time, to take care of his father's sheep.
16. Goliath challenged the Israelites every morning and evening for forty days.
17. One day Jesse said to David, “Take ten kilogrammes of this roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread, and hurry with them to your brothers in the camp.
18. And take these ten cheeses to the commanding officer. Find out how your brothers are getting on and bring back something to show that you saw them and that they are well.
19. King Saul, your brothers, and all the other Israelites are in the Valley of Elah fighting the Philistines.”
20. David got up early the next morning, left someone else in charge of the sheep, took the food, and went as Jesse had told him to. He arrived at the camp just as the Israelites were going out to their battle line, shouting the war cry.
21. The Philistine and the Israelite armies took up positions for battle, facing each other.
22. David left the food with the officer in charge of the supplies, ran to the battle line, went to his brothers, and asked how they were getting on.
23. As he was talking to them, Goliath came forward and challenged the Israelites as he had done before. And David heard him.