1. The Philistines gathered their armies together for war. They met at Socoh in Judah. Their camp was between Socoh and Azekah, at a town called Ephes Dammim.
2. Saul and the Israelite soldiers also gathered together. Their camp was in the Valley of Elah. Saul’s soldiers were lined up and ready to fight the Philistines.
3. The Philistines were on one hill. The Israelites were on the other hill. The valley was between them.
4. The Philistines had a champion fighter named Goliath, who was from Gath. He was over 9 feet tall. Goliath came out of the Philistine camp.
5. He had a bronze helmet on his head. He wore a coat of armor that was made like the scales on a fish. This armor was made of bronze and weighed about 125 pounds.
6. Goliath wore bronze protectors on his legs. He had a bronze javelin tied on his back.
7. The wooden part of his spear was as big as a weaver’s rod. The spear’s blade weighed 15 pounds. Goliath’s helper walked in front of him, carrying Goliath’s shield.
8. Each day Goliath would come out and shout a challenge to the Israelite soldiers. He would say, “Why are all of your soldiers lined up ready for battle? You are Saul’s servants. I am a Philistine. So choose one man and send him to fight me.
9. If that man kills me, he wins and we Philistines will become your slaves. But if I kill your man, then I win, and you will become our slaves. You will have to serve us.”
10. The Philistine also said, “Today I stand and make fun of the army of Israel. I dare you to send me one of your men and let us fight.”
11. Saul and the Israelite soldiers heard what Goliath said, and they were very afraid.
12. David was the son of Jesse. Jesse was from the Ephrathah family in Bethlehem, Judah. Jesse had eight sons. In Saul’s time Jesse was an old man.
13. Jesse’s three oldest sons went with Saul to the war. The first son was Eliab, the second was Abinadab, and the third was Shammah.
14. David was the youngest son. The three oldest sons were in Saul’s army,
15. but David left Saul from time to time to take care of his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.
16. The Philistine came out every morning and evening and stood before the Israelite army. Goliath insulted Israel like this for 40 days.
17. One day Jesse said to his son David, “Take this basket of cooked grain and these ten loaves of bread to your brothers in the camp.