1 Samuel 17:17-24

New International Reader's Version

¹⁷ Jesse said to his son David, “Get at least half a bushel of grain that has been cooked. Also get ten loaves of bread. Take all of it to your brothers. Hurry to their camp. ¹⁸ Take along these ten chunks of cheese to the commander of their military group. Find out how your brothers are doing. Bring me back some word about them. ¹⁹ They are with Saul and all the men of Israel. They are in the Valley of Elah. They are fighting against the Philistines.”

²⁰ Early in the morning David left his father’s flock in the care of a shepherd. David loaded up the food and started out, just as Jesse had directed. David reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions. The soldiers were shouting the war cry. ²¹ The Israelites and the Philistines were lining up their armies for battle. The armies were facing each other. ²² David left what he had brought with the man who took care of the supplies. He ran to the battle lines and asked his brothers how they were. 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 Whenever Israel’s army saw Goliath, all of them ran away from him. That’s because they were so afraid.