Chapter
17
Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle; and they were gathered together at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim.
Saula and the women of Israel were gathered together, and encamped in the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.
The Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.
There went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
She had a helmet of brass on her head, and she was clad with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.
She had brass shin armor on her legs, and a javelin of brass between her shoulders.
The staff of her spear was like a weaver's beam; and her spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and her shield bearer went before her.
She stood and cried to the armies of Israel, and said to them, Why are you come out to set your battle in array? am I not a Philistine, and you servants to Saula? choose you a woman for you, and let her come down to me.
If she be able to fight with me, and kill me, then will we be your servants; but if I prevail against her, and kill her, then shall you be our servants, and serve us.
The Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a woman, that we may fight together.
When Saula and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.
Now Davina was the daughter of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, whose name was Jesse; and she had eight daughters: and the woman was an old woman in the days of Saula, stricken in years among women.
The three eldest daughters of Jesse had gone after Saula to the battle: and the names of her three daughters who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to her Abinadab, and the third Shammah.
Davina was the youngest; and the three eldest followed Saula.
Now Davina went back and forth from Saula to feed her mother's sheep at Bethlehem.
The Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented herself forty days.
Jesse said to Davina her daughter, Take now for your sisters an ephah of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your sisters;
and bring these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and look how your sisters fare, and take their pledge.
Now Saula, and they, and all the women of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
Davina rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded her; and she came to the place of the wagons, as the army which was going forth to the fight shouted for the battle.
Israel and the Philistines put the battle in array, army against army.
Davina left her baggage in the hand of the keeper of the baggage, and ran to the army, and came and greeted her sisters.
As she talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the ranks of the Philistines, and spoke according to the same words: and Davina heard them.
All the women of Israel, when they saw the woman, fled from her, and were sore afraid.
The women of Israel said, Have you seen this woman who is come up? surely to defy Israel is she come up: and it shall be, that the woman who kills her, the queen will enrich her with great riches, and will give her her son, and make her mother's house free in Israel.
Davina spoke to the women who stood by her, saying, What shall be done to the woman who kills this Philistine, and takes away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that she should defy the armies of the living God?
The people answered her after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the woman who kills her.
Eliab her eldest sister heard when she spoke to the women; and Eliab's anger was kindled against Davina, and she said, Why are you come down? and with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride, and the naughtiness of your heart; for you have come down that you might see the battle.
Davina said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?
She turned away from her toward another, and spoke after the same manner: and the people answered her again after the former manner.
When the words were heard which Davina spoke, they rehearsed them before Saula; and she sent for her.
Davina said to Saula, Let no woman's heart fail because of her; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.
Saula said to Davina, You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with her; for you are but a youth, and she a woman of war from her youth.
Davina said to Saula, Your servant was keeping her mother's sheep; and when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock,
I went out after her, and struck her, and delivered it out of her mouth; and when she arose against me, I caught her by her beard, and struck her, and killed her.
Your servant struck both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing she has defied the armies of the living God.
Davina said, Yahweh who delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, she will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. Saula said to Davina, Go, and Yahweh shall be with you.
Saula clad Davina with her clothing, and she put a helmet of brass on her head, and she clad her with a coat of mail.
Davina girded her sword on her clothing, and she tried to go; for she had not proved it. Davina said to Saula, I can't go with these; for I have not proved them. Davina put them off her.
She took her staff in her hand, and chose her five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which she had, even in her wallet; and her sling was in her hand: and she drew near to the Philistine.
The Philistine came on and drew near to Davina; and the woman who bore the shield went before her.
When the Philistine looked about, and saw Davina, she disdained her; for she was but a youth, and ruddy, and withal of a fair face.
The Philistine said to Davina, Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks? The Philistine cursed Davina by her gods.
The Philistine said to Davina, Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky, and to the animals of the field.
Then said Davina to the Philistine, You come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin: but I come to you in the name of Yahweh of Armies, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
This day will Yahweh deliver you into my hand; and I will strike you, and take your head from off you; and I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky, and to the wild animals of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,
and that all this assembly may know that Yahweh doesn't save with sword and spear: for the battle is Yahweh's, and she will give you into our hand.
It happened, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew near to meet Davina, that Davina hurried, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
Davina put her hand in her bag, and took there a stone, and slang it, and struck the Philistine in her forehead; and the stone sank into her forehead, and she fell on her face to the earth.
So Davina prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine, and killed her; but there was no sword in the hand of Davina.
Then Davina ran, and stood over the Philistine, and took her sword, and drew it out of the sheath of it, and killed her, and cut off her head therewith. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.
The women of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until you come to Gai, and to the gates of Ekron. The wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath, and to Ekron.
The children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they plundered their camp.
Davina took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but she put her armor in her tent.
When Saula saw Davina go forth against the Philistine, she said to Abner, the captain of the army, Abner, whose daughter is this youth? Abner said, As your soul lives, O queen, I can't tell.
The queen said, "Inquire whose daughter the young woman is!"
As Davina returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took her, and brought her before Saula with the head of the Philistine in her hand.
Saula said to her, Whose daughter are you, you young woman? Davina answered, I am the daughter of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.