17:1 非利士人招聚他們的軍旅，要來爭戰；聚集在屬猶大的梭哥，安營在梭哥和亞西加中間的以弗‧大憫。
17:2 掃羅和以色列人也聚集，在以拉谷安營，擺列隊伍，要與非利士人打仗。
17:3 非利士人站在這邊山上，以色列人站在那邊山上，當中有谷。
17:4 從非利士營中出來一個討戰的人，名叫歌利亞，是迦特人，身高六肘零一虎口；
17:5 頭戴銅盔，身穿鎧甲，甲重五千舍客勒；
17:6 腿上有銅護膝，兩肩之中背負銅戟；
17:7 槍桿粗如織布的機軸，鐵槍頭重六百舍客勒。有一個拿盾牌的人在他前面走。
17:8 歌利亞對著以色列的軍隊站立，呼叫說：「你們出來擺列隊伍做甚麼呢？我不是非利士人嗎？你們不是掃羅的僕人嗎？可以從你們中間揀選一人，使他下到我這裡來。
17:9 他若能與我戰鬥，將我殺死，我們就作你們的僕人；我若勝了他，將他殺死，你們就作我們的僕人，服事我們。」
17:10 那非利士人又說：「我今日向以色列人的軍隊罵陣。你們叫一個人出來，與我戰鬥。」
17:11 掃羅和以色列眾人聽見非利士人的這些話，就驚惶，極其害怕。
17:12 大衛是猶大、伯利恆的以法他人耶西的兒子。耶西有八個兒子。當掃羅的時候，耶西已經老邁。
17:13 耶西的三個大兒子跟隨掃羅出征。這出征的三個兒子：長子名叫以利押，次子名叫亞比拿達，三子名叫沙瑪。
17:14 大衛是最小的；那三個大兒子跟隨掃羅。
17:15 大衛有時離開掃羅，回伯利恆放他父親的羊。
17:16 那非利士人早晚都出來站著，如此四十日。
17:17 一日，耶西對他兒子大衛說：「你拿一伊法烘了的穗子和十個餅，速速地送到營裡去，交給你哥哥們；
17:18 再拿這十塊奶餅，送給他們的千夫長，且問你哥哥們好，向他們要一封信來。」
17:19 掃羅與大衛的三個哥哥和以色列眾人，在以拉谷與非利士人打仗。
17:20 大衛早晨起來，將羊交託一個看守的人，照著他父親所吩咐的話，帶著食物去了。到了輜重營，軍兵剛出到戰場，吶喊要戰。
17:21 以色列人和非利士人都擺列隊伍，彼此相對。
17:22 大衛把他帶來的食物留在看守物件人的手下，跑到戰場，問他哥哥們安。
17:23 與他們說話的時候，那討戰的，就是屬迦特的非利士人歌利亞，從非利士隊中出來，說從前所說的話；大衛都聽見了。
17:24 以色列眾人看見那人，就逃跑，極其害怕。
17:25 以色列人彼此說：「這上來的人你看見了嗎？他上來是要向以色列人罵陣。若有能殺他的，王必賞賜他大財，將自己的女兒給他為妻，並在以色列人中免他父家納糧當差。」
17:26 大衛問站在旁邊的人說：「有人殺這非利士人，除掉以色列人的恥辱，怎樣待他呢？這未受割禮的非利士人是誰呢？竟敢向永生上帝的軍隊罵陣嗎？」
17:27 百姓照先前的話回答他說：「有人能殺這非利士人，必如此如此待他。」
17:28 大衛的長兄以利押聽見大衛與他們所說的話，就向他發怒，說：「你下來做甚麼呢？在曠野的那幾隻羊，你交託了誰呢？我知道你的驕傲和你心裡的惡意，你下來特為要看爭戰！」
17:29 大衛說：「我做了甚麼呢？我來豈沒有緣故嗎？」
17:30 大衛就離開他轉向別人，照先前的話而問；百姓仍照先前的話回答他。
17:31 有人聽見大衛所說的話，就告訴了掃羅；掃羅便打發人叫他來。
17:32 大衛對掃羅說：「人都不必因那非利士人膽怯。你的僕人要去與那非利士人戰鬥。」
17:33 掃羅對大衛說：「你不能去與那非利士人戰鬥；因為你年紀太輕，他自幼就作戰士。」
17:34 大衛對掃羅說：「你僕人為父親放羊，有時來了獅子，有時來了熊，從群中啣一隻羊羔去。
17:35 我就追趕牠，擊打牠，將羊羔從牠口中救出來。牠起來要害我，我就揪著牠的鬍子，將牠打死。
17:36 你僕人曾打死獅子和熊，這未受割禮的非利士人向永生上帝的軍隊罵陣，也必像獅子和熊一般。」
17:37 大衛又說：「耶和華救我脫離獅子和熊的爪，也必救我脫離這非利士人的手。」掃羅對大衛說：「你可以去吧！耶和華必與你同在。」
17:38 掃羅就把自己的戰衣給大衛穿上，將銅盔給他戴上，又給他穿上鎧甲。
17:39 大衛把刀跨在戰衣外，試試能走不能走；因為素來沒有穿慣，就對掃羅說：「我穿戴這些不能走，因為素來沒有穿慣。」於是摘脫了。
17:40 他手中拿杖，又在溪中挑選了五塊光滑石子，放在袋裡，就是牧人帶的囊裡；手中拿著甩石的機弦，就去迎那非利士人。
17:41 非利士人也漸漸地迎著大衛來，拿盾牌的走在前頭。
17:42 非利士人觀看，見了大衛，就藐視他；因為他年輕，面色光紅，容貌俊美。
17:43 非利士人對大衛說：「你拿杖到我這裡來，我豈是狗呢？」非利士人就指著自己的神咒詛大衛。
17:44 非利士人又對大衛說：「來吧！我將你的肉給空中的飛鳥、田野的走獸吃。」
17:45 大衛對非利士人說：「你來攻擊我，是靠著刀槍和銅戟；我來攻擊你，是靠著萬軍之耶和華的名，就是你所怒罵帶領以色列軍隊的上帝。
17:46 今日耶和華必將你交在我手裡。我必殺你，斬你的頭，又將非利士軍兵的屍首給空中的飛鳥、地上的野獸吃，使普天下的人都知道以色列中有上帝；
17:47 又使這眾人知道耶和華使人得勝，不是用刀用槍，因為爭戰的勝敗全在乎耶和華。他必將你們交在我們手裡。」
17:48 非利士人起身，迎著大衛前來。大衛急忙迎著非利士人，往戰場跑去。
17:49 大衛用手從囊中掏出一塊石子來，用機弦甩去，打中非利士人的額，石子進入額內，他就仆倒，面伏於地。
17:50 這樣，大衛用機弦甩石，勝了那非利士人，打死他；大衛手中卻沒有刀。
17:51 大衛跑去，站在非利士人身旁，將他的刀從鞘中拔出來，殺死他，割了他的頭。非利士眾人看見他們討戰的勇士死了，就都逃跑。
17:52 以色列人和猶大人便起身吶喊，追趕非利士人，直到迦特（或譯：該）和以革倫的城門。被殺的非利士人倒在沙拉音的路上，直到迦特和以革倫。
17:53 以色列人追趕非利士人回來，就奪了他們的營盤。
17:54 大衛將那非利士人的頭拿到耶路撒冷，卻將他軍裝放在自己的帳棚裡。
17:55 掃羅看見大衛去攻擊非利士人，就問元帥押尼珥說：「押尼珥啊，那少年人是誰的兒子？」押尼珥說：「我敢在王面前起誓，我不知道。」
17:56 王說：「你可以問問那幼年人是誰的兒子。」
17:57 大衛打死非利士人回來，押尼珥領他到掃羅面前，他手中拿著非利士人的頭。
17:58 掃羅問他說：「少年人哪，你是誰的兒子？」大衛說：「我是你僕人伯利恆人耶西的兒子。」
Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Sokoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Sokoh and Azekah. 2 Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. 3 The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them.
4 A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span.[a] 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels[b]; 6 on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. 7 His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels.[c] His shield bearer went ahead of him.
8 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” 10 Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.” 11 On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.
12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite named Jesse, who was from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and in Saul’s time he was very old. 13 Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab; the second, Abinadab; and the third, Shammah. 14 David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul, 15 but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.
16 For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand.
17 Now Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah[d] of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. 18 Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance[e] from them. 19 They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.”
20 Early in the morning David left the flock in the care of a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry. 21 Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other. 22 David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and asked his brothers how they were. 23 As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. 24 Whenever the Israelites saw the man, they all fled from him in great fear.
25 Now the Israelites had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his family from taxes in Israel.”
26 David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
27 They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, “This is what will be done for the man who kills him.”
28 When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.”
29 “Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even speak?” 30 He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before. 31 What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him.
32 David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”
33 Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”
34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”
Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”
38 Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. 39 David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them.
“I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.
41 Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. 42 He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him. 43 He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!”
45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. 49 Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.
50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.
51 David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword.
When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. 52 Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath[f] and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. 53 When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp.
54 David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem; he put the Philistine’s weapons in his own tent.
55 As Saul watched David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is that young man?”
Abner replied, “As surely as you live, Your Majesty, I don’t know.”
56 The king said, “Find out whose son this young man is.”
57 As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine’s head.
58 “Whose son are you, young man?” Saul asked him.
David said, “I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.”
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大衛和歌利亞的故事對許多男生而言，是非常熟悉！而這個事件對我們而言，有非常大的激勵的作用，都盼望能夠以小勝大，覺得這是十分風光、十分榮耀的事情！但是許多人都沒有想到大衛之所以有這樣的能耐，不是馬上有的，是經過長期的磨練來的！
就像大衛對掃羅王所說的：「你僕人為父親放羊，有時來了獅子，有時來了熊，從群中啣一隻羊羔去。我就追趕牠，擊打牠，將羊羔從牠口中救出來。牠起來要害我，我就揪著牠的鬍子，將牠打死。你僕人曾打死獅子和熊，這未受割禮的非利士人向永生上帝的軍隊罵陣，也必像獅子和熊一般。」「耶和華救我脫離獅子和熊的爪，也必救我脫離這非利士人的手。」
可見大衛不是隨隨便便，或是憑這一時的性子起來，而是在看守羊群時，練就一身好功夫！這也告訴我們，平時的操練是很重要的！若沒有平時的操練，在需要面對挑戰時，要憑什麼得著勝利呢？
而大衛得勝不僅是靠平常的操練，更重要的是他倚靠耶和華上帝，正如他對歌利亞說：「你來攻擊我，是靠著刀槍和銅戟；我來攻擊你，是靠著萬軍之耶和華的名，就是你所怒罵帶領以色列軍隊的上帝。今日耶和華必將你交在我手裡。我必殺你，斬你的頭，又將非利士軍兵的屍首給空中的飛鳥、地上的野獸吃，使普天下的人都知道以色列中有上帝；又使這眾人知道耶和華使人得勝，不是用刀用槍，因為爭戰的勝敗全在乎耶和華。他必將你們交在我們手裡。」
感謝主！從大衛的身上，我們學習了許多重要的功課，而上帝常常讓我們在別人看不見或看不起的狀態下磨練我們，使我們不斷的成長！正如滴水穿石，不再於水的力量有多大，而是在乎毅力！而上帝更是賜給我們毅力的主，祂可以提升大衛的生命，更可以提升你的生命！只要你願意接受耶穌督成為救主，與祂建立和好的關係，祂就賜給你權柄成為上帝的兒女，讓你享受永遠的勝利！
