Now the Philistines gathering together their troops to battle, assembled at Socho of Juda, and camped between Socho and Azeca in the borders of Dommim.

Congregantes autem Philisthiim agmina sua in prælium, convenerunt in Socho Judæ: et castrametati sunt inter Socho et Azeca in finibus Dommim.

And now the Philistines mustered their army for battle, and raised their standard at Socho, in Juda, encamping between Socho and Azeca, in the region of Dommim.

And Saul and the children of Israel being gathered together came to the valley of Terebinth, and they set the army in array to fight against the Philistines.

Porro Saul et filii Israël congregati venerunt in Vallem terebinthi, et direxerunt aciem ad pugnandum contra Philisthiim.

Saul, too, mustered the Israelites, and they marched to the Valley of the Terebinth, where they drew up their array to meet the enemy;

And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.

Et Philisthiim stabant super montem ex parte hac, et Israël stabat supra montem ex altera parte: vallisque erat inter eos.

the Philistines held the mountain-slope on one side, and Israel on the other, with the valley between them.

And there went out a man baseborn from the camp of the Philistines named Goliath, of Geth, whose height was six cubits and a span:

Et egressus est vir spurius de castris Philisthinorum nomine Goliath, de Geth, altitudinis sex cubitorum et palmi:

And the Philistines had a champion, a bastard born, that was called Goliath of Geth. His height was six cubits and a span;

And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was clothed with a coat of mail with scales, and the weight of his coat of mail was five thousand sicles of brass:

et cassis ærea super caput ejus, et lorica squamata induebatur. Porro pondus loricæ ejus, quinque millia siclorum æris erat:

he wore a helmet of bronze and a breastplate of mail, this too made of bronze, and weighing five thousand sicles;

And he had greaves of brass on his legs, and a buckler of brass covered his shoulders.

et ocreas æreas habebat in cruribus, et clypeus æreus tegebat humeros ejus.

greaves of bronze on his legs, and a shield of bronze to guard his shoulders.

And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the head of his spear weighed six hundred sicles of iron: and his armourbearer went before him.

Hastile autem hastæ ejus erat quasi liciatorium texentium: ipsum autem ferrum hastæ ejus sexcentos siclos habebat ferri: et armiger ejus antecedebat eum.

As for his spear, it had a shaft as big as a weaver’s beam, with an iron head that weighed six hundred sicles; and a man went before to carry his armour for him.

And standing he cried out to the bands of Israel, and said to them: Why are you come out prepared to fight? am not I a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose out a man of you, and let him come down and fight hand to hand.

Stansque clamabat adversum phalangas Israël, et dicebat eis: Quare venistis parati ad prælium? numquid ego non sum Philisthæus, et vos servi Saul? eligite ex vobis virum, et descendat ad singulare certamen.

Such a man confronted the ranks of Israel, crying out, What need to come here armed for battle? Here am I, a Philistine born; do you, that wear Saul’s livery, choose out one of yourselves to meet me in single combat.

If he be able to fight with me, and kill me, we will be servants to you: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, you shall be servants, and shall serve us.

Si quiverit pugnare mecum, et percusserit me, erimus vobis servi: si autem ego prævaluero, et percussero eum, vos servi eritis, et servietis nobis.

If he is a match for me, and can strike me down, we will accept your rule; if I have the mastery, and he falls, you shall accept Philistine rule, and become our subjects instead.

And the Philistine said: I have defied the bands of Israel this day: Give me a man, and let him fight with me hand to hand.

Et aiebat Philisthæus: Ego exprobravi agminibus Israël hodie: date mihi virum, et ineat mecum singulare certamen.

Here and now, I set the host of Israel at defiance (said the Philistine); let them put forward a champion that will fight hand to hand with me.

And Saul and all the Israelites hearing these words of the Philistine were dismayed, and greatly afraid.

Audiens autem Saul et omnes Israëlitæ sermones Philisthæi hujuscemodi, stupebant, et metuebant nimis.

Terror fell upon Saul and all the men of Israel as they listened to the challenge, and their hearts failed them.

Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem Juda before mentioned, whose name was Isai, who had eight sons, and was an old man in the days of Saul, and of great age among men.

David autem erat filius viri Ephrathæi, de quo supra dictum est, de Bethlehem Juda, cui nomen erat Isai, qui habebat octo filios, et erat vir in diebus Saul senex, et grandævus inter viros.

Now turn we to David, son of that Ephrathite of whom we spoke but now. This man, Jesse of Bethlehem-Juda, was father of eight sons, and in Saul’s reign he was well on in years, and passed for an old man.

And his three eldest sons followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle, were Eliab the firstborn, and the second Abinadab, and the third Samma.

Abierunt autem tres filii ejus majores post Saul in prælium: et nomina trium filiorum ejus qui perrexerunt ad bellum, Eliab primogenitus, et secundus Abinadab, tertiusque Samma.

Three of his sons, the eldest, had gone to the wars with king Saul; three warrior sons, the first-born Eliab, and Abinadab, and Samma.

But David was the youngest. So the three eldest having followed Saul,

David autem erat minimus. Tribus ergo majoribus secutis Saulem,

David was the youngest; and when his three eldest brothers went into Saul’s service,

David went, and returned from Saul, to feed his father’s flock at Bethlehem.

abiit David, et reversus est a Saul ut pasceret gregem patris sui in Bethlehem.

he left it, and must go home to tend his father’s flock at Bethlehem.

Now the Philistine came out morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.

Procedebat vero Philisthæus mane et vespere, et stabat quadraginta diebus.

When the Philistine had already been coming out from the ranks and confronting the Israelites for forty days together,

And Isai said to David his son: Take for thy brethren an ephi of frumenty, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren.

Dixit autem Isai ad David filium suum: Accipe fratribus tuis ephi polentæ, et decem panes istos, et curre in castra ad fratres tuos,

it chanced that Jesse sent his son David on an errand. Here is a bushel of flour, said he, and ten loaves; take them with all speed to thy brethren in the camp;

And carry these ten little cheeses to the tribune: and go see thy brethren, if they are well: and learn with whom they are placed.

et decem formellas casei has deferes ad tribunum: et fratres tuos visitabis, si recte agant: et cum quibus ordinati sunt, disce.

ay, and ten cheeses to be a present for their commander. Go and look for thy brethren, to see that all is well with them, and find out what their place is in the ranks.

But Saul, and they, and all the children of Israel were in the valley of Terebinth fighting against the Philistines.

Saul autem, et illi, et omnes filii Israël, in Valle terebinthi pugnabant adversum Philisthiim.

It was in the Valley of the Terebinth he must find them, where they were carrying arms with Saul and all the men of Israel;

David therefore arose in the morning, and gave the charge of the flock to the keeper: and went away loaded as Isai had commanded him. And he came to the place of Magala, and to the army, which was going out to fight, and shouted for the battle.

Surrexit itaque David mane, et commendavit gregem custodi: et onustus abiit, sicut præceperat ei Isai. Et venit ad locum Magala, et ad exercitum, qui egressus ad pugnam vociferatus erat in certamine.

so David rose early, leaving a man in charge of the flock, and went off with his load, to do his father’s bidding. When he reached Magala, the army had raised its war-cry and gone out to fight;

For Israel had put themselves in array, and the Philistines who stood against them were prepared.

Direxerat enim aciem Israël, sed et Philisthiim ex adverso fuerant præparati.

Israel was now marshalled for battle, and the Philistines awaited them.

And David leaving the vessels which he had brought, under the care of the keeper of the baggage, ran to the place of the battle and asked if all things went well with his brethren.

Derelinquens ergo David vasa quæ attulerat sub manu custodis ad sarcinas, cucurrit ad locum certaminis, et interrogabat si omnia recte agerentur erga fratres suos.

So David left all the gifts he had brought with him in the care of the baggage-master, and ran to the field of battle, to ask how his brethren fared.

And as he talked with them, that baseborn man whose name was Goliath, the Philistine, of Geth, shewed himself coming up from the camp of the Philistines: and he spoke according to the same words, and David heard them.

Cumque adhuc ille loqueretur eis, apparuit vir ille spurius ascendens, Goliath nomine, Philisthæus de Geth, de castris Philisthinorum: et loquente eo hæc eadem verba audivit David.

Even as he spoke, out came the champion of the Philistine cause, Goliath, the bastard of Geth; and David heard him repeat his customary challenge.

And all the Israelites when they saw the man, fled from his face, fearing him exceedingly.

Omnes autem Israëlitæ, cum vidissent virum, fugerunt a facie ejus, timentes eum valde.

All the men of Israel were shrinking away in terror from the sight of him;

And some one of Israel said: Have you seen this man that is come up, for he is come up to defy Israel. And the man that shall slay him, the king will enrich with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and will make his father’s house free from tribute in Israel.

Et dixit unus quispiam de Israël: Num vidistis virum hunc, qui ascendit? ad exprobrandum enim Israëli ascendit. Virum ergo qui percusserit eum, ditabit rex divitiis magnis, et filiam suam dabit ei, et domum patris ejus faciet absque tributo in Israël.

and the talk went round among them, Saw you this warrior that went by? He has challenged Israel; and great good fortune awaits the man who overcomes him. The king has promised such a man great riches, and his daughter’s hand in marriage, and for his father’s house, freedom from every tax levied in Israel.

And David spoke to the men that stood by him, saying: What shall be given to the man that shall kill this Philistine, and shall take away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?

Et ait David ad viros qui stabant secum, dicens: Quid dabitur viro qui percusserit Philisthæum hunc, et tulerit opprobrium de Israël? quis enim est hic Philisthæus incircumcisus, qui exprobravit acies Dei viventis?

And now here was David asking, What reward is there for saving Israel’s honour, by overcoming the Philistines? What, shall an uncircumcised Philistine defy the armies of the living God?

And the people answered him the same words saying: These things shall be given to the man that shall slay him.

Referebat autem ei populus eumdem sermonem, dicens: Hæc dabuntur viro qui percusserit eum.

So they repeated to him the tale of what the reward should be.

Now when Eliab his eldest brother heard this, when he was speaking with others, he was angry with David, and said: Why camest thou hither? and why didst thou leave those few sheep in the desert? I know thy pride, and the wickedness of thy heart: that thou art come down to see the battle.

Quod cum audisset Eliab frater ejus major, loquente eo cum aliis, iratus est contra David, et ait: Quare venisti, et quare dereliquisti pauculas oves illas in deserto? Ego novi superbiam tuam, et nequitiam cordis tui: quia ut videres prælium, descendisti.

When his elder brother Eliab overheard the talk, he turned upon David in anger; Why hast thou come here? he asked. Why must that sorry flock of thine go astray in the desert? This is thy old self-conceit, thy old cunning; thou hast come here only to watch the battle!

And David said: What have I done? is there not cause to speak?

Et dixit David: Quid feci? numquid non verbum est?

Why, what wrong have I done? David asked. Is there not matter here for questioning?

And he turned a little aside from him to another: and said the same word. And the people answered him as before.

Et declinavit paululum ab eo ad alium: dixitque eumdem sermonem. Et respondit ei populus verbum sicut prius.

Then, passing on a little beyond him, he spoke to another man, using the same words, and folk gave him the same answer as before.

And the words which David spoke were heard, and were rehearsed before Saul.

Audita sunt autem verba quæ locutus est David, et annuntiata in conspectu Saul.

What David had said was soon noised abroad, till it came to the ears of Saul;

And when he was brought to him, he said to him. Let not any man’s heart be dismayed in him: I thy servant will go, and will fight against the Philistine.

Ad quem cum fuisset adductus, locutus est ei: Non concidat cor cujusquam in eo: ego servus tuus vadam, et pugnabo adversus Philisthæum.

and he was summoned ere long into Saul’s presence. There is nothing here, he said, to daunt any man’s spirits; I, my lord, will go and do battle with the Philistine.

And Saul said to David: Thou art not able to withstand this Philistine, nor to fight against him: for thou art but a boy, but he is a warrior from his youth.

Et ait Saul ad David: Non vales resistere Philisthæo isti, nec pugnare adversus eum, quia puer es: hic autem vir bellator est ab adolescentia sua.

What, answered Saul, thou meet the Philistine and engage him in battle? Why, thou art only a boy, and this is a man trained to arms from his youth.

And David said to Saul: Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, or a bear, and took a ram out of the midst of the flock:

Dixitque David ad Saul: Pascebat servus tuus patris sui gregem, et veniebat leo vel ursus, et tollebat arietem de medio gregis:

But David told Saul, My lord, I used to feed my father’s flock; and if lion or bear came and carried off one of my rams,

And I pursued after them, and struck them, and delivered it out of their mouth: and they rose up against me, and I caught them by the throat, and I strangled and killed them.

et persequebar eos, et percutiebam, eruebamque de ore eorum: et illi consurgebant adversum me, et apprehendebam mentum eorum, et suffocabam, interficiebamque eos.

I would go in pursuit, and get the mastery, and snatch the prey from their jaws. Did they threaten me, I would catch them by the throat and strangle them; that was my way of killing them.

For I thy servant have killed both a lion and a bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be also as one of them. I will go now, and take away the reproach of the people: for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, who hath dared to curse the army of the living God?

Nam et leonem et ursum interfeci ego servus tuus: erit igitur et Philisthæus hic incircumcisus quasi unus ex eis. Nunc vadam, et auferam opprobrium populi: quoniam quis est iste Philisthæus incircumcisus, qui ausus est maledicere exercitui Dei viventis?

Lion or bear, my lord, I would slay them, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall have no better lot than theirs. Let me go out and save the honour of Israel; shall an uncircumcised Philistine defy the army of the living God?

And David said: The Lord who delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David: Go, and the Lord be with thee.

Et ait David: Dominus qui eripuit me de manu leonis, et de manu ursi, ipse me liberabit de manu Philisthæi hujus. Dixit autem Saul ad David: Vade, et Dominus tecum sit.

The Lord, said David, who protected me against lion and bear, will protect me against this Philistine.Why then, said Saul, go, and the Lord be with thee.

And Saul clothed David with his garments, and put a helmet of brass upon his head, and armed him with a coat of mail.

Et induit Saul David vestimentis suis, et imposuit galeam æream super caput ejus, et vestivit eum lorica.

Then he made David wear his own armour, put a helmet of bronze on his head, and a breastplate round him;

And David having girded his sword upon his armour, began to try if he could walk in armour: for he was not accustomed to it. And David said to Saul: I cannot go thus, for I am not used to it. And he laid them off,

Accinctus ergo David gladio ejus super vestem suam, cœpit tentare si armatus posset incedere: non enim habebat consuetudinem. Dixitque David ad Saul: Non possum sic incedere, quia non usum habeo. Et deposuit ea,

and David, as he girded on a sword over his armour, tried whether he had strength to walk in this unwonted array. Nay, he told Saul, I cannot walk, so clad; it was never my wont. So he disarmed,

And he took his staff, which he had always in his hands: and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them into the shepherd’s scrip, which he had with him, and he took a sling in his hand, and went forth against the Philistine.

et tulit baculum suum, quem semper habebat in manibus: et elegit sibi quinque limpidissimos lapides de torrente, et misit eos in peram pastoralem quam habebat secum, et fundam manu tulit: et processit adversum Philisthæum.

and took nothing but the staff he ever carried, and five smooth stones, which he picked out from the river-bed and put in his shepherd’s wallet, and a sling in his hand; and so he went out to meet the Philistine.

And the Philistine came on, and drew nigh against David, and his armourbearer before him.

Ibat autem Philisthæus incedens, et appropinquans adversum David, et armiger ejus ante eum.

The Philistine, with his armour-bearer going before him, came ever nearer on his way,

And when the Philistine looked, and beheld David, he despised him. For he was a young man, ruddy, and of a comely countenance.

Cumque inspexisset Philisthæus, et vidisset David, despexit eum. Erat enim adolescens, rufus, et pulcher aspectu.

and looked at David with contempt; here was a boy, red-cheeked and fair of face.

And the Philistine said to David: Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with a staff? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

Et dixit Philisthæus ad David: Numquid ego canis sum, quod tu venis ad me cum baculo? Et maledixit Philisthæus David in diis suis:

What, he asked, dost thou take me for a dog, that thou comest to meet me with a staff? And he cursed David in the name of his gods.

And he said to David: Come to me, and I will give thy flesh to the birds of the air, and to the beasts of the earth.

dixitque ad David: Veni ad me, et dabo carnes tuas volatilibus cæli et bestiis terræ.

Come close, he said; let me give thy carrion to bird and beast.

And David said to the Philistine: Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, which thou hast defied.

Dixit autem David ad Philisthæum: Tu venis ad me cum gladio, et hasta, et clypeo: ego autem venio ad te in nomine Domini exercituum, Dei agminum Israël quibus exprobrasti

Nay, said David, though thou comest with sword and spear and shield to meet me, meet thee I will, in the name of the Lord of hosts; in the name of that God who fights for the armies of Israel.

This day, and the Lord will deliver thee into my hand, and I will slay thee, and take away thy head from thee: and I will give the carcasses of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air, and to the beasts of the earth: that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

hodie, et dabit te Dominus in manu mea, et percutiam te, et auferam caput tuum a te: et dabo cadavera castrorum Philisthiim hodie volatilibus cæli, et bestiis terræ, ut sciat omnis terra quia est Deus in Israël,

Thou hast defied them this day, and this day the Lord will give me the mastery; I will strike thee down, and cut off thy head. I will feed bird and beast with the corpses of Philistine warriors, and prove to all the world that Israel has a God;

And all this assembly shall know, that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for it is his battle, and he will deliver you into our hands.

et noverit universa ecclesia hæc, quia non in gladio nec in hasta salvat Dominus: ipsius enim est bellum, et tradet vos in manus nostras.

prove to all who stand about us that the Lord sends victory without the help of sword or spear. God rules the battle; he will put you at our mercy.

And when the Philistine arose and was coming, and drew nigh to meet David, David made haste, and ran to the fight to meet the Philistine.

Cum ergo surrexisset Philisthæus, et veniret, et appropinquaret contra David, festinavit David et cucurrit ad pugnam ex adverso Philisthæi.

By now, the Philistine had bestirred himself, and was coming on to attack David at close quarters; so, without more ado, David ran towards the enemy’s lines, to meet him.

And he put his hand into his scrip, and took a stone, and cast it with the sling, and fetching it about struck the Philistine in the forehead: and the stone was fixed in his forehead, and he fell on his face upon the earth.

Et misit manum suam in peram, tulitque unum lapidem, et funda jecit, et circumducens percussit Philisthæum in fronte: et infixus est lapis in fronte ejus, et cecidit in faciem suam super terram.

He felt in his wallet, took out one of the stones, and shot it from his sling, with a whirl so dexterous that it struck Goliath on his forehead; deep in his forehead the stone buried itself, and he fell, face downwards, to the earth.

And David prevailed over the Philistine, with a sling and a stone, and he struck, and slew the Philistine. And as David had no sword in his hand,

Prævaluitque David adversum Philisthæum in funda et lapide, percussumque Philisthæum interfecit. Cumque gladium non haberet in manu David,

Thus David overcame the Philistine with sling and stone, smote and slew him. No sword he bore of his own,

He ran, and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath, and slew him, and cut off his head. And the Philistines seeing that their champion was dead, fled away.

cucurrit, et stetit super Philisthæum, et tulit gladium ejus, et eduxit eum de vagina sua: et interfecit eum, præciditque caput ejus. Videntes autem Philisthiim quod mortuus esset fortissimus eorum, fugerunt.

but he ran up and took the Philistine’s own sword from its sheath, where he lay, and with this slew him, cutting off his head. And now, seeing their champion dead, the Philistines betook themselves to flight;

And the men of Israel and Juda rising up shouted, and pursued after the Philistines till they came to the valley and to the gates of Accaron, and there fell many wounded of the Philistines in the way of Saraim, and as far as Geth, and as far as Accaron.

Et consurgentes viri Israël et Juda vociferati sunt, et persecuti sunt Philisthæos usque dum venirent in vallem, et usque ad portas Accaron: cecideruntque vulnerati de Philisthiim in via Saraim, et usque ad Geth, et usque ad Accaron.

while the men of Israel and of Juda rose up with a cry, and gave chase till they reached the low ground, and the very gates of Accaron; all the way to Geth and Accaron, along the road to Saraim, Philistines lay dying of their wounds.

And the children of Israel returning, after they had pursued the Philistines, fell upon their camp.

Et revertentes filii Israël postquam persecuti fuerant Philisthæos, invaserunt castra eorum.

At last the men of Israel returned from their pursuit, and fell to plundering the Philistine camp.

And David taking the head of the Philistine brought it to Jerusalem: but his armour he put in his tent.

Assumens autem David caput Philisthæi, attulit illud in Jerusalem: arma vero ejus posuit in tabernaculo suo.

As for David, he brought Goliath’s head back with him to Jerusalem, and laid up the armour in his tent.

Now at the time that Saul saw David going out against the Philistines, he said to Abner the captain of the army: Of what family is this young man descended, Abner? And Abner said: As thy soul liveth, O king, I know not.

Eo autem tempore quo viderat Saul David egredientem contra Philisthæum, ait ad Abner principem militiæ: De qua stirpe descendit hic adolescens, Abner? Dixitque Abner: Vivit anima tua, rex, si novi.

Saul, as he watched him going out to meet the Philistine, had asked the commander of his men, Abner, from what stock this boy came. On thy life, my lord, said Abner, I cannot tell.

And the king said: Inquire thou, whose son this man is.

Et ait rex: Interroga tu, cujus filius sit iste puer.

So the king bade him find out who the boy’s father was;

And when David was returned, after the Philistine was slain, Abner took him, and brought him in before Saul, with the head of the Philistine in his hand.

Cumque regressus esset David, percusso Philisthæo, tulit eum Abner, et introduxit coram Saule, caput Philisthæi habentem in manu.

and David fresh from his victory, was taken by Abner into Saul’s presence, still carrying the Philistine’s head with him.

And Saul said to him: Young man, of what family art thou? And David said: I am the son of thy servant Isai the Bethlehemite.

Et ait ad eum Saul: De qua progenie es, o adolescens? Dixitque David: Filius servi tui Isai Bethlehemitæ ego sum.

And when Saul asked of his lineage, David told him, I am the son of thy servant Jesse, the Bethlehemite.