Chronological Plan

¹Then Samuel said to Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel; now therefore, listen to the words of the LORD.

²This is what the LORD of armies says: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, in that he obstructed him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt.

³Now go and strike Amalek and completely destroy everything that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ”

⁴Then Saul summoned the people and counted them in Telaim: two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah.

⁵And Saul came to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the wadi.

⁶But Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, get away, go down from among the Amalekites, so that I do not destroy you along with them; for you showed kindness to all the sons of Israel when they went up from Egypt.” So the Kenites got away from among the Amalekites.

⁷Then Saul defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah going toward Shur, which is east of Egypt.

⁸He captured Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and completely destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

⁹But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the more valuable animals, the lambs, and everything that was good, and were unwilling to destroy them completely; but everything despicable and weak, that they completely destroyed.

¹⁰Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying,

¹¹“I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned back from following Me and has not carried out My commands.” And Samuel was furious and cried out to the LORD all night.

¹²Samuel got up early in the morning to meet Saul; and it was reported to Samuel, saying, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, then turned and proceeded on down to Gilgal.”

¹³So Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the LORD! I have carried out the command of the LORD.”

¹⁴But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the bellowing of the oxen which I hear?”

¹⁵Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice to the LORD your God; but the rest we have completely destroyed.”

¹⁶Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop, and let me inform you of what the LORD said to me last night.” And he said to him, “Speak!”

¹⁷So Samuel said, “Is it not true, though you were insignificant in your own eyes, that you became the head of the tribes of Israel? For the LORD anointed you as king over Israel.

¹⁸And the LORD sent you on a mission, and said, ‘Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are eliminated.’

¹⁹Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Instead, you loudly rushed upon the spoils and did what was evil in the sight of the LORD!”

²⁰Then Saul said to Samuel, “I did obey the voice of the LORD, for I went on the mission on which the LORD sent me; and I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have completely destroyed the Amalekites.

²¹But the people took some of the spoils, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things designated for destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal.”

²²Samuel said, “Does the LORD have as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than a sacrifice, And to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.

²³For rebellion is as reprehensible as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as reprehensible as false religion and idolatry. Since you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king.”

²⁴Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have violated the command of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice.

²⁵Now then, please pardon my sin and return with me, so that I may worship the LORD.”

²⁶But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.”

²⁷Then Samuel turned to go, but Saul grasped the edge of his robe, and it tore off.

²⁸So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you.

²⁹Also the Glory of Israel will not lie nor change His mind; for He is not a man, that He would change His mind.”

³⁰Then Saul said, “I have sinned; but please honor me now before the elders of my people and before all Israel, and go back with me, so that I may worship the LORD your God.”

³¹So Samuel went back following Saul, and Saul worshiped the LORD.

³²Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag, the king of the Amalekites.” And Agag came to him cheerfully. And Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is gone!”

³³But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel cut Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.

³⁴Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul.

³⁵And Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, though Samuel mourned for Saul. And the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.

¹Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, because I have chosen a king for Myself among his sons.”

²But Samuel said, “How can I go? When Saul hears about it, he will kill me.” But the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’

³And you shall invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will let you know what you shall do; and you shall anoint for Me the one whom I designate to you.”

⁴So Samuel did what the LORD told him, and he came to Bethlehem. Then the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, “Do you come in peace?”

⁵And he said, “In peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” He also consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

⁶When they entered, he looked at Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’S anointed is standing before Him.”

⁷But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God does not see as man sees, since man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

⁸Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass before Samuel. But he said, “The LORD has not chosen this one, either.”

⁹Next Jesse had Shammah pass by. And he said, “The LORD has not chosen this one, either.”

¹⁰So Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these.”

¹¹Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are these all the boys?” And he said, “The youngest is still left, but behold, he is tending the sheep.” So Samuel said to Jesse, “Send word and bring him; for we will not take our places at the table until he comes here.”

¹²So he sent word and brought him in. Now he was reddish, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is he.”

¹³So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel set out and went to Ramah.

¹⁴Now the Spirit of the LORD left Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD terrified him.

¹⁵Saul’s servants then said to him, “Behold now, an evil spirit from God is terrifying you.

¹⁶May our lord now command your servants who are before you. Have them search for a man who is a skillful musician on the harp; and it shall come about whenever the evil spirit from God is upon you, that he shall play the harp with his hand, and you will become well.”

¹⁷So Saul said to his servants, “Now select for me a man who can play well, and bring him to me.”

¹⁸Then one of the young men responded and said, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is a skillful musician, a valiant mighty man, a warrior, skillful in speech, and a handsome man; and the LORD is with him.”

¹⁹So Saul sent messengers to Jesse to say, “Send me your son David, who is with the flock.”

²⁰And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread and a jug of wine, and he took a young goat, and sent them to Saul by his son David.

²¹Then David came to Saul and attended him; and Saul greatly loved him, and he became his armor bearer.

²²So Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Let David now be my attendant for he has found favor in my sight.”

²³So it came about whenever the evil spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the harp and play it with his hand; and Saul would feel relieved and become well, and the evil spirit would leave him.

¹Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle; and they were gathered at Socoh which belongs to Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim.

²Saul and the men of Israel were assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah, and they drew up in battle formation to confront the Philistines.

³The Philistines were standing on the mountain on one side, while Israel was standing on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them.

⁴Then a champion came forward from the army encampment of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath. His height was six cubits and a span.

⁵And he had a bronze helmet on his head, and he wore scale-armor which weighed five thousand shekels of bronze.

⁶He also had bronze greaves on his legs and a bronze saber slung between his shoulders.

⁷The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the head of his spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and his shield-carrier walked in front of him.

⁸He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel and said to them, “Why do you come out to draw up in battle formation? Am I not the Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man as your representative and have him come down to me.

⁹If he is able to fight me and kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us.”

¹⁰Then the Philistine said, “I have defied the ranks of Israel this day! Give me a man, so that we may fight together.”

¹¹When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and very fearful.

¹²Now David was the son of the Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, the man whose name was Jesse, and he had eight sons. And Jesse was old in the days of Saul, advanced in years among men.

¹³The three older sons of Jesse had followed Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons who had gone into the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and second to him, Abinadab, and the third, Shammah.

¹⁴So David was the youngest. Now the three oldest followed Saul,

¹⁵but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s flock at Bethlehem.

¹⁶And the Philistine came forward morning and evening, and took his stand for forty days.

¹⁷Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this roasted grain and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to your brothers.

¹⁸Bring also these ten slices of cheese to the commander of their thousand, and look into the well-being of your brothers and bring back confirmation from them.

¹⁹For Saul and they and all the men of Israel are in the Valley of Elah, fighting the Philistines.”

²⁰So David got up early in the morning and left the flock with a keeper, and took the supplies and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the entrenchment encircling the camp while the army was going out in battle formation, shouting the war cry.

²¹Israel and the Philistines drew up in battle formation, army against army.

²²Then David left the baggage in the care of the baggage keeper and ran to the battle line. And he entered and greeted his brothers.

²³As he was speaking with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine from Gath named Goliath, was coming up from the army of the Philistines, and he spoke these same words; and David heard him.

²⁴When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fled from him and were very fearful.

²⁵And the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who is coming up? Surely he is coming up to defy Israel. And it will be that the king will make the man who kills him wealthy with great riches, and will give him his daughter and make his father’s house free in Israel.”

²⁶Then David said to the men who were standing by him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and rids Israel of the disgrace? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he has dared to defy the armies of the living God?”

²⁷The people answered him in agreement with this statement, saying, “This is what will be done for the man who kills him.”

²⁸Now Eliab his oldest brother heard him when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger burned against David and he said, “Why is it that you have come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I myself know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart; for you have come down in order to see the battle.”

²⁹But David said, “What have I done now? Was it not just a question?”

³⁰Then he turned away from him to another and said the same thing; and the people replied with the same words as before.

³¹When the words that David spoke were heard, they informed Saul, and he sent for him.

³²And David said to Saul, “May no one’s heart fail on account of him; your servant will go and fight this Philistine!”

³³But Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight him; for you are only a youth, while he has been a warrior since his youth.”

³⁴But David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a sheep from the flock,

³⁵I went out after it and attacked it, and rescued the sheep from its mouth; and when it rose up against me, I grabbed it by its mane and struck it and killed it.

³⁶Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.”

³⁷And David said, “The LORD who saved me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear, He will save me from the hand of this Philistine.” So Saul said to David, “Go, and may the LORD be with you.”

³⁸Then Saul clothed David with his military attire and put a bronze helmet on his head, and outfitted him with armor.

³⁹And David strapped on his sword over his military attire and struggled at walking, for he had not trained with the armor. So David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, because I have not trained with them.” And David took them off.

⁴⁰Then he took his staff in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, that is, in his shepherd’s pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.

⁴¹Then the Philistine came and approached David, with the shield-bearer in front of him.

⁴²When the Philistine looked and saw David, he was contemptuous of him; for he was only a youth, and reddish, with a handsome appearance.

⁴³So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

⁴⁴The Philistine also said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild animals.”

⁴⁵But David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a saber, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of armies, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

⁴⁶This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I will strike you and remove your head from you. Then I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,

⁴⁷and that this entire assembly may know that the LORD does not save by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD’S, and He will hand you over to us!”

⁴⁸Then it happened, when the Philistine came closer to meet David, that David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.

⁴⁹And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone penetrated his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.

⁵⁰So David prevailed over the Philistine with the sling and the stone: he struck the Philistine and killed him, and there was no sword in David’s hand.

⁵¹Then David ran and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and finished him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

⁵²Then the men of Israel and Judah rose up and shouted, and they pursued the Philistines as far as the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the Philistine dead lay along the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath and Ekron.

⁵³Then the sons of Israel returned from their close pursuit of the Philistines, and plundered their camps.

⁵⁴And David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his weapons in his tent.

⁵⁵Now when Saul had seen David going out against the Philistine, he said to Abner the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?” And Abner said, “By your life, O king, I do not know.”

⁵⁶And the king said, “You then, ask whose son the youth is.”

⁵⁷So when David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the Philistine’s head in his hand.

⁵⁸Then Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”