1 Samuel 17:28-37

17:28 When David’s ¹  oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men, he became angry ²  with David and said, “Why have you come down here? To whom did you entrust those few sheep in the desert? I am familiar with your pride and deceit! ³  You have come down here to watch the battle!”

17:29 David replied, “What have I done now? Can’t I say anything?” ⁴  17:30 Then he turned from those who were nearby to someone else and asked the same question, ⁵  but they ⁶  gave him the same answer as before. 17:31 When David’s words were overheard and reported to Saul, he called for him. ⁷ 

17:32 David said to Saul, “Don’t let anyone be discouraged. ⁸  Your servant will go and fight this Philistine!” 17:33 But Saul replied to David, “You aren’t able to go against this Philistine and fight him! You’re just a boy! He has been a warrior from his youth!”

17:34 David replied to Saul, “Your servant has been a shepherd for his father’s flock. Whenever a lion or bear would come and carry off a sheep from the flock, 17:35 I would go out after it, strike it down, and rescue the sheep from its mouth. If it rose up against me, I would grab it by its jaw, strike it, and kill it. 17:36 Your servant has struck down both the lion and the bear. This uncircumcised Philistine will be just like one of them. ⁹  For he has defied the armies of the living God!” 17:37 David went on to say, “The Lord who delivered me from the lion and the bear will also deliver me from the hand of this Philistine!” Then Saul said to David, “Go! The Lord will be with you.” ¹⁰ 

[17:28]  ¹ tn Heb “his”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:28]  ² tn Heb “the anger of Eliab became hot.”

[17:28]  ³ tn Heb “the wickedness of your heart.”

[17:29]  ⁴ tn Heb “Is it not [just] a word?”

[17:30]  ⁷ tn Heb “and spoke according to this word.”

[17:30]  ⁸ tn Heb “the people.”

[17:31]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “he took him.”

[17:32]  ¹³ tn Heb “Let not the heart of a man fall upon him.” The LXX reads “my lord,” instead of “a man.”

[17:36]  ¹⁶ tc The LXX includes here the following words not found in the MT: “Should I not go and smite him, and remove today reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised one?”

[17:37]  ¹⁹ tn Or “Go, and may the Lord be with you” (so NASB, NCV, NRSV).