1 Samuel 17

17 ¹Di Philistine people gada dia army for war, dem come tugeda for Socoh wey dey Judah, dem pitch dia camp for Ephes-dammim, wey dey between Socoh and Azekah. ²Saul and di men of Israel gada, dem camp for di Valley of Elah, dem line up for battle to face di Philistine people. ³Di Philistine people stand for one hill, Israel stand for di hill wey dey di oda side, and di valley dey between dem. ⁴One strong warrior wey im name na Goliath from Gath commot from di Philistine camp; im height bi like nine feet nine inches. ⁵For im head na bronze helmet; im wear armor wey dem make like fish scale, wey im weight bi like 125 pound. ⁶Bronze guard cova im leg, and bronze javelin hang for im back between im shoulder. ⁷Di stick of im spear big like weaver machine wood, and di iron head weigh like fifteen pound. Di person wey dey carry im shield dey waka for im front. ⁸Im stand, im shout give Israel sojas, im talk sey, “Wetin make una come line up for war? No bi Philistine man I bi, and una na Saul servant? Choose one man make im come meet me. ⁹If im fit fight and kill me, we go bi una servant; but if I win am and kill am, una go bi our servant and serve us.” ¹⁰Di Philistine man come talk sey, “Today I dey kanof di sojas of Israel! Gimme one man make we fight.”

¹¹Wen Saul and all Israel hear di tin wey di Philistine man talk, dia mind cut, and fear catch dem well well.

¹²David na di pikin of Jesse, wey na Ephrathite from Bethlehem for Judah, wey get eight sons. For Saul time, Jesse don old, im don enter old age. ¹³Jesse three ogbonge sons follow Saul go war: Eliab di first born, Abinadab di second, and Shammah di third. ¹⁴David na di last born. Di three older ones don follow Saul, ¹⁵but David dey go and come back from Saul to go mind im papa sheep for Bethlehem.

¹⁶For forty days, di Philistine man dey commot every morning and every evening, im dey stand.

¹⁷Jesse tell im pikin David sey, “Take dis plenty roasted grain and dis ten bread go give your brodas, run am carry am go dia camp. ¹⁸Carry dis ten cheese go give di commander of dia unit. Check how your brodas dey, and bring news about dem come back. ¹⁹Saul, David brodas, and all di men of Israel dey for di Valley of Elah, dem dey fight di Philistine people.”

²⁰For early morning, David comot di sheep give one person to mind am, im load im tins, im waka go as Jesse tok. Im reach di camp as di army dey march go dia battle line, dem dey shout di war cry. ²¹Israel and di Philistine people line up dia sojas to face demself. ²²David comot im load give di person wey dey keep load, im run go di battle line, im greet im brodas. ²³As im dey tok wit dem, Goliath di strong Philistine warrior from Gath commot from di Philistine sojas, im shout im usual challenge, and David hear am. ²⁴Wen di men of Israel see di man, all of dem run comot from im front wit big fear. ²⁵Di men of Israel dey tok sey, “Una see dis man wey dey commot? Im dey come up to kanof Israel. Di king go give plenty riches to anybody wey kill am, im go give am im daughter, and im go free im papa family from work for Israel.”

²⁶David ask di men wey stand near am sey, “Wetin di person wey kill dis Philistine and comot shame from Israel go get? For who bi dis Philistine wey no circumcise, wey im dey kanof di armies of di living Papa?”

²⁷Di people tok back to am wetin dem go do for di man wey kill am.

²⁸Wen Eliab, David ogbonge broda, hear am dey tok wit di men, im vex for David well well. “Wetin make you come down? Who you leave dat small small sheep wit for di bush? I sabi your pride and di bad heart wey dey your belle—na to watch di war you come down.”

²⁹“Wetin I do now?” David tok. “Na just question I ask.” ³⁰Im turn go anoda person, im ask di same tin, and di people ansa am di same way like before. ³¹Person hear di tin wey David dey tok, dem carry am go tell Saul, wey come send make dem call am. ³²David tok give Saul sey, “Make nobody mind cut becos of am. Your servant go go fight dis Philistine.”

³³Saul tok sey, “You no fit fight dis Philistine. You na just pikin, and im don bi warrior since im young age.”

³⁴David tell Saul sey, “Your servant dey mind im papa sheep. Wen lion or bear come carry one sheep from di flock, ³⁵I chase am, I hit am, and I rescue di sheep from im mouth. Wen im turn come attack me, I grab im hair for neck, I hit am, and I kill am. ³⁶Your servant don kill lion and bear; dis Philistine wey no circumcise go bi like one of dem, becos im don kanof di armies of di living Papa.” ³⁷David add sey, “Our Papa, wey save me from di lion paw and di bear paw, go save me from di hand of dis Philistine.” Saul tok sey, “Go—make our Papa dey wit you.”

³⁸Saul come dress David wit im own armor. Im put bronze helmet for im head and dress am wit coat of armor. ³⁹David tie di sword ontop di armor and try to waka, but im no used to am. “I no fit go wit dis tins,” im tell Saul, “I no used to dem.” So im comot dem.

⁴⁰Im take im stick, im pick five smooth stone from di river, im put dem inside di pocket of im shepherd bag, and wit sling for im hand im move go near di Philistine. ⁴¹Meanwhile di Philistine, wit di person wey dey carry im shield for im front, dey come near David more and more. ⁴²Di Philistine look David well, im see sey na just pikin—wit red skin and fine face—and im despise am. ⁴³Im tok give David sey, “Na dog I bi, wey you come meet me wit stick?” And di Philistine curse David wit im gods. ⁴⁴“Come here,” im tok, “make I give your flesh to di birds of di sky and di animals of di field.”

⁴⁵David tell di Philistine sey, “You come meet me wit sword, spear, and javelin, but I dey come meet you for di name of di Papa wey get di armies of heaven, di Papa of di sojas of Israel, wey you don kanof. ⁴⁶Today our Papa go hand you give me, and I go strike you down and cut off your head. Dis very day I go give di dead bodi of di Philistine army to di birds of di sky and di wild animals of di earth, and all di earth go sabi sey our Papa dey for Israel.

⁴⁷Everybody wey gada here go sabi sey our Papa dey save without sword or spear; di battle na for our Papa, and im go hand all of una give our hand.”

⁴⁸As di Philistine move to attack am, David run kwikkwik go di battle line to meet am. ⁴⁹David put im hand inside im bag, im take one stone, im sling am, and im strike di Philistine for im forehead. Di stone enter im forehead, and im fall face down for ground. ⁵⁰So David win di Philistine wit sling and one stone; wit no sword for im hand, im strike am down and kill am. ⁵¹David run, im stand ontop am. Im take di Philistine sword, im draw am from di sheath, im kill am, and im cut off im head wit am. Wen di Philistine people see sey dia hero don die, dem run comot.

⁵²Di men of Israel and Judah come rise wit shout, dem chase di Philistine people go reach di entrance of Gath and di gate of Ekron. Dead Philistine bodi lie along di Shaaraim road wey dey go Gath and Ekron. ⁵³Wen di Israelite people come back from chasing di Philistine people, dem loot dia camp. ⁵⁴David carry di Philistine head go Jerusalem and im put Goliath weapon inside im own tent. ⁵⁵As Saul dey watch David dey commot go meet di Philistine, im ask Abner, di commander of im army, “Abner, dis young man na who pikin?” Abner ansa sey, “As you dey live, my king, I no sabi.”

⁵⁶Di king tok sey, “Find out di pikin wey dis young man bi.”

⁵⁷Wen David come back from killing di Philistine, Abner take am carry am come bifor Saul, and di Philistine head still dey im hand. ⁵⁸Saul ask sey, “Young man, you na who pikin?” David tok sey, “Na di pikin of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.”