2 Samuel 22:32-23:5

New International Version

³²For who is God besides the Lord?
    And who is the Rock^(A) except our God?^(B)
³³It is God who arms me with strength^[a]
    and keeps my way secure.
³⁴He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;^(C)
    he causes me to stand on the heights.^(D)
³⁵He trains my hands^(E) for battle;
    my arms can bend a bow^(F) of bronze.
³⁶You make your saving help my shield;^(G)
    your help has made^[b] me great.
³⁷You provide a broad path^(H) for my feet,
    so that my ankles do not give way.

³⁸“I pursued my enemies and crushed them;
    I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
³⁹I crushed^(I) them completely, and they could not rise;
    they fell beneath my feet.
⁴⁰You armed me with strength for battle;
    you humbled my adversaries before me.^(J)
⁴¹You made my enemies turn their backs^(K) in flight,
    and I destroyed my foes.
⁴²They cried for help,^(L) but there was no one to save them—^(M)
    to the Lord, but he did not answer.^(N)
⁴³I beat them as fine as the dust^(O) of the earth;
    I pounded and trampled^(P) them like mud^(Q) in the streets.

⁴⁴“You have delivered^(R) me from the attacks of the peoples;
    you have preserved^(S) me as the head of nations.
People^(T) I did not know now serve me,
⁴⁵    foreigners cower^(U) before me;
    as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.^(V)
⁴⁶They all lose heart;
    they come trembling^[c]^(W) from their strongholds.

⁴⁷“The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!
    Exalted^(X) be my God, the Rock, my Savior!^(Y)
⁴⁸He is the God who avenges^(Z) me,^(AA)
    who puts the nations under me,
⁴⁹    who sets me free from my enemies.^(AB)
You exalted me^(AC) above my foes;
    from a violent man you rescued me.
⁵⁰Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
    I will sing the praises^(AD) of your name.^(AE)

⁵¹“He gives his king great victories;^(AF)
he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed,^(AG)
to David^(AH) and his descendants forever.”^(AI)

David’s Last Words

23 These are the last words of David:

“The inspired utterance of David son of Jesse,
the utterance of the man exalted^(AJ) by the Most High,
the man anointed^(AK) by the God of Jacob,
the hero of Israel’s songs:

²“The Spirit^(AL) of the Lord spoke through me;
    his word was on my tongue.
³The God of Israel spoke,
    the Rock^(AM) of Israel said to me:
‘When one rules over people in righteousness,^(AN)
    when he rules in the fear^(AO) of God,^(AP)
⁴he is like the light^(AQ) of morning^(AR) at sunrise^(AS)
    on a cloudless morning,
like the brightness after rain^(AT)
    that brings grass from the earth.’

⁵“If my house were not right with God,
    surely he would not have made with me an everlasting covenant,^(AU)
    arranged and secured in every part;
surely he would not bring to fruition my salvation
    and grant me my every desire.

Footnotes

2 Samuel 22:33 Dead Sea Scrolls, some Septuagint manuscripts, Vulgate and Syriac (see also Psalm 18:32); Masoretic Text who is my strong refuge
2 Samuel 22:36 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text shield; / you stoop down to make
2 Samuel 22:46 Some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:45); Masoretic Text they arm themselves

Colossians 2:6-15

New International Version

Spiritual Fullness in Christ

⁶So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,^(A) continue to live your lives in him, ⁷rooted^(B) and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught,^(C) and overflowing with thankfulness.

⁸See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy,^(D) which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces^[a] of this world^(E) rather than on Christ.

⁹For in Christ all the fullness^(F) of the Deity lives in bodily form, ¹⁰and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head^(G) over every power and authority.^(H) ¹¹In him you were also circumcised^(I) with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh^[b]^(J) was put off when you were circumcised by^[c] Christ, ¹²having been buried with him in baptism,^(K) in which you were also raised with him^(L) through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.^(M)

¹³When you were dead in your sins^(N) and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you^[d] alive^(O) with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,^(P) ¹⁴having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness,^(Q) which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.^(R) ¹⁵And having disarmed the powers and authorities,^(S) he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them^(T) by the cross.^[e]

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Footnotes

Colossians 2:8 Or the basic principles; also in verse 20
Colossians 2:11 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verse 13.
Colossians 2:11 Or put off in the circumcision of
Colossians 2:13 Some manuscripts us
Colossians 2:15 Or them in him

2 Timothy 4:1-8

New International Version

4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead,^(A) and in view of his appearing^(B) and his kingdom, I give you this charge:^(C) ²Preach^(D) the word;^(E) be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke^(F) and encourage^(G)—with great patience and careful instruction. ³For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.^(H) Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.^(I) ⁴They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.^(J) ⁵But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship,^(K) do the work of an evangelist,^(L) discharge all the duties of your ministry.

⁶For I am already being poured out like a drink offering,^(M) and the time for my departure is near.^(N) ⁷I have fought the good fight,^(O) I have finished the race,^(P) I have kept the faith. ⁸Now there is in store for me^(Q) the crown of righteousness,^(R) which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day^(S)—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.^(T)

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Hebrews 12:1-2

New International Version

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run^(A) with perseverance^(B) the race marked out for us, ²fixing our eyes on Jesus,^(C) the pioneer^(D) and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross,^(E) scorning its shame,^(F) and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.^(G)