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Psalm 23

The Divine Shepherd

A Psalm of David.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.(A)
    He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;[a](B)
    he restores my soul.[b]
He leads me in right paths[c]
    for his name’s sake.(C)

Even though I walk through the darkest valley,[d]
    I fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.(D)

You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.(E)
Surely[e] goodness and mercy[f] shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    my whole life long.[g](F)

Footnotes

  1. 23.2 Heb waters of rest
  2. 23.3 Or life
  3. 23.3 Or paths of righteousness
  4. 23.4 Or the valley of the shadow of death
  5. 23.6 Or Only
  6. 23.6 Or kindness
  7. 23.6 Heb for length of days

David Anointed King of All Israel

11 Then all Israel gathered together to David at Hebron and said, “Look, we are your bone and flesh.(A) For some time now, even while Saul was king, it was you who commanded the army of Israel. The Lord your God said to you, ‘It is you who shall be shepherd of my people Israel, you who shall be ruler over my people Israel.’ ”(B) So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord. And they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord by Samuel.(C)

Jerusalem Captured

David and all Israel marched to Jerusalem, that is, Jebus, where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land.(D) The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You will not come in here.” Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, now the city of David. David had said, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites first shall be chief and commander.” And Joab son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became chief.(E) David resided in the stronghold; therefore it was called the city of David. He built the city all around, from the Millo in complete circuit, and Joab repaired the rest of the city. And David became greater and greater, for the Lord of hosts was with him.(F)

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13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you are the one who knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.(A)

15 For this reason they are before the throne of God
    and worship him day and night within his temple,
    and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.(B)
16 They will hunger no more and thirst no more;
    the sun will not strike them,
    nor any scorching heat,(C)
17 for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,
    and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”(D)

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