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David Extols Yahweh

23 These are the last words of David, the declaration of David the son of Jesse, and the declaration of the man exalted by the Most High, the anointed one of the God of Jacob and the darling of the songs of Israel. “The spirit of Yahweh speaks through me, and his word is upon my tongue. The God of Israel said to me, the rock of Israel has spoken; ‘He who rules over mankind rules righteously, in the fear of God. Like the light of the morning when the sun rises, shining with no clouds, bringing vegetation from the earth apart from rain.’[a] Yet not so is my house with God, for he made an everlasting covenant for me, arranging everything. He has secured all my deliverance, and all my desire he will cause to happen. But evil persons are like thorns cast aside; all of them, because they cannot be picked up in the hand. And if a man wants to touch them, he must use an iron instrument or the shaft of a spear; then they are consumed entirely with fire on the spot.”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 23:4 In other words, even men who rule rightly pass like the dew of the morning

The Last Words of David

23 Now these are the last words of David:

The oracle of David, son of Jesse,
    the oracle of the man whom God exalted,[a]
the anointed of the God of Jacob,
    the favorite of the Strong One of Israel:(A)

The spirit of the Lord speaks through me;
    his word is upon my tongue.(B)
The God of Israel has spoken;
    the Rock of Israel has said to me:
“One who rules over people justly,
    ruling in the fear of God,(C)
is like the light of morning,
    like the sun rising on a cloudless morning,
    gleaming from the rain on the grassy land.”(D)

Is not my house like this with God?
    For he has made with me an everlasting covenant,
    ordered in all things and secure.
Will he not cause to prosper
    all my help and my desire?(E)
But the godless[b] are all like thorns that are thrown away,
    for they cannot be picked up with the hand;(F)
to touch them one uses an iron bar
    or the shaft of a spear.
    And they are entirely consumed in fire on the spot.[c]

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Footnotes

  1. 23.1 Q ms: MT who was raised on high
  2. 23.6 Heb worthless
  3. 23.7 Heb in sitting