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accordance with the Divine message that Nathan had been commissioned to bring to
him. Hence these "last words" must be regarded as an inspired prophetic utterance by
David, before his death, about the King and the Kingdom of God in their full and real
meaning. The following is the literal rendering of this grand prophecy:
The Spirit of Jehovah speaks by me,^57
And His Word is on my tongue!^58
Saith the God of Israel,
Speaks to me the Rock of Israel:
A Ruler over man,^59 righteous,
A Ruler in the fear of God -
And as the light of morning,^60 when riseth the sun^61 -
Morning without clouds -
From the shining forth out of (after) rain sprouts
the green out of the earth!^62
For is not this my house with God?^63
Since an everlasting covenant He hath made with me,
Provided (prepared) in all things, and preserved (kept, watched over). -
Then, all my salvation and all good pleasure,
Shall He not cause it to spring forth?
And (the sons of) Belial, as thorns cast away are they all^64 -
For they are not taken up in the hand^65
And the man who toucheth them,
Provides himself (lit., fills) with iron and shaft of spear,^66
And in fire^67 are they utterly burned in their dwelling^68 (where they are).
(^)