The Living Bible (181 page)
Authors: Inc. Tyndale House Publishers
Tags: #BIBLES / Other Translations / Text
My heart is overflowing with a beautiful thought! I will write a lovely poem to the King, for I am as full of words as the speediest writer pouring out his story.
2
You are the fairest of all;
Your words are filled with grace;
God himself is blessing you forever.
3
Arm yourself, O mighty one,
So glorious, so majestic!
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And in your majesty
Go on to victory,
Defending truth, humility, and justice.
Go forth to awe-inspiring deeds!
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Your arrows are sharp
In your enemies’ hearts;
They fall before you.
6
Your throne, O God, endures forever.
Justice is your royal scepter.
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You love what is good
And hate what is wrong.
Therefore God, your God,
Has given you more gladness
Than anyone else.
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Your robes are perfumed with myrrh, aloes, and cassia. In your palaces of inlaid ivory, lovely music is being played for your enjoyment.
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Kings’ daughters are among your concubines.
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Standing beside you is the queen, wearing jewelry of finest gold from Ophir.
10-11
“I advise you, O daughter, not to fret about your parents in your homeland far away. Your royal husband delights in your beauty. Reverence him, for he is your lord.
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The people of Tyre, the richest people of our day, will shower you with gifts and entreat your favors.”
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The bride,
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a princess, waits within her chamber, robed in beautiful clothing woven with gold.
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Lovely
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she is, led beside her maids of honor to the king!
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What a joyful, glad procession as they enter in the palace gates!
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“Your sons will some day be kings like their father. They shall sit on thrones around the world!
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“I will cause your name to be honored in all generations; the nations of the earth will praise you forever.”
God is our refuge and strength, a tested help in times of trouble.
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And so we need not fear even if the world blows up and the mountains crumble into the sea.
3
Let the oceans roar and foam; let the mountains tremble!
4
There is a river of joy flowing through the city of our God—the sacred home of the God above all gods.
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God himself is living in that city; therefore it stands unmoved despite the turmoil everywhere. He will not delay his help.
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The nations rant and rave in anger—but when God speaks, the earth melts in submission and kingdoms totter into ruin.
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The Commander of the armies of heaven is here among us. He, the God of Jacob, has come to rescue us.
8
Come, see the glorious things that our God does, how he brings ruin upon the world
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and causes wars to end throughout the earth, breaking and burning every weapon.
10
“Stand silent! Know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation in the world!”
11
The Commander of the heavenly armies is here among
us!
He, the God of Jacob, has come to rescue
us!
Come, everyone, and clap for joy! Shout triumphant praises to the Lord!
2
For the Lord, the God above all gods, is awesome beyond words; he is the great King of all the earth.
3
He subdues the nations before us
4
and will personally select his choicest blessings for his Jewish people
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—the very best for those he loves.
5
God has ascended with a mighty shout, with trumpets blaring.
6-7
Sing out your praises to our God, our King. Yes, sing your highest praises to our King, the King of all the earth. Sing thoughtful praises!
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He reigns above the nations, sitting on his holy throne.
9
The Gentile rulers of the world have joined with us in praising him—praising
*
the God of Abraham—for the battle shields of all the armies of the world are his trophies. He is highly honored everywhere.
How great is the Lord! How much we should praise him. He lives upon Mount Zion in Jerusalem.
2
What a glorious sight! See Mount Zion rising north of the city
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high above the plains for all to see—Mount Zion, joy of all the earth, the residence of the great King.
3
God himself is the defender of Jerusalem.
*
4
The kings of the earth have arrived together to inspect the city.
5
They marvel at the sight and hurry home again,
6
afraid of what they have seen; they are filled with panic like a woman in travail!
7
For God destroys the mightiest warships with a breath of wind.
8
We have heard of the city’s glory—the city of our God, the Commander of the armies of heaven. And now we see it for ourselves! God has established Jerusalem forever.
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Lord, here in your Temple we meditate upon your kindness and your love.
10
Your name is known throughout the earth, O God. You are praised everywhere for the salvation
*
you have scattered throughout the world.
11
O Jerusalem,
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rejoice! O people of Judah, rejoice! For God will see to it that you are finally treated fairly.
12
Go, inspect the city! Walk around and count her many towers!
13
Note her walls and tour her palaces so that you can tell your children.
14
For this great God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide until we die.
Listen, everyone! High and low, rich and poor, all around the world—listen to my words,
3
for they are wise and filled with insight.
4
I will tell in song accompanied by harps the answer to one of life’s most perplexing problems:
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There is no need to fear when times of trouble come,
even though surrounded by enemies!
6
They trust in their wealth and boast about how rich they are,
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yet not one of them, though rich as kings, can ransom his own brother from the penalty of sin! For God’s forgiveness does not come that way.
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8-9
For a soul is far too precious to be ransomed by mere earthly wealth. There is not enough of it in all the earth to buy eternal life for just one soul, to keep it out of hell.
*
10
Rich man! Proud man! Wise man! You must die like all the rest! You have no greater lease on life than foolish, stupid men. You must leave your wealth to others.
11
You name your estates after yourselves as though your lands could be forever yours and you could live on them eternally.
12
But man with all his pomp must die like any animal.
13
Such is the folly of these men, though after they die they will be quoted as having great wisdom.
14
Death is the shepherd of all mankind. And “in the morning” those who are evil will be the slaves of those who are good. For the power of their wealth is gone when they die;
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they cannot take it with them.
15
But as for me, God will redeem my soul from the power of death, for he will receive me.
16
So do not be dismayed when evil men grow rich and build their lovely homes.
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For when they die, they carry nothing with them! Their honors will not follow them.
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Though a man calls himself happy all through his life—and the world loudly applauds success—
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yet in the end he dies like everyone else and enters eternal darkness.
20
For man with all his pomp
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must die like any animal.