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David son of Jesse was the man whom God made great, whom the God of Jacob chose to be king, and who was the composer of beautiful songs for Israel. These are David's last words:
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The spirit of the Lord speaks through me; his message is on my lips.
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The God of Israel has spoken; the protector of Israel said to me: "The king who rules with justice, who rules in obedience to God,
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is like the sun shining on a cloudless dawn, the sun that makes the grass sparkle after rain.
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And that is how God will bless my descendants, because he has made an eternal covenant with me, an agreement that will not be broken, a promise that will not be changed. That is all I desire; that will be my victory, and God will surely bring it about.
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But godless people are like thorns that are thrown away; no one can touch them barehanded.
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You must use an iron tool or a spear; they will be burned completely.
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These are the names of David's famous soldiers: the first was Josheb Basshebeth from Tachemon, who was the leader of "The Three"; he fought with his spear against eight hundred men and killed them all in one battle.
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The second of the famous three was Eleazar son of Dodo, of the clan of Ahoh. One day he and David challenged the Philistines who had gathered for battle. The Israelites fell back,
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but he stood his ground and fought the Philistines until his hand was so cramped that he could not let go of his sword. The Lord won a great victory that day. After it was over, the Israelites returned to where Eleazar was and stripped the armor from the dead.