Psalm 144:9-15

New International Version

⁹I will sing a new song^(A) to you, my God;
on the ten-stringed lyre^(B) I will make music to you,
¹⁰to the One who gives victory to kings,^(C)
who delivers his servant David.^(D)

From the deadly sword^(E) ¹¹deliver me;
rescue me^(F) from the hands of foreigners^(G)
whose mouths are full of lies,^(H)
whose right hands are deceitful.^(I)

¹²Then our sons in their youth
    will be like well-nurtured plants,^(J)
and our daughters will be like pillars^(K)
    carved to adorn a palace.
¹³Our barns will be filled^(L)
    with every kind of provision.
Our sheep will increase by thousands,
    by tens of thousands in our fields;
¹⁴    our oxen^(M) will draw heavy loads.^[a]
There will be no breaching of walls,^(N)
    no going into captivity,
    no cry of distress in our streets.^(O)
¹⁵Blessed is the people^(P) of whom this is true;
    blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.

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Footnotes

Psalm 144:14 Or our chieftains will be firmly established

Song of Songs 5:2-6:3

New International Version

She

²I slept but my heart was awake.
    Listen! My beloved is knocking:
“Open to me, my sister, my darling,
    my dove,^(A) my flawless^(B) one.^(C)
My head is drenched with dew,
    my hair with the dampness of the night.”
³I have taken off my robe—
    must I put it on again?
I have washed my feet—
    must I soil them again?
⁴My beloved thrust his hand through the latch-opening;
    my heart began to pound for him.
⁵I arose to open for my beloved,
    and my hands dripped with myrrh,^(D)
my fingers with flowing myrrh,
    on the handles of the bolt.
⁶I opened for my beloved,^(E)
    but my beloved had left; he was gone.^(F)
    My heart sank at his departure.^[a]
I looked^(G) for him but did not find him.
    I called him but he did not answer.
⁷The watchmen found me
    as they made their rounds in the city.^(H)
They beat me, they bruised me;
    they took away my cloak,
    those watchmen of the walls!
⁸Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you^(I)—
    if you find my beloved,^(J)
what will you tell him?
    Tell him I am faint with love.^(K)

Friends

⁹How is your beloved better than others,
most beautiful of women?^(L)
How is your beloved better than others,
that you so charge us?

She

¹⁰My beloved is radiant and ruddy,
    outstanding among ten thousand.^(M)
¹¹His head is purest gold;
    his hair is wavy
    and black as a raven.
¹²His eyes are like doves^(N)
    by the water streams,
washed in milk,^(O)
    mounted like jewels.
¹³His cheeks^(P) are like beds of spice^(Q)
    yielding perfume.
His lips are like lilies^(R)
    dripping with myrrh.^(S)
¹⁴His arms are rods of gold
    set with topaz.
His body is like polished ivory
    decorated with lapis lazuli.^(T)
¹⁵His legs are pillars of marble
    set on bases of pure gold.
His appearance is like Lebanon,^(U)
    choice as its cedars.
¹⁶His mouth^(V) is sweetness itself;
    he is altogether lovely.
This is my beloved,^(W) this is my friend,
    daughters of Jerusalem.^(X)

Friends

6 Where has your beloved^(Y) gone,
most beautiful of women?^(Z)
Which way did your beloved turn,
that we may look for him with you?

She

²My beloved has gone^(AA) down to his garden,^(AB)
    to the beds of spices,^(AC)
to browse in the gardens
    and to gather lilies.
³I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine;^(AD)
    he browses among the lilies.^(AE)

Footnotes

Song of Songs 5:6 Or heart had gone out to him when he spoke

1 Peter 2:19-25

New International Version

¹⁹For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.^(A) ²⁰But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.^(B) ²¹To this^(C) you were called,^(D) because Christ suffered for you,^(E) leaving you an example,^(F) that you should follow in his steps.

²²“He committed no sin,^(G)
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”^[a]^(H)

²³When they hurled their insults at him,^(I) he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats.^(J) Instead, he entrusted himself^(K) to him who judges justly.^(L) ²⁴“He himself bore our sins”^(M) in his body on the cross,^(N) so that we might die to sins^(O) and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”^(P) ²⁵For “you were like sheep going astray,”^[b]^(Q) but now you have returned to the Shepherd^(R) and Overseer of your souls.^(S)