Song of Songs 3-4
Christian Standard Bible
3 In my bed at night[a]
I sought the one I love;(A)
I sought him, but did not find him.[b](B)
2 I will arise now and go about the city,
through the streets and the plazas.(C)
I will seek the one I love.
I sought him, but did not find him.
3 The guards who go about the city found me.(D)
I asked them, “Have you seen the one I love?”
4 I had just passed them
when I found the one I love.
I held on to him and would not let him go
until I brought him to my mother’s house(E)—
to the chamber of the one who conceived me.
5 Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you
by the gazelles and the wild does of the field,
do not stir up or awaken love
until the appropriate time.[c](F)
Narrator
6 Who is this(G) coming up from the wilderness
like columns of smoke,
scented with myrrh and frankincense(H)
from every fragrant powder of the merchant?
7 Look! Solomon’s bed
surrounded by sixty warriors
from the mighty men of Israel.
8 All of them are skilled with swords
and trained in warfare.
Each has his sword at his side(I)
to guard against the terror of the night.(J)
9 King Solomon made a carriage for himself
with wood from Lebanon.
10 He made its posts of silver,
its back[d] of gold,
and its seat of purple.
Its interior is inlaid with love[e]
by the young women of Jerusalem.(K)
11 Go out, young women of Zion,(L)
and gaze at King Solomon,
wearing the crown his mother placed on him
on the day of his wedding(M)—
the day of his heart’s rejoicing.
Man
4 How beautiful you are, my darling.
How very beautiful!
Behind your veil,
your eyes are doves.(N)
Your hair is like a flock of goats
streaming down Mount Gilead.(O)
2 Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn sheep
coming up from washing,
each one bearing twins,
and none has lost its young.[f](P)
3 Your lips are like a scarlet cord,(Q)
and your mouth[g] is lovely.
Behind your veil,
your brow[h] is like a slice of pomegranate.(R)
4 Your neck is like the tower of David,(S)
constructed in layers.
A thousand shields are hung on it—
all of them shields of warriors.
5 Your breasts are like two fawns,
twins of a gazelle,(T) that feed among the lilies.
6 Until the day breaks[i]
and the shadows flee,(U)
I will make my way to the mountain of myrrh
and the hill of frankincense.(V)
7 You are absolutely beautiful,(W) my darling;
there is no imperfection in you.
8 Come with me from Lebanon,[j](X) my bride;(Y)
come with me from Lebanon!
Descend from the peak of Amana,
from the summit of Senir and Hermon,(Z)
from the dens of the lions,
from the mountains of the leopards.
9 You have captured my heart,(AA) my sister,(AB) my bride.
You have captured my heart with one glance of your eyes,
with one jewel of your necklace.
10 How delightful your caresses are, my sister, my bride.
Your caresses are much better than wine,(AC)
and the fragrance of your perfume than any balsam.
11 Your lips drip sweetness like the honeycomb, my bride.(AD)
Honey and milk(AE) are under your tongue.
The fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.
12 My sister, my bride, you are a locked garden—
a locked garden[k] and a sealed spring.(AF)
13 Your branches are a paradise[l] of pomegranates
with choicest fruits;(AG)
henna with nard,
14 nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon,(AH)
with all the trees of frankincense,(AI)
myrrh and aloes,(AJ)
with all the best spices.
15 You are a garden spring,
a well of flowing water(AK)
streaming from Lebanon.
Woman
16 Awaken,(AL) north wind;
come, south wind.
Blow on my garden,
and spread the fragrance of its spices.
Let my love come to his garden
and eat its choicest fruits.(AM)
Footnotes
- 3:1 Or bed night after night
- 3:1 LXX adds I called him, but he did not answer me
- 3:5 Lit until it pleases
- 3:10 Or base, or canopy
- 3:10 Or leather
- 4:2 Lit and no one bereaved among them
- 4:3 Or speech
- 4:3 Or temple, or cheek, or lips
- 4:6 Lit breathes
- 4:8 In Hb, the word for Lebanon is similar to “frankincense” in Sg 4:6,14,15.
- 4:12 Some Hb mss read locked fountain
- 4:13 Or park, or orchard
Romans 12
Christian Standard Bible
A Living Sacrifice
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you(A) to present your bodies as a living sacrifice,(B) holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.[a] 2 Do not be conformed(C) to this age,(D) but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,(E) so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will(F) of God.
Many Gifts but One Body
3 For by the grace(G) given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think.(H) Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith(I) to each one. 4 Now as we have many parts in one body,(J) and all the parts do not have the same function, 5 in the same way we who are many(K) are one body in Christ(L) and individually members of one another. 6 According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts:(M) If prophecy,(N) use it according to the proportion of one’s[b] faith; 7 if service,(O) use it in service; if teaching,(P) in teaching; 8 if exhorting,(Q) in exhortation; giving, with generosity;(R) leading,(S) with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.(T)
Christian Ethics
9 Let love be without hypocrisy.(U) Detest evil;(V) cling to what is good. 10 Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters.(W) Take the lead in honoring one another.(X) 11 Do not lack diligence in zeal; be fervent in the Spirit;[c](Y) serve the Lord.(Z) 12 Rejoice in hope;(AA) be patient in affliction;(AB) be persistent in prayer.(AC) 13 Share with the saints in their needs;(AD) pursue hospitality.(AE) 14 Bless those who persecute you;(AF) bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice;(AG) weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another.(AH) Do not be proud;(AI) instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation.(AJ) 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil.(AK) Give careful thought to do what is honorable(AL) in everyone’s eyes. 18 If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.(AM) 19 Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay,[d](AN) says the Lord. 20 But
If your enemy is hungry, feed him.(AO)
If he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
For in so doing
you will be heaping fiery coals on his head.[e](AP)
21 Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.
Psalm 100
Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 100
Be Thankful
A psalm of thanksgiving.
1 Let the whole earth shout triumphantly to the Lord!(A)
2 Serve the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.(B)
3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God.
He made us, and we are his[a](C)—
his people, the sheep of his pasture.(D)
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving(E)
and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and bless his name.(F)
5 For the Lord is good, and his faithful love endures forever;
his faithfulness, through all generations.
Footnotes
- 100:3 Alt Hb tradition, some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Vg read and not we ourselves
Proverbs 21:4-5
Christian Standard Bible
4 The lamp that guides the wicked—
haughty eyes and an arrogant heart(A)—is sin.
5 The plans of the diligent certainly lead to profit,
but anyone who is reckless certainly becomes poor.(B)
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