Song of Solomon 4

New King James Version

The Bridegroom Praises the Bride

The Beloved

4 Behold, ^(A)you are fair, my love!
Behold, you are fair!
You have dove’s eyes behind your veil.
Your hair is like a ^(B)flock of goats,
Going down from Mount Gilead.
²^(C)Your teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep
Which have come up from the washing,
Every one of which bears twins,
And none is ^[a]barren among them.
³Your lips are like a strand of scarlet,
And your mouth is lovely.
^(D)Your temples behind your veil
Are like a piece of pomegranate.
⁴^(E)Your neck is like the tower of David,
Built ^(F)for an armory,
On which hang a thousand ^[b]bucklers,
All shields of mighty men.
⁵^(G)Your two breasts are like two fawns,
Twins of a gazelle,
Which feed among the lilies.

⁶^(H)Until the day breaks
And the shadows flee away,
I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh
And to the hill of frankincense.

⁷^(I)You are all fair, my love,
And there is no spot in you.
⁸Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse,
With me from Lebanon.
Look from the top of Amana,
From the top of Senir ^(J)and Hermon,
From the lions’ dens,
From the mountains of the leopards.

⁹You have ravished my heart,
My sister, my spouse;
You have ravished my heart
With one look of your eyes,
With one link of your necklace.
¹⁰How fair is your love,
My sister, my spouse!
^(K)How much better than wine is your love,
And the ^[c]scent of your perfumes
Than all spices!
¹¹Your lips, O my spouse,
Drip as the honeycomb;
^(L)Honey and milk are under your tongue;
And the fragrance of your garments
Is ^(M)like the fragrance of Lebanon.

¹²A garden ^[d]enclosed
Is my sister, my spouse,
A spring shut up,
A fountain sealed.
¹³Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates
With pleasant fruits,
Fragrant henna with spikenard,
¹⁴Spikenard and saffron,
Calamus and cinnamon,
With all trees of frankincense,
Myrrh and aloes,
With all the chief spices—
¹⁵A fountain of gardens,
A well of ^(N)living waters,
And streams from Lebanon.

The Shulamite

¹⁶Awake, O north wind,
And come, O south!
Blow upon my garden,
That its spices may flow out.
^(O)Let my beloved come to his garden
And eat its pleasant ^(P)fruits.

Footnotes

Song of Solomon 4:2 bereaved
Song of Solomon 4:4 Small shields
Song of Solomon 4:10 fragrance
Song of Solomon 4:12 locked or barred

Acts 5:12-42

New King James Version

Continuing Power in the Church

¹²And ^(A)through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. ^(B)And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch. ¹³Yet ^(C)none of the rest dared join them, ^(D)but the people esteemed them highly. ¹⁴And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, ¹⁵so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, ^(E)that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. ¹⁶Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing ^(F)sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

Imprisoned Apostles Freed

¹⁷^(G)Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with ^[a]indignation, ¹⁸^(H)and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. ¹⁹But at night ^(I)an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, ²⁰“Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people ^(J)all the words of this life.”

²¹And when they heard that, they entered the temple early in the morning and taught. ^(K)But the high priest and those with him came and called the ^[b]council together, with all the ^[c]elders of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

Apostles on Trial Again

²²But when the officers came and did not find them in the prison, they returned and reported, ²³saying, “Indeed we found the prison shut securely, and the guards standing ^[d]outside before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside!” ²⁴Now when ^[e]the high priest, ^(L)the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be. ²⁵So one came and told them, ^[f]saying, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!”

²⁶Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, ^(M)for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. ²⁷And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, ²⁸saying, ^(N)“Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, ^(O)and intend to bring this Man’s ^(P)blood on us!”

²⁹But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: ^(Q)“We ought to obey God rather than men. ³⁰^(R)The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by ^(S)hanging on a tree. ³¹^(T)Him God has exalted to His right hand to be ^(U)Prince and ^(V)Savior, ^(W)to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. ³²And ^(X)we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit ^(Y)whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

Gamaliel’s Advice

³³When they heard this, they were ^(Z)furious^[g] and plotted to kill them. ³⁴Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named ^(AA)Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while. ³⁵And he said to them: “Men of Israel, ^[h]take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. ³⁶For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, ^[i]joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. ³⁷After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed. ³⁸And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; ³⁹^(AB)but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found ^(AC)to fight against God.”

⁴⁰And they agreed with him, and when they had ^(AD)called for the apostles ^(AE)and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. ⁴¹So they departed from the presence of the council, ^(AF)rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for ^[j]His name. ⁴²And daily ^(AG)in the temple, and in every house, ^(AH)they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.