Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Lord—Our Safe Place in Life and Covering in Death
16 Keep me, O God, for I am safe in You. 2 I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord. All the good things I have come from You.” 3 As for those in the land who belong to You, they are the great ones in whom is all my joy. 4 Those who have traded for another god bring many troubles on themselves. I will not take part in their altar gifts of blood. And I will not take their names upon my lips.
5 The Lord is all that I am to receive, and my cup. My future is in Your hands. 6 The land given to me is good. Yes, my share is beautiful to me.
7 I will give honor and thanks to the Lord, Who has told me what to do. Yes, even at night my mind teaches me. 8 I have placed the Lord always in front of me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be moved. 9 And so my heart is glad. My soul is full of joy. My body also will rest without fear. 10 For You will not give me over to the grave. And You will not allow Your Holy One to return to dust. 11 You will show me the way of life. Being with You is to be full of joy. In Your right hand there is happiness forever.
The Second Song
The Woman
8 “Listen, it is the voice of my loved one! See, he is coming! He is running over the mountains, jumping across the hills. 9 My love is like a gazelle or a young deer. See, he is standing behind our wall. He is looking through the windows, through the wood cross-pieces.
10 “My love speaks and says to me, ‘Get up, my love, my beautiful one, and come with me. 11 For see, the winter is past. The rain is over and gone. 12 The flowers are coming through the ground. The time for singing has come. The voice of the turtle-dove has been heard in our land. 13 The fig tree has its fruits. The flowers on the vines spread their sweet smell. Get up, my love, my beautiful one, and come with me! 14 O my dove, hidden in the rock, in the secret place in the mountain-side, let me see you. Let me hear your voice. For your voice is sweet, and you are beautiful.
15 ‘Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that are destroying our grape-fields, for the flowers are on the vines.
Some Things to Do
2 You must keep praying. Keep watching! Be thankful always. 3 As you pray, be sure to pray for us also. Pray that God will open the door for us to preach the Word. We want to tell the secret of Christ. And this is the reason I am in prison. 4 Pray that I will be able to preach so everyone can understand. This is the way I should speak. 5 Be wise in the way you live around those who are not Christians. Make good use of your time.
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