Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

45 My heart stirs with good words. I will speak of my works concerning the King. My tongue is as the pen of a swift writer.

² You are more beautiful than the children of men. Grace is poured in Your lips because God has blessed You forever.

⁶ Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of Your Kingdom is a scepter of righteousness.

⁷ You love righteousness and hate wickedness, because God, even Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness above Your fellows.

⁸ All Your garments smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia, of the ivory palaces where they have made You glad.

⁹ King’s daughters were among Your honorable women. Upon Your right hand stood the queen in a vesture of gold of Ophir.

1 “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth. For your love is better than wine.

² “Because of the savor of your good ointments, your name is as an ointment poured out. Therefore, the virgins love you.

³ “Draw me close.” “We will run after you.” “The king has brought me into his chambers.” “We will rejoice and be glad in you. We will remember your love more than wine.” “The righteous do love you.”

⁴ “I am black, O daughters of Jerusalem, but comely, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.

⁵ “Do not see me because I am black. For the Sun has looked upon me. The sons of my mother were angry at me. They made me the keeper of the vines. But I did not keep my own vine.”

⁶ “Show me, O you whom my soul loves, where you feed, where you lie at noon. For why should I be as she who turns aside to the flocks of your companions?”

⁷ “If you do not know, O you, the fairest among women, go forth by the steps of the flock, and feed your kids by the tents of the shepherds.

⁸ “I have compared you, O my love, to the troupe of horses in the chariots of Pharaoh.

⁹ “Your cheeks are comely, with rows of stones, and your neck with chains.”

¹⁰ “We will make you borders of gold with floods of silver.”

¹¹ “While the king was at his repast, my spikenard gave its smell.

¹² “My well-beloved is as a bundle of myrrh to me. He shall lie between my breasts.

¹³ “My well-beloved is as a cluster of henna to me in the vines of En Gedi.”

¹⁴ “My love, behold, you are fair. Behold, you are fair. Your eyes are like doves.”

¹⁵ “My well-beloved. Behold, you are fair and pleasant. Also, our bed is green.

¹⁶ “The beams of our house are cedars. Our rafters are fir.”

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings.

² My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into diverse trials,

³ knowing that the trying of your faith brings forth patience.

⁴ And let patience have her perfect work, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

⁵ If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, Who gives liberally to all and reproaches no one. And it shall be given him.

⁶ But let him ask in faith, and do not waver. For the one who wavers is like a wave of the sea, tossed by the wind and carried away.

⁷ Do not let that man think he shall receive anything from the Lord.

⁸ A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.