Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 45
The Wedding of the Victorious King
Heading
For the choir director. According to “Lilies.”[a]
By the Sons of Korah. A maskil. A love song.
Introduction
1 My heart is bubbling over with a beautiful theme.
I am reciting my works for the King.
My tongue is the pen of a rapid writer.
The Glory of the Royal Groom
2 You are the most beautiful of the sons of Adam.
Grace is poured out on your lips.
Therefore God has blessed you forever.
6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.
The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of justice.
7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness.
Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy
more than any of your companions.
8 Myrrh, aloes, and cassia perfume all your garments.
From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad.
9 Daughters of kings are among your honored attendants.
The royal wife[a] stands at your right hand in gold from Ophir.
Title
1 The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.
Anticipation—Take Me Away
The Woman
2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth.
Experiencing your love is better than wine.
3 Your perfumes are fragrant.
Your name is perfume poured out.[a]
That is why the virgins love you!
4 Carry me away with you—let us run.
Let the king bring me into his chambers.
Best Wishes to the Man
The Friends
We rejoice and are happy because of you.
We celebrate your expressions of love
more than we celebrate wine.
How right the virgins[b] are to love you!
My Own Vineyard
The Woman
5 Dark am I, but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem,
dark like the tents of Kedar,
like the tent curtains of Solomon.
6 Do not stare at me because I am dark
because the sun gazed at me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me.
They made me take care of the vineyards.
I could not take care of my own vineyard.
Escape to the Country
The Woman
7 You whom my soul loves, tell me
where you pasture your flock,
where you rest your sheep at noon.
Why should I be like a veiled woman
beside the flocks of your companions?
A Reply to the Woman
8 If you do not know, most beautiful of women,
go out and follow the tracks of the flock
and graze your young goats
by the dwellings of the shepherds.
Most Beautiful of Women
The Man
9 My darling, I compare you
to a mare among the chariots of Pharaoh.
10 Your cheeks are adorned with earrings,
your neck with strings of jewels.
11 We will make for you gold earrings decorated with silver.
The Woman
12 While the king was at his couch,
my nard[c] gave off its fragrance.
13 My lover is to me a sachet of myrrh,
spending the night between my breasts.
14 My lover is to me a cluster of henna blossoms
from the vineyards of En Gedi.
Our House
The Man
15 How beautiful you are, my darling!
How beautiful! Your eyes are doves.
The Woman
16 How beautiful you are, my lover.
How delightful!
Yes, our bed is fresh.
17 The beams of our house are cedar.
Our rafters are fir.
Greeting
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes who are scattered[a] abroad:
Greetings.
Patient Endurance, Wisdom, Prayer, and Faith
2 Consider it complete joy, my brothers,[b] whenever you fall into various kinds of trials, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces patient endurance. 4 And let patient endurance finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
5 If any one of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives it to all without reservation and without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, without doubting, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 In fact, that person should not expect that he will receive anything from the Lord. 8 He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.