Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

To the Overcomer: upon Shoshannim lilies, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, A Song of loves.

¹ ¶ My heart is overflowing with a good word; I speak of the things which I have done concerning the king; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

² Thou art fairer than the sons of men, grace is poured into thy lips; therefore God has blessed thee for ever.

⁶ ¶ Thy throne, O God, is eternal and for ever, the rod of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.

⁷ Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness; therefore God, thy God, has anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

⁸ All thy garments smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, by which they have made thee glad.

⁹ Kings’ daughters were among thy honourable women; the queen stands at thy right hand with a crown of gold from Ophir.

1 ¶The song of songs, which is of Solomon.

² ¶ Oh! if he would kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! for thy love is better than wine.

³ Because of the savour of thy good ointments (ointment poured forth is thy name), therefore have the virgins loved thee.

⁴ Draw me after thee, we will run. The king has brought me into his chambers; we will be glad and rejoice in thee; we will remember thy love more than the wine; the upright love thee.

⁵ I am dark, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, more desirable as the booths of Kedar, as the tents of Solomon.

⁶ Do not look upon me because I am dark because the sun has looked upon me; my mother’s sons were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards, but I have not kept my own vineyard.

⁷ ¶ Tell me, O thou whom my soul loves, where thou dost feed, where thou dost make thy flock to rest at noon; for why did I have to be as a wanderer after the flocks of thy companions?

⁸ If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go forth, following the footprints of the flock and feed thy little female goats beside the booths of the shepherds.

⁹ I have compared thee, O my love, to a mare of the chariots of Pharaoh.

¹⁰ Thy cheeks are beautiful between the earrings, thy neck between the necklaces.

¹¹ We will make thee earrings of gold with studs of silver.

¹² ¶ While the king was on his couch, my spikenard gave forth its fragrance.

¹³ A bundle of myrrh is my wellbeloved unto me that rests between my breasts.

¹⁴ My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire {Heb. ransom} in the vineyards of Engedi.

¹⁵ Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes.

¹⁶ Behold, thou art fair, O my beloved, and pleasant; also our bed has flowers.

¹⁷ The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir.

1 ¶ James, {Gr. Jacob} a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus, the Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

² ¶ My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into diverse trials,

³ knowing that the proving of your faith works patience,

⁴ and the patience finishes the work, that ye may be perfect and entire, not lacking in anything.

⁵ And if any of you lacks wisdom, let them ask of God (who gives abundantly to all, and without reproach), and it shall be given them.

⁶ But ask in faith, not doubting anything. For he that doubts is like the wave of the sea which is driven of the wind and is tossed from one side to another.

⁷ For let not such a man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.

⁸ The double minded man is unstable in all his ways.