Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
9 In praise of you, our God,
I will sing a new song,
while playing my harp.
10 By your power, kings win wars,
and your servant David is saved
from deadly swords.
11 Won't you keep me safe
from those lying foreigners
who never tell the truth?
12 Let's pray that our young sons
will grow like strong plants
and that our daughters
will be as lovely as columns
in the corner of a palace.
13 May our barns be filled
with all kinds of crops.
May our fields be covered
with sheep by the thousands,
14 and every cow have calves.[a]
Don't let our city be captured
or any of us be taken away,
and don't let cries of sorrow
be heard in our streets.
15 Our Lord and our God,
you give these blessings
to all who worship you.
Another Dream
She Speaks:
2 I was asleep, but dreaming:
The one I love was at the door,
knocking and saying,
“My darling, my very own,
my flawless dove,
open the door for me!
My head is drenched
with evening dew.”
3 But I had already undressed
and bathed my feet.
Should I dress again
and get my feet dirty?
4 Then my darling's hand
reached to open the latch,
and my heart stood still.
5 When I rose to open the door,
my hands and my fingers
dripped with perfume.
6 And I yearned for him
while he spoke to me,
but when I opened the door,
my darling had disappeared.
I searched and shouted,
but I could not find him—
there was no answer.
7 Then I was found by the guards
patrolling the town
and guarding the wall.
They beat me up
and stripped off my robe.
8 Young women of Jerusalem,
if you find the one I love,
please say to him,
“She is weak with desire.”
Their Friends Speak:
9 Most beautiful of women,
why is the one you love
more special than others?
Why do you ask us
to tell him how you feel?
She Speaks:
10 He is handsome and healthy,
the most outstanding
among ten thousand.
11 His head is purest gold;
his hair is wavy,
black as a raven.
12 His eyes are a pair of doves
bathing in a stream
flowing with milk.[a]
13 His face is a garden
of sweet-smelling spices;
his lips are lilies
dripping with perfume.
14 His arms are branches of gold
covered with jewels;
his body is ivory[b]
decorated with sapphires.
15 His legs are columns of marble
on feet of gold.
He stands there majestic
like Mount Lebanon
and its choice cedar trees.
16 His kisses are sweet.
I desire him so much!
Young women of Jerusalem,
he is my lover and friend.
Their Friends Speak:
6 Most beautiful of women,
tell us where he has gone.
Let us help you find him.
She Speaks:
2 My darling has gone down
to his garden of spices,
where he will feed his sheep
and gather lilies.
3 I am his, and he is mine,
as he feeds his sheep
among the lilies.
19 God will bless you, even if others treat you unfairly for being loyal to him. 20 You don't gain anything by being punished for some wrong you have done. But God will bless you, if you have to suffer for doing something good. 21 After all, God chose you to suffer as you follow in the footsteps of Christ, who set an example by suffering for you.
22 (A) Christ did not sin
or ever tell a lie.
23 (B) Although he was abused,
he never tried to get even.
And when he suffered,
he made no threats.
Instead, he had faith in God,
who judges fairly.
24 (C) Christ carried the burden
of our sins.
He was nailed to the cross,
so we would stop sinning
and start living right.
By his cuts and bruises
you are healed.
25 You had wandered away
like sheep.
Now you have returned
to the one
who is your shepherd
and protector.
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.