Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
9 God, I will sing a new song to you.
I will play to you on the ten-stringed harp.
10 You give victory to kings.
You save your servant David from cruel swords.
11 Save me, rescue me from these foreigners.
They are liars.
They are dishonest.
12 Let our sons in their youth
grow like strong trees.
Let our daughters be
like the decorated stones in the Temple.
13 Let our barns be filled
with crops of all kinds.
Let our sheep in the fields have
thousands and thousands of lambs.
14 Let our cattle be strong.
Let no one break in.
Let there be no war.
Let there be no screams in our streets.
15 Happy are those who are like this.
Happy are the people whose God is the Lord.
The Woman Dreams
2 I sleep, but my heart is awake.
I hear my lover knocking.
“Open to me, my sister, my darling,
my dove, my perfect one.
My head is wet with dew.
And my hair is wet with the dampness of the night.”
3 I have taken off my garment.
I don’t want to put it on again!
I have washed my feet.
I don’t want to get them dirty again!
4 My lover put his hand through the door opening.
I felt excited inside.
5 I got up to open the door for my lover.
Myrrh was dripping from my hands.
Myrrh was flowing from my fingers,
onto the handles of the lock.
6 I opened the door for my lover.
But my lover had left. He was gone.
When he had spoken, he had taken my breath away.
I looked for him, but I could not find him.
I called for him, but he did not answer me.
7 The watchmen found me
as they patrolled the city.
They hit me; they hurt me.
The guards on the wall took away my coat.
8 I tell you, women of Jerusalem,
if you find my lover,
tell him I am weak with love.
The Friends Answer the Woman
9 Is your lover better than other lovers,
you, the most beautiful of women?
Is your lover better than other lovers?
Is that why you talk like this?
The Woman Answers the Friends
10 My lover is clean and tanned.
He’s the best of 10,000 men.
11 His head is like the finest gold.
His hair is wavy and black like a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves
by springs of water.
They seem to be bathed in cream.
They are set like jewels.
13 His cheeks are like garden beds of spices.
They smell like mounds of perfume.
His lips are like lilies
flowing with myrrh.
14 His hands are like gold hinges,
filled with jewels.
His body is like smooth ivory
covered with sapphires.
15 His legs are like large marble posts,
standing on bases of fine gold.
He is tall like a cedar of Lebanon—
like the best cedar trees.
16 His mouth is sweet to kiss.
I desire him very much.
Yes, daughters of Jerusalem,
this is my lover.
This is my friend.
The Friends Speak to the Woman
6 Where has your lover gone,
most beautiful of women?
Which way did your lover turn?
We will look for him with you.
The Woman Answers the Friends
2 My lover has gone down to his garden.
He has gone to the garden beds of spices
to feed in the gardens
and to gather lilies.
3 I belong to my lover.
And my lover belongs to me.
He feeds among the lilies.
19 A person might have to suffer even when he has done nothing wrong. But if he thinks of God and bears the pain, this pleases God. 20 If you are punished for doing wrong, there is no reason to praise you for bearing punishment. But if you suffer for doing good, and you are patient, then that pleases God. 21 That is what you were called to do. Christ suffered for you. He gave you an example to follow. So you should do as he did.
22 “He did no sin.
He never lied.” Isaiah 53:9
23 People insulted Christ, but he did not insult them in return. Christ suffered, but he did not threaten. He let God take care of him. God is the One who judges rightly. 24 Christ carried our sins in his body on the cross. He did this so that we would stop living for sin and start living for what is right. And we are healed because of his wounds. 25 You were like sheep that went the wrong way. But now you have come back to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.