Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
9 My God, I will sing a new song to you.
I will make music to you on a lyre that has ten strings.
10 You are the God who helps kings win battles.
You save your servant David.
From death by the sword 11 save me.
Set me free from outsiders who attack me.
They tell all kinds of lies with their mouths.
Even when they make a promise by raising their right hands, they don’t mean it.
12 While our sons are young,
they will be like healthy plants.
Our daughters will be like pillars
that have been made to decorate a palace.
13 Our storerooms will be filled
with every kind of food.
The sheep in our fields will increase by thousands.
They will increase by tens of thousands.
14 Our oxen will pull heavy loads.
None of our city walls will be broken down.
No one will be carried off as a prisoner.
No cries of pain will be heard in our streets.
15 Blessed is the nation about whom all these things are true.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.
The woman says
2 “I slept, but my heart was awake.
Listen! The one who loves me is knocking.
He says, ‘My sister, I love you.
Open up so I can come in.
You are my dove.
You are perfect in every way.
My head is soaked with dew.
The night air has made my hair wet.’
3 “But I’ve taken off my robe.
Must I put it on again?
I’ve washed my feet.
Must I get them dirty again?
4 My love put his hand through the opening.
My heart began to pound for him.
5 I got up to open the door for my love.
My hands dripped with myrrh.
It flowed from my fingers
onto the handles of the lock.
6 I opened the door for my love.
But he had left and was gone.
My heart sank because he had left.
I looked for him but didn’t find him.
I called out to him, but he didn’t answer.
7 Those on guard duty found me
as they were walking around in the city.
They beat me. They hurt me.
Those on guard duty at the walls
took my coat away from me.
8 Women of Jerusalem, make me a promise.
If you find the one who loves me,
tell him our love has made me weak.”
The other women say
9 “You are the most beautiful woman of all.
How is the one you love better than others?
How is he better than anyone else?
Why do you ask us to make you this promise?”
The woman says
10 “The one who loves me is tanned and handsome.
He’s the finest man among 10,000.
11 His head is like the purest gold.
His hair is wavy and as black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves
by streams of water.
They look as if they’ve been washed in milk.
They are set like jewels in his head.
13 His cheeks are like beds of spice
giving off perfume.
His lips are like lilies
dripping with myrrh.
14 His arms are like rods of gold
set with topaz.
His body is like polished ivory
decorated with lapis lazuli.
15 His legs are like pillars of marble
set on bases of pure gold.
He looks like the finest cedar tree
in the mountains of Lebanon.
16 His mouth is very sweet.
Everything about him is delightful.
That’s what the one who loves me is like.
That’s what my friend is like, women of Jerusalem.”
The other women say
6 “You are the most beautiful woman of all.
Where has the one who loves you gone?
Which way did he turn?
We’ll help you look for him.”
The woman says
2 “My love has gone down to his garden.
He’s gone to the beds of spices.
He’s eating in the gardens.
He’s gathering lilies.
3 I belong to my love, and he belongs to me.
He’s eating among the lilies.”
19 Suppose a person suffers pain unfairly because they want to obey God. This is worthy of praise. 20 But suppose you receive a beating for doing wrong, and you put up with it. Will anyone honor you for this? Of course not. But suppose you suffer for doing good, and you put up with it. God will praise you for this. 21 You were chosen to do good even if you suffer. That’s because Christ suffered for you. He left you an example that he expects you to follow. 22 Scripture says,
“He didn’t commit any sin.
No lies ever came out of his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:9)
23 People shouted at him and made fun of him. But he didn’t do the same thing back to them. When he suffered, he didn’t say he would make them suffer. Instead, he trusted in the God who judges fairly. 24 “He himself carried our sins” in his body on the cross. (Isaiah 53:5) He did it so that we would die as far as sins are concerned. Then we would lead godly lives. “His wounds have healed you.” (Isaiah 53:5) 25 “You were like sheep wandering away.” (Isaiah 53:6) But now you have returned to the Shepherd. He is the one who watches over your souls.
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