Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 16
A prayer[a] of David.
1 Protect me, God, for the only safety I know is found in the moments I seek You.
2 I told You, Eternal One, “You are my Lord,
for the only good I know in this world is found in You alone.”
3 The beauty of faith-filled people encompasses me.
They are true, and my heart is thrilled beyond measure.
4 All the while the despair of many,
who abandoned Your goodness for the empty promises of false gods, increases day by day.
I refuse to pour out blood offerings,
to utter their names from my lips.
5 You, Eternal One, are my sustenance and my life-giving cup.
In that cup, You hold my future and my eternal riches.
6 My home is surrounded in beauty;
You have gifted me with abundance and a rich legacy.
7 I will bless the Eternal, whose wise teaching orchestrates my days
and centers my mind at night.
8 He is ever present with me;
at all times He goes before me.
I will not live in fear or abandon my calling
because He stands at my right hand.
9 This is a good life—my heart is glad, my soul is full of joy,
and my body is at rest.
Who could want for more?
10 You will not abandon me to experience death and the grave
or leave me to rot alone.
11 Instead, You direct me on the path that leads to a beautiful life.
As I walk with You, the pleasures are never-ending,
and I know true joy and contentment.
8 I hear his voice! The voice of my love!
Here he comes,
Leaping over the mountains,
bounding among the hills.
9 My love is like a gazelle,
sure-footed and swift as a young stag.
Look, there he is! Standing behind my wall,
watching through the windows, peering through the lattice.
10 My love responded and said to me,
Him: Arise, my dearest, my beauty,
and come away with me.
11 Don’t you see? The winter is done.
The rains and clouds have come and gone.
12 The flowers are unfolding in the fields;
the birds are warming up their songs,
The cooing of the turtledove
is heard throughout the land.
13 The fig trees are bringing forth their first fruit,
and the vines are in blossom, filling the air with their fragrance.
So arise my dearest, my beauty,
and come away with me.
14 Now, my dove, don’t be shy.
Don’t hide from me in the clefts of the rock
or nest like a bird in secret among the cliffs.
Show me your lovely form.
Let me hear your beautiful voice,
For it sounds so sweet,
and your face is so lovely.
15 Young Women of Jerusalem (to the couple): Catch the foxes for us,
those little foxes that menace the vineyards,
For our vineyards are so vulnerable when they are in full bloom.
Family life has changed since Paul’s day. Today, sociologists talk about modern families as “nuclear”: two parents with one or two children. In Colossae, as elsewhere in Paul’s world, families were extended by nature: they consisted of a husband, a wife, lots of children, servants, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and others. So when Paul addresses the family, he does not envision the modern version of it. He addresses the main family members: wives, husbands, children, fathers, and then slaves. The family reflects the order God desires in the church. Each member is to be responsible to the whole, and love and respect are to serve as the guiding principles within family relationships. Paul and Peter both use the term “submission” within family and church relationships as a description of order and support.
2 Pray, and keep praying. Be alert and thankful when you pray. 3 And while you are at it, add us to your prayers. Pray that God would open doors and windows and minds and eyes and hearts for the word so we can go on telling the mystery of the Anointed, for this is exactly why I am currently imprisoned. 4 Pray that I will proclaim this message clearly and fearlessly as I should.
5 Be wise when you engage with those outside the faith community; make the most of every moment and every encounter.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.