Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Lord the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Deliverer in Death.
A [a]Mikhtam of David.
16 (A)Preserve me, O God, for (B)I take refuge in You.
2 [b]I said to the Lord, “You are [c]my Lord;
I (C)have no good besides You.”
3 As for the [d](D)saints who are in the earth,
[e]They are the majestic ones (E)in whom is all my delight.
4 The [f](F)sorrows of those who have [g]bartered for another god will be multiplied;
I shall not pour out their drink offerings of (G)blood,
Nor will I (H)take their names upon my lips.
5 The Lord is the (I)portion of my inheritance and my (J)cup;
You support my (K)lot.
6 The (L)lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is (M)beautiful to me.
7 I will bless the Lord who has (N)counseled me;
Indeed, my [h](O)mind instructs me in the night.
8 (P)I have (Q)set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is (R)at my right hand, (S)I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore (T)my heart is glad and (U)my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will (V)dwell securely.
10 For You (W)will not abandon my soul to [i]Sheol;
Nor will You [j](X)allow Your [k]Holy One to [l]undergo decay.
11 You will make known to me (Y)the path of life;
In (Z)Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are (AA)pleasures forever.
9 “[a][b]What kind of beloved is your beloved,
O (A)most beautiful among women?
[c]What kind of beloved is your beloved,
That thus you adjure us?”
Admiration by the Bride
10 “[d]My beloved is dazzling and (B)ruddy,
[e](C)Outstanding among ten thousand.
11 “His head is like gold, pure gold;
His (D)locks are like clusters of dates
And black as a raven.
12 “His (E)eyes are like doves
Beside streams of water,
Bathed in milk,
And [f]reposed in their (F)setting.
13 “His cheeks are like a (G)bed of balsam,
Banks of sweet-scented herbs;
His lips are (H)lilies
(I)Dripping with liquid myrrh.
14 “His hands are rods of gold
Set with (J)beryl;
His abdomen is carved ivory
Inlaid with [g](K)sapphires.
15 “His legs are pillars of alabaster
Set on pedestals of pure gold;
His appearance is like (L)Lebanon
Choice as the (M)cedars.
16 “His [h](N)mouth is full of sweetness.
And he is wholly (O)desirable.
This is my beloved and this is my friend,
O daughters of Jerusalem.”
Mutual Delight in Each Other
The Fact of Christ’s Resurrection
15 Now (A)I make known to you, brethren, the (B)gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, (C)in which also you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, (D)if you hold fast [a]the word which I preached to you, (E)unless you believed in vain.
3 For (F)I delivered to you [b]as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died (G)for our sins (H)according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was (I)raised on the third day (J)according to the Scriptures, 5 and that (K)He appeared to (L)Cephas, then (M)to the twelve. 6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some (N)have fallen asleep; 7 then He appeared to [c](O)James, then to (P)all the apostles; 8 and last of all, as [d]to one untimely born, (Q)He appeared to me also. 9 For I am (R)the least of the apostles, [e]and not fit to be called an apostle, because I (S)persecuted the church of God. 10 But by (T)the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I (U)labored even more than all of them, yet (V)not I, but the grace of God with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.