Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Thanksgiving for Victory
118 Thank the Lord because he is good.
His love continues forever.
2 Let the people of Israel say,
“His love continues forever.”
14 The Lord gives me strength and makes me sing.
He has saved me.
15 Shouts of joy and victory
come from the tents of those who do right:
“The Lord has done powerful things.”
16 The power of the Lord has won the victory.
With his power the Lord has done mighty things.
17 I will not die, but live.
And I will tell what the Lord has done.
18 The Lord has taught me a hard lesson.
But he did not let me die.
19 Open for me the Temple gates.
Then I will come in and thank the Lord.
20 This is the Lord’s gate.
Only those who are good may enter it.
21 Lord, I thank you for answering me.
You have saved me.
22 The stone that the builders did not want
became the cornerstone.
23 The Lord did this,
and it is wonderful to us.
24 This is the day that the Lord has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad today!
The Woman Dreams
3 At night on my bed,
I looked for the one I love.
I looked for him, but I could not find him.
2 I will get up now. I will go around the city,
in the streets and squares.
I will look for the one I love.
I looked for him, but I could not find him.
3 The watchmen found me as they patrolled the city.
I asked, “Have you seen the one I love?”
4 As soon as I had left them
I found the one I love.
I held him. I would not let him go
until I had brought him to my mother’s house.
I brought him into the room where I was born.
The Woman Speaks to the Friends
5 Women of Jerusalem, promise me
by the gazelles and the deer.
Promise not to wake love.
Don’t excite my feelings of love
until I’m ready.
6 Who is this coming out of the desert
like a cloud of smoke?
Who is this that smells like myrrh, incense
and other spices?
7 Look, it’s Solomon’s couch[a]
with 60 soldiers around it.
They are the finest soldiers of Israel.
8 These soldiers all carry swords.
They have been trained in war.
Every man wears his sword at his side.
He is ready for the dangers of the night.
9 King Solomon had a couch made for himself.
It is made of wood from Lebanon.
10 He made its posts of silver
and its braces of gold.
The seat was covered with purple cloth.
The women of Jerusalem wove it with love.
11 Women of Jerusalem, go out and see King Solomon.
He is wearing the crown his mother put on his head.
It was his wedding day,
when his heart was happy!
Jesus Rises from Death
16 The day after the Sabbath day, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought some sweet-smelling spices to put on Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on that day, the first day of the week, the women were on their way to the tomb. It was soon after sunrise. 3 They said to each other, “There is a large stone covering the entrance of the tomb. Who will move the stone for us?”
4 Then the women looked and saw that the stone was already moved. The stone was very large, but it was moved away from the entrance. 5 The women entered the tomb and saw a young man wearing a white robe. He was sitting on the right side, and the women were afraid.
6 But the man said, “Don’t be afraid. You are looking for Jesus from Nazareth, the one who was killed on a cross. He has risen from death. He is not here. Look, here is the place they laid him. 7 Now go and tell his followers and Peter, ‘Jesus is going into Galilee. He will be there before you. You will see him there as he told you before.’”
8 The women were confused and shaking with fear. They left the tomb and ran away. They did not tell anyone about what happened, because they were afraid.[a]
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.