Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 45[a]
Song for a Royal Wedding
1 For the leader; according to “Lilies.” A maskil of the Korahites. A love song.
I
2 My heart is stirred by a noble theme,
as I sing my ode to the king.
My tongue is the pen of a nimble scribe.
6 Your arrows are sharp;
peoples will cower at your feet;
the king’s enemies will lose heart.
7 Your throne, O God,[a] stands forever;(A)
your royal scepter is a scepter for justice.
8 You love justice and hate wrongdoing;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness above your fellow kings.
9 With myrrh, aloes, and cassia
your robes are fragrant.
From ivory-paneled palaces[b]
stringed instruments bring you joy.
Chapter 1
1 The Song of Songs,[a] which is Solomon’s.
The Woman Speaks of Her Lover
2 W[b](A) Let him kiss me with kisses of his mouth,
for your love is better than wine,[c]
3 better than the fragrance of your perfumes.[d]
Your name is a flowing perfume—
therefore young women love you.
4 (B)Draw me after you! Let us run![e]
The king has brought me to his bed chambers.
Let us exult and rejoice in you;
let us celebrate your love: it is beyond wine!
Rightly do they love you!
Love’s Boast
5 W I am black and beautiful,
Daughters of Jerusalem[f]—
Like the tents of Qedar,
like the curtains of Solomon.
6 Do not stare at me because I am so black,[g]
because the sun has burned me.
The sons of my mother were angry with me;
they charged me with the care of the vineyards:
my own vineyard I did not take care of.
Love’s Inquiry
7 W Tell me, you whom my soul loves,
where you shepherd,[h] where you give rest at midday.
Why should I be like one wandering
after the flocks of your companions?
8 M If you do not know,
most beautiful among women,
Follow the tracks of the flock
and pasture your lambs[i]
near the shepherds’ tents.
Love’s Vision
9 M To a mare among Pharaoh’s chariotry[j]
I compare you, my friend:
10 Your cheeks lovely in pendants,
your neck in jewels.
11 We will make pendants of gold for you,
and ornaments of silver.
How Near Is Love!
12 W While the king was upon his couch,
my spikenard[k] gave forth its fragrance.
13 My lover[l] is to me a sachet of myrrh;
between my breasts he lies.
14 My lover is to me a cluster of henna[m]
from the vineyards of En-gedi.
15 M(C) How beautiful you are, my friend,
how beautiful! your eyes are doves![n]
16 W How beautiful you are, my lover—
handsome indeed!
Verdant indeed is our couch;[o]
17 the beams of our house are cedars,
our rafters, cypresses.
I. Address
Chapter 1
1 [a]James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion, greetings.(A)
II. The Value of Trials and Temptation
Perseverance in Trial. 2 (B)Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials,[b] 3 for you know that the testing[c] of your faith produces perseverance. 4 And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 But if any of you lacks wisdom,[d] he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and he will be given it.(C) 6 But he should ask in faith, not doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind.(D) 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways.
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.