Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
9 God, I will sing a new song to You;
I will play on a ten-stringed harp for You(A)—
10 the One who gives victory to kings,
who frees His servant David
from the deadly sword.(B)
11 Set me free and rescue me
from the grasp of foreigners(C)
whose mouths speak lies,
whose right hands are deceptive.(D)
12 Then our sons will be like plants
nurtured in their youth,
our daughters, like corner pillars
that are carved in the palace style.(E)
13 Our storehouses will be full,
supplying all kinds of produce;(F)
our flocks will increase by thousands
and tens of thousands in our open fields.(G)
14 Our cattle will be well fed.[a]
There will be no breach in the walls,
no going into captivity,[b]
and no cry of lament in our public squares.(H)
15 Happy are the people with such blessings.
Happy are the people whose God is Yahweh.(I)
2 W I sleep, but my heart is awake.
A sound! My love is knocking!(A)
M Open to me, my sister, my darling,
my dove, my perfect one.
For my head is drenched with dew,
my hair with droplets of the night.
3 W I have taken off my clothing.(B)
How can I put it back on?
I have washed my feet.
How can I get them dirty?
4 My love thrust his hand through the opening,
and my feelings were stirred for him.
5 I rose to open for my love.
My hands dripped with myrrh,(C)
my fingers with flowing myrrh
on the handles of the bolt.
6 I opened to my love,
but my love had turned and gone away.
I was crushed[a] that he had left.[b]
I sought him, but did not find him.(D)
I called him, but he did not answer.
7 The guards who go about the city found me.(E)
They beat and wounded me;
they took my cloak[c] from me—
the guardians of the walls.(F)
8 Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you:(G)
if you find my love,
tell him that I am lovesick.(H)
9 Y What makes the one you love better than another,
most beautiful of women?(I)
What makes him better than another,
that you would give us this charge?
10 W My love is fit and strong,[d](J)
notable among ten thousand.(K)
11 His head is purest gold.
His hair is wavy[e](L)
and black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves(M)
beside streams of water,
washed in milk
and set like jewels.[f]
13 His cheeks(N) are like beds of spice,
towers of[g] perfume.
His lips are lilies,
dripping with flowing myrrh.(O)
14 His arms[h] are rods of gold
set[i] with topaz.[j](P)
His body[k] is an ivory panel
covered with sapphires.(Q)
15 His legs are alabaster pillars
set on pedestals of pure gold.
His presence is like Lebanon,(R)
as majestic as the cedars.(S)
16 His mouth is sweetness.
He is absolutely desirable.(T)
This is my love, and this is my friend,
young women of Jerusalem.
6 Y Where has your love gone,
most beautiful of women?
Which way has he[l] turned?
We will seek him with you.
19 For it brings favor[a] if, mindful of God’s will,[b][c] someone endures grief from suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is there if you sin and are punished, and you endure it? But when you do what is good and suffer,(A) if you endure it, this brings favor with God.
21 For you were called to this,
because Christ also suffered(B) for you,
leaving you an example,(C)
so that you should follow(D) in His steps.
22 He did not commit sin,(E)
and no deceit(F) was found in His mouth;(G)[d]
23 when He was reviled,
He did not revile in return;
when He was suffering,
He did not threaten
but entrusted Himself to the One who judges(H) justly.
24 He Himself bore our sins(I)
in His body(J) on the tree,(K)
so that, having died to sins,(L)
we might live for righteousness;(M)
you have been healed by His wounds.(N)[e]
25 For you were like sheep going astray,(O)[f]
but you have now returned
to the Shepherd(P) and Guardian[g] of your souls.
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