Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
9 O God, I will sing a (A)new song to You;
Upon a (B)harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,
10 Who (C)gives salvation to kings,
Who (D)sets David His servant free from the evil sword.
11 Set me free and deliver me out of the hand of the sons of a (E)foreigner,
Whose mouth (F)speaks worthlessness
And whose (G)right hand is a right hand of lying.
12 That our sons would be as (H)grown-up plants in their youth,
And our daughters as (I)corner pillars [a]fashioned as for a palace;
13 That our (J)granaries would be full, furnishing every kind of produce,
And our flocks would bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields outside;
14 That our (K)cattle would [b]bear
Without [c](L)mishap and without [d](M)loss,
And without (N)outcry in our streets!
15 How blessed are the people for whom this is so;
How (O)blessed are the people for whom God is Yahweh!
2 “[a]I was asleep, but my heart was awake.
A voice! My beloved was knocking:
‘Open to me, (A)my sister, my darling,
(B)My dove, my perfect one!
For my head is full of dew,
My (C)locks with the [b]damp of the night.’
3 I have (D)taken off my long-sleeved garment,
How can I put it on again?
I have (E)washed my feet,
How can I dirty them again?
4 My beloved sent forth his hand through the opening,
And my [c](F)feelings moaned for him.
5 I arose to open to my beloved;
And my hands (G)dripped with myrrh,
And my fingers with [d]liquid myrrh,
On the handles of the lock.
6 I opened to my beloved,
But my beloved had (H)turned away and passed by!
My soul went out to him as he (I)spoke.
I (J)searched for him, but I did not find him;
I (K)called him, but he did not answer me.
7 The (L)watchmen who go about in the city found me,
They struck me and wounded me;
The guardsmen of the walls took away my shawl from me.
8 I (M)call you to solemnly swear, O daughters of Jerusalem,
If you find my beloved,
What will you tell him?
Tell him that (N)I am sick with love.”
9 “[e]What is your beloved that he is more than any other beloved,
O (O)most beautiful among women?
What is your beloved that he is more than any other beloved,
That thus you call us to solemnly swear?”
The Bride Extols Her Beloved
10 “[f]My beloved is dazzling and (P)ruddy,
(Q)Lifted up as a banner among ten thousand.
11 His head is like gold, fine gold;
His (R)locks are like clusters of dates
And black as a raven.
12 His (S)eyes are like doves
Beside streams of water,
Washed in milk,
And sitting in their (T)setting.
13 His cheeks are like a (U)bed of spices,
Towers of sweet-scented herbs;
His lips are (V)lilies
(W)Dripping with liquid myrrh.
14 His hands are rods of gold
Set with (X)beryl;
His abdomen is a plate of ivory
Inlaid with [g](Y)sapphires.
15 His legs are pillars of marble
Set on bases of fine gold;
His appearance is like (Z)Lebanon
Choice as the (AA)cedars.
16 His [h](AB)mouth is full of sweetness.
And he is wholly (AC)desirable.
This is my beloved and this is my friend,
O daughters of Jerusalem.”
Solomon and His Bride Extol Each Other
19 For this finds [a]favor, if for the sake of (A)conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unrighteously. 20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure? But if (B)when you do good and suffer for it, you endure, this finds favor with God.
Christ, Our Example
21 For to this (C)you have been called, (D)since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you (E)an example that you should follow in His steps, 22 who (F)did no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; 23 who being (G)reviled, was not reviling in return; while suffering, He was uttering no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously. 24 Who Himself [b](H)bore our sins in His body on the (I)tree, so that (J)having died to [c]sin, we might live to righteousness; (K)by His [d]wounds you were (L)healed. 25 For you were (M)continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the (N)Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
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