Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
9 God, I will sing a (A)new song to You;
On a (B)harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,
10 Who (C)gives salvation to kings,
Who (D)rescues His servant David from the evil sword.
11 Rescue me and save me from the hand of (E)foreigners,
Whose mouth (F)speaks deceit
And whose (G)right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
12 When our sons in their youth are like (H)growing plants,
And our daughters like (I)corner pillars [a]fashioned for a palace,
13 Our (J)granaries are full, providing every kind of produce,
And our flocks deliver thousands and ten thousands in our [b]fields;
14 May our (K)cattle [c]be bred
Without [d](L)mishap and without [e](M)loss,
May there be no (N)outcry in our streets!
15 Blessed are the people who are so situated;
(O)Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!
The Bride
2 “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 [a]drenched with dew,
My (C)locks with the dew drops of the night.’
3 I have (D)taken off my dress,
How can I put it on again?
I have (E)washed my feet,
How can I dirty them again?
4 My beloved extended his hand through the opening,
And my (F)feelings were stirred for him.
5 I arose to open to my beloved;
And my hands (G)dripped with myrrh,
And my fingers with drops of myrrh,
On the handles of the bolt.
6 I opened to my beloved,
But my beloved had (H)turned away and had gone!
My [b]heart 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 make the rounds in the city found me,
They struck me and wounded me;
The guards of the walls took my shawl away from me.
8 (M)Swear to me, you daughters of Jerusalem,
If you find my beloved,
As to what you will tell him:
For (N)I am lovesick.”
The Chorus
9 “[c]What kind of beloved is your beloved,
O (O)most beautiful among women?
[d]What kind of beloved is your beloved,
That you make us swear in this way?”
Admiration by the Bride
The Bride
10 “My beloved is dazzling and [e](P)reddish,
(Q)Outstanding among ten thousand.
11 His head is like gold, pure 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,
Bathed in milk,
And perched in their (T)setting.
13 His cheeks are like a (U)bed of balsam,
[f]Banks of herbal spices;
His lips are (V)lilies
(W)Dripping with drops of myrrh.
14 His hands are rods of gold
Set with (X)topaz;
His abdomen is panels of ivory
Covered with [g](Y)sapphires.
15 His thighs are pillars of alabaster
Set on pedestals of pure 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,
You daughters of Jerusalem.”
Mutual Delight in Each Other
The Chorus
6 “(AD)Where has your beloved gone,
O (AE)most beautiful among women?
Where has your beloved turned,
That we may seek him with you?”
The Bride
19 For this finds favor, if for the sake of (A)conscience toward God a person endures [a]grief when suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if (B)when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.
Christ Is Our Example
21 For (C)you have been called for this purpose, (D)because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you (E)an example, so that you would follow in His steps, 22 He who (F)committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; 23 [b]and while being (G)abusively insulted, He did not insult in return; while suffering, He did not threaten, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 and He Himself [c](H)brought our sins in His body up on the [d](I)cross, so that we (J)might die to [e]sin and live for righteousness; (K)by His [f]wounds you were (L)healed. 25 For you were (M)continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the (N)Shepherd and [g]Guardian of your souls.
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