Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
9 God, I will sing a new song to you;
I will play to you on the ten-stringed harp.
10 You give victory to kings.
You save your servant David from cruel swords.
11 Save me, rescue me from these foreigners.
They are liars; they are dishonest.
12 Let our sons in their youth
grow like plants.
Let our daughters be
like the decorated stones in the Temple.
13 Let our barns be filled
with crops of all kinds.
Let our sheep in the fields have
thousands and tens of thousands of lambs.
14 Let our cattle be strong.
Let no one break in.
Let there be no war,
no screams in our streets.
15 Happy are those who are like this;
happy are the people whose God is the Lord.
The Woman Dreams
2 I sleep, but my heart is awake.
I hear my lover knocking.
“Open to me, my sister, my darling,
my dove, my perfect one.
My head is wet with dew,
and my hair with the dampness of the night.”
3 I have taken off my garment
and don’t want to put it on again.
I have washed my feet
and don’t want to get them dirty again.
4 My lover put his hand through the opening,
and I felt excited inside.
5 I got up to open the door for my lover.
Myrrh was dripping from my hands
and flowing from my fingers,
onto the handles of the lock.
6 I opened the door for my lover,
but my lover had left and was gone.
When he spoke, he took my breath away.
I looked for him, but I could not find him;
I called for him, but he did not answer.
7 The watchmen found me
as they patrolled the city.
They hit me and hurt me;
the guards on the wall took away my veil.
8 Promise me, women of Jerusalem,
if you find my lover,
tell him I am weak with love.
The Friends Answer the Woman
9 How is your lover better than other lovers,
most beautiful of women?
How is your lover better than other lovers?
Why do you want us to promise this?
The Woman Answers the Friends
10 My lover is healthy and tan,
the best of ten thousand men.
11 His head is like the finest gold;
his hair is wavy and black like a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves
by springs of water.
They seem to be bathed in cream
and are set like jewels.
13 His cheeks are like beds of spices;
they smell like mounds of perfume.
His lips are like lilies
flowing with myrrh.
14 His hands are like gold hinges,
filled with jewels.
His body is like shiny ivory
covered with sapphires.
15 His legs are like large marble posts,
standing on bases of fine gold.
He is like a cedar of Lebanon,
like the finest of the trees.
16 His mouth is sweet to kiss,
and I desire him very much.
Yes, daughters of Jerusalem,
this is my lover
and my friend.
The Friends Speak to the Woman
6 Where has your lover gone,
most beautiful of women?
Which way did your lover turn?
We will look for him with you.
The Woman Answers the Friends
2 My lover has gone down to his garden,
to the beds of spices,
to feed in the gardens
and to gather lilies.
3 I belong to my lover,
and my lover belongs to me.
He feeds among the lilies.
19 A person might have to suffer even when it is unfair, but if he thinks of God and can stand the pain, God is pleased. 20 If you are beaten for doing wrong, there is no reason to praise you for being patient in your punishment. But if you suffer for doing good, and you are patient, then God is pleased. 21 This is what you were called to do, because Christ suffered for you and gave you an example to follow. So you should do as he did.
22 “He had never sinned,
and he had never lied.” Isaiah 53:9
23 People insulted Christ, but he did not insult them in return. Christ suffered, but he did not threaten. He let God, the One who judges rightly, take care of him. 24 Christ carried our sins in his body on the cross so we would stop living for sin and start living for what is right. And you are healed because of his wounds. 25 You were like sheep that wandered away, but now you have come back to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.