SONG OF SONGS 1:1- 4:16
2 CORINTHIANS 8:16- 24
PSALM 50:1- 23
PROVERBS 22:22- 23
This is Solomon's song of songs, more wonderful than any other. Young Woman:2 "Kiss me again and again, for your love is sweeter than wine. 3 How fragrant your cologne, and how pleasing your name! No wonder all the young women love you! 4 Take me with you. Come, let's run! Bring me into your bedroom, O my king." Young Women of Jerusalem:"How happy we are for him! We praise his love even more than wine." Young Woman:"How right that the young women love you! 5" I am dark and beautiful, O women of Jerusalem, tanned as the dark tents of Kedar. Yes, even as the tents of Solomon! 6 "Don't look down on me, you fair city girls, just because my complexion is so dark. The sun has burned my skin. My brothers were angry with me and sent me out to tend the vineyards in the hot sun. Now see what it has done to me! 7" Tell me, O my love, where are you leading your flock today? Where will you rest your sheep at noon? For why should I wander like a prostitute among the flocks of your companions? "Young Man:8" If you don't know, O most beautiful woman, follow the trail of my flock to the shepherds 'tents, and there feed your young goats. 9 What a lovely filly you are, my beloved one! 10 How lovely are your cheeks, with your earrings setting them afire! How stately is your neck, accented with a long string of jewels. 11 We will make earrings of gold for you and beads of silver. "Young Woman:12" The king is lying on his couch, enchanted by the fragrance of my perfume. 13 My lover is like a sachet of myrrh lying between my breasts. 14 He is like a bouquet of flowers in the gardens of En- gedi. "Young Man:15" How beautiful you are, my beloved, how beautiful! Your eyes are soft like doves. "Young Woman:16" What a lovely, pleasant sight you are, my love, as we lie here on the grass, 17 shaded by cedar trees and spreading firs. "2:1 YOUNG Woman:" I am the rose of Sharon, the lily of the valley. "Young Man:2" Yes, compared to other women, my beloved is like a lily among thorns. "Young Woman:3" And compared to other youths, my lover is like the finest apple tree in the orchard. I am seated in his delightful shade, and his fruit is delicious to eat. 4 He brings me to the banquet hall, so everyone can see how much he loves me. 5 Oh, feed me with your love-- your `raisins' and your `apples '-- for I am utterly lovesick! 6 His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me. 7 "Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, by the swift gazelles and the deer of the wild, not to awaken love until the time is right. 8" Ah, I hear him-- my lover! Here he comes, leaping on the mountains and bounding over the hills. 9 My lover is like a swift gazelle or a young deer. Look, there he is behind the wall! Now he is looking in through the window, gazing into the room. 10 "My lover said to me, `Rise up, my beloved, my fair one, and come away. 11 For the winter is past, and the rain is over and gone. 12 The flowers are springing up, and the time of singing birds has come, even the cooing of turtledoves. 13 The fig trees are budding, and the grapevines are in blossom. How delicious they smell! Yes, spring is here! Arise, my beloved, my fair one, and come away.'" Young Man:14 "My dove is hiding behind some rocks, behind an outcrop on the cliff. Let me see you; let me hear your voice. For your voice is pleasant, and you are lovely." Young Women of Jerusalem:15 "Quick! Catch all the little foxes before they ruin the vineyard of your love, for the grapevines are all in blossom." Young Woman:16 "My lover is mine, and I am his. He feeds among the lilies! 17 Before the dawn comes and the shadows flee away, come back to me, my love. Run like a gazelle or a young stag on the rugged mountains." 3:1 YOUNG Woman:"One night as I lay in bed, I yearned deeply for my lover, but he did not come. 2 So I said to myself, `I will get up now and roam the city, searching for him in all its streets and squares. 'But my search was in vain. 3 The watchmen stopped me as they made their rounds, and I said to them, `Have you seen him anywhere, this one I love so much?' 4 A little while later I found him and held him. I didn't let him go until I had brought him to my childhood home, into my mother's bedroom, where I had been conceived. 5" Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, by the swift gazelles and the deer of the wild, not to awaken love until the time is right. "Young Women of Jerusalem:6" Who is this sweeping in from the deserts like a cloud of smoke along the ground? Who is it that smells of myrrh and frankincense and every other spice? 7 Look, it is Solomon's carriage, with sixty of Israel's mightiest men surrounding it. 8 They are all skilled swordsmen and experienced warriors. Each one wears a sword on his thigh, ready to defend the king against an attack during the night. 9 "King Solomon has built a carriage for himself from wood imported from Lebanon's forests. 10 Its posts are of silver, its canopy is gold, and its seat is upholstered in purple cloth. Its interior was a gift of love from the young women of Jerusalem." Young Woman:11 "Go out to look upon King Solomon, O young women of Jerusalem. See the crown with which his mother crowned him on his wedding day, the day of his gladness." 4:1 YOUNG Man:"How beautiful you are, my beloved, how beautiful! Your eyes behind your veil are like doves. Your hair falls in waves, like a flock of goats frisking down the slopes of Gilead. 2 Your teeth are as white as sheep, newly shorn and washed. They are perfectly matched; not one is missing. 3 Your lips are like a ribbon of scarlet. Oh, how beautiful your mouth! Your cheeks behind your veil are like pomegranate halves-- lovely and delicious. 4 Your neck is as stately as the tower of David, jeweled with the shields of a thousand heroes. 5 Your breasts are like twin fawns of a gazelle, feeding among the lilies. 6 Before the dawn comes and the shadows flee away, I will go to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense. 7 You are so beautiful, my beloved, so perfect in every part. 8" Come with me from Lebanon, my bride. Come down from the top of Mount Amana, from Mount Senir and Mount Hermon, where lions have their dens and panthers prowl. 9 You have ravished my heart, my treasure, my bride. I am overcome by one glance of your eyes, by a single bead of your necklace. 10 How sweet is your love, my treasure, my bride! How much better it is than wine! Your perfume is more fragrant than the richest of spices. 11 Your lips, my bride, are as sweet as honey. Yes, honey and cream are under your tongue. The scent of your clothing is like that of the mountains and the cedars of Lebanon. 12 "You are like a private garden, my treasure, my bride! You are like a spring that no one else can drink from, a fountain of my own. 13 You are like a lovely orchard bearing precious fruit, with the rarest of perfumes:14 nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, myrrh and aloes, perfume from every incense tree, and every other lovely spice. 15 You are a garden fountain, a well of living water, as refreshing as the streams from the Lebanon mountains." Young Woman:16 "Awake, north wind! Come, south wind! Blow on my garden and waft its lovely perfume to my lover. Let him come into his garden and eat its choicest fruits."
I [Paul] am thankful to God that he has given Titus the same enthusiasm for you [Corinthians] that I have. 17 He welcomed our request that he visit you again. In fact, he himself was eager to go and see you. 18 We are also sending another brother with Titus. He is highly praised in all the churches as a preacher of the Good News. 19 He was appointed by the churches to accompany us as we take the offering to Jerusalem-- a service that glorifies the Lord and shows our eagerness to help. 20 By traveling together we will guard against any suspicion, for we are anxious that no one should find fault with the way we are handling this generous gift. 21 We are careful to be honorable before the Lord, but we also want everyone else to know we are honorable. 22 And we are also sending with them another brother who has been thoroughly tested and has shown how earnest he is on many occasions. He is now even more enthusiastic because of his increased confidence in you. 23 If anyone asks about Titus, say that he is my partner who works with me to help you. And these brothers are representatives of the churches. They are splendid examples of those who bring glory to Christ. 24 So show them your love, and prove to all the churches that our boasting about you is justified.
A psalm of Asaph.
1 The mighty God, the LORD, has spoken;
he has summoned all humanity from east to west!
2 From Mount Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines in glorious radiance.
3 Our God approaches with the noise of thunder.
Fire devours everything in his way,
and a great storm rages around him.
4 Heaven and earth will be his witnesses
as he judges his people:
5 "Bring my faithful people to me--
those who made a covenant with me by giving sacrifices."
6 Then let the heavens proclaim his justice,
for God himself will be the judge.
Interlude7 "O my people, listen as I speak.
Here are my charges against you, O Israel:
I am God, your God!
8 I have no complaint about your sacrifices
or the burnt offerings you constantly bring to my altar.
9 But I want no more bulls from your barns;
I want no more goats from your pens.
10 For all the animals of the forest are mine,
and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 Every bird of the mountains
and all the animals of the field belong to me.
12 If I were hungry, I would not mention it to you,
for all the world is mine and everything in it.
13 I don't need the bulls you sacrifice;
I don't need the blood of goats.
14 What I want instead is your true thanks to God;
I want you to fulfill your vows to the Most High.
15 Trust me in your times of trouble,
and I will rescue you,
and you will give me glory."
16 But God says to the wicked:
"Recite my laws no longer,
and don't pretend that you obey me.
17 For you refuse my discipline
and treat my laws like trash.
18 When you see a thief, you help him,
and you spend your time with adulterers.
19 Your mouths are filled with wickedness,
and your tongues are full of lies.
20 You sit around and slander a brother--
your own mother's son.
21 While you did all this, I remained silent,
and you thought I didn't care.
But now I will rebuke you,
listing all my charges against you.
22 Repent, all of you who ignore me,
or I will tear you apart,
and no one will help you.
23 But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.
If you keep to my path,
I will reveal to you the salvation of God."
Do not rob the poor because they are poor or exploit the needy in court. For the LORD is their defender. He will injure anyone who injures them
2 CORINTHIANS 8:16- 24
PSALM 50:1- 23
PROVERBS 22:22- 23
This is Solomon's song of songs, more wonderful than any other. Young Woman:2 "Kiss me again and again, for your love is sweeter than wine. 3 How fragrant your cologne, and how pleasing your name! No wonder all the young women love you! 4 Take me with you. Come, let's run! Bring me into your bedroom, O my king." Young Women of Jerusalem:"How happy we are for him! We praise his love even more than wine." Young Woman:"How right that the young women love you! 5" I am dark and beautiful, O women of Jerusalem, tanned as the dark tents of Kedar. Yes, even as the tents of Solomon! 6 "Don't look down on me, you fair city girls, just because my complexion is so dark. The sun has burned my skin. My brothers were angry with me and sent me out to tend the vineyards in the hot sun. Now see what it has done to me! 7" Tell me, O my love, where are you leading your flock today? Where will you rest your sheep at noon? For why should I wander like a prostitute among the flocks of your companions? "Young Man:8" If you don't know, O most beautiful woman, follow the trail of my flock to the shepherds 'tents, and there feed your young goats. 9 What a lovely filly you are, my beloved one! 10 How lovely are your cheeks, with your earrings setting them afire! How stately is your neck, accented with a long string of jewels. 11 We will make earrings of gold for you and beads of silver. "Young Woman:12" The king is lying on his couch, enchanted by the fragrance of my perfume. 13 My lover is like a sachet of myrrh lying between my breasts. 14 He is like a bouquet of flowers in the gardens of En- gedi. "Young Man:15" How beautiful you are, my beloved, how beautiful! Your eyes are soft like doves. "Young Woman:16" What a lovely, pleasant sight you are, my love, as we lie here on the grass, 17 shaded by cedar trees and spreading firs. "2:1 YOUNG Woman:" I am the rose of Sharon, the lily of the valley. "Young Man:2" Yes, compared to other women, my beloved is like a lily among thorns. "Young Woman:3" And compared to other youths, my lover is like the finest apple tree in the orchard. I am seated in his delightful shade, and his fruit is delicious to eat. 4 He brings me to the banquet hall, so everyone can see how much he loves me. 5 Oh, feed me with your love-- your `raisins' and your `apples '-- for I am utterly lovesick! 6 His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me. 7 "Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, by the swift gazelles and the deer of the wild, not to awaken love until the time is right. 8" Ah, I hear him-- my lover! Here he comes, leaping on the mountains and bounding over the hills. 9 My lover is like a swift gazelle or a young deer. Look, there he is behind the wall! Now he is looking in through the window, gazing into the room. 10 "My lover said to me, `Rise up, my beloved, my fair one, and come away. 11 For the winter is past, and the rain is over and gone. 12 The flowers are springing up, and the time of singing birds has come, even the cooing of turtledoves. 13 The fig trees are budding, and the grapevines are in blossom. How delicious they smell! Yes, spring is here! Arise, my beloved, my fair one, and come away.'" Young Man:14 "My dove is hiding behind some rocks, behind an outcrop on the cliff. Let me see you; let me hear your voice. For your voice is pleasant, and you are lovely." Young Women of Jerusalem:15 "Quick! Catch all the little foxes before they ruin the vineyard of your love, for the grapevines are all in blossom." Young Woman:16 "My lover is mine, and I am his. He feeds among the lilies! 17 Before the dawn comes and the shadows flee away, come back to me, my love. Run like a gazelle or a young stag on the rugged mountains." 3:1 YOUNG Woman:"One night as I lay in bed, I yearned deeply for my lover, but he did not come. 2 So I said to myself, `I will get up now and roam the city, searching for him in all its streets and squares. 'But my search was in vain. 3 The watchmen stopped me as they made their rounds, and I said to them, `Have you seen him anywhere, this one I love so much?' 4 A little while later I found him and held him. I didn't let him go until I had brought him to my childhood home, into my mother's bedroom, where I had been conceived. 5" Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, by the swift gazelles and the deer of the wild, not to awaken love until the time is right. "Young Women of Jerusalem:6" Who is this sweeping in from the deserts like a cloud of smoke along the ground? Who is it that smells of myrrh and frankincense and every other spice? 7 Look, it is Solomon's carriage, with sixty of Israel's mightiest men surrounding it. 8 They are all skilled swordsmen and experienced warriors. Each one wears a sword on his thigh, ready to defend the king against an attack during the night. 9 "King Solomon has built a carriage for himself from wood imported from Lebanon's forests. 10 Its posts are of silver, its canopy is gold, and its seat is upholstered in purple cloth. Its interior was a gift of love from the young women of Jerusalem." Young Woman:11 "Go out to look upon King Solomon, O young women of Jerusalem. See the crown with which his mother crowned him on his wedding day, the day of his gladness." 4:1 YOUNG Man:"How beautiful you are, my beloved, how beautiful! Your eyes behind your veil are like doves. Your hair falls in waves, like a flock of goats frisking down the slopes of Gilead. 2 Your teeth are as white as sheep, newly shorn and washed. They are perfectly matched; not one is missing. 3 Your lips are like a ribbon of scarlet. Oh, how beautiful your mouth! Your cheeks behind your veil are like pomegranate halves-- lovely and delicious. 4 Your neck is as stately as the tower of David, jeweled with the shields of a thousand heroes. 5 Your breasts are like twin fawns of a gazelle, feeding among the lilies. 6 Before the dawn comes and the shadows flee away, I will go to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense. 7 You are so beautiful, my beloved, so perfect in every part. 8" Come with me from Lebanon, my bride. Come down from the top of Mount Amana, from Mount Senir and Mount Hermon, where lions have their dens and panthers prowl. 9 You have ravished my heart, my treasure, my bride. I am overcome by one glance of your eyes, by a single bead of your necklace. 10 How sweet is your love, my treasure, my bride! How much better it is than wine! Your perfume is more fragrant than the richest of spices. 11 Your lips, my bride, are as sweet as honey. Yes, honey and cream are under your tongue. The scent of your clothing is like that of the mountains and the cedars of Lebanon. 12 "You are like a private garden, my treasure, my bride! You are like a spring that no one else can drink from, a fountain of my own. 13 You are like a lovely orchard bearing precious fruit, with the rarest of perfumes:14 nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, myrrh and aloes, perfume from every incense tree, and every other lovely spice. 15 You are a garden fountain, a well of living water, as refreshing as the streams from the Lebanon mountains." Young Woman:16 "Awake, north wind! Come, south wind! Blow on my garden and waft its lovely perfume to my lover. Let him come into his garden and eat its choicest fruits."
I [Paul] am thankful to God that he has given Titus the same enthusiasm for you [Corinthians] that I have. 17 He welcomed our request that he visit you again. In fact, he himself was eager to go and see you. 18 We are also sending another brother with Titus. He is highly praised in all the churches as a preacher of the Good News. 19 He was appointed by the churches to accompany us as we take the offering to Jerusalem-- a service that glorifies the Lord and shows our eagerness to help. 20 By traveling together we will guard against any suspicion, for we are anxious that no one should find fault with the way we are handling this generous gift. 21 We are careful to be honorable before the Lord, but we also want everyone else to know we are honorable. 22 And we are also sending with them another brother who has been thoroughly tested and has shown how earnest he is on many occasions. He is now even more enthusiastic because of his increased confidence in you. 23 If anyone asks about Titus, say that he is my partner who works with me to help you. And these brothers are representatives of the churches. They are splendid examples of those who bring glory to Christ. 24 So show them your love, and prove to all the churches that our boasting about you is justified.
A psalm of Asaph.
1 The mighty God, the LORD, has spoken;
he has summoned all humanity from east to west!
2 From Mount Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines in glorious radiance.
3 Our God approaches with the noise of thunder.
Fire devours everything in his way,
and a great storm rages around him.
4 Heaven and earth will be his witnesses
as he judges his people:
5 "Bring my faithful people to me--
those who made a covenant with me by giving sacrifices."
6 Then let the heavens proclaim his justice,
for God himself will be the judge.
Interlude7 "O my people, listen as I speak.
Here are my charges against you, O Israel:
I am God, your God!
8 I have no complaint about your sacrifices
or the burnt offerings you constantly bring to my altar.
9 But I want no more bulls from your barns;
I want no more goats from your pens.
10 For all the animals of the forest are mine,
and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 Every bird of the mountains
and all the animals of the field belong to me.
12 If I were hungry, I would not mention it to you,
for all the world is mine and everything in it.
13 I don't need the bulls you sacrifice;
I don't need the blood of goats.
14 What I want instead is your true thanks to God;
I want you to fulfill your vows to the Most High.
15 Trust me in your times of trouble,
and I will rescue you,
and you will give me glory."
16 But God says to the wicked:
"Recite my laws no longer,
and don't pretend that you obey me.
17 For you refuse my discipline
and treat my laws like trash.
18 When you see a thief, you help him,
and you spend your time with adulterers.
19 Your mouths are filled with wickedness,
and your tongues are full of lies.
20 You sit around and slander a brother--
your own mother's son.
21 While you did all this, I remained silent,
and you thought I didn't care.
But now I will rebuke you,
listing all my charges against you.
22 Repent, all of you who ignore me,
or I will tear you apart,
and no one will help you.
23 But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.
If you keep to my path,
I will reveal to you the salvation of God."
Do not rob the poor because they are poor or exploit the needy in court. For the LORD is their defender. He will injure anyone who injures them
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