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Song of Solomon 5-8:14 (Contemporary English Version)
Song of Solomon 5
He Speaks:
1My bride, my very own,
I come to my garden
and enjoy its spices.
I eat my honeycomb and honey;
I drink my wine and milk.
Eat and drink
until
you are drunk with love.
Their Friends Speak:
Another Dream
She Speaks:
2I was asleep, but dreaming:
The one I love was at the door,
knocking and saying,
"My darling, my very own,
my flawless dove,
open the door for me!
My head is drenched
with evening dew."
3But I had already undressed
and bathed my feet.
Should I dress again
and get my feet dirty?
4Then my darling's hand
reached to open the latch,
and my heart stood still.
5When I rose to open the door,
my hands and my fingers
dripped with perfume.
6My heart stood still
while he spoke to me,
but when I opened the door,
my darling had disappeared.
I searched and shouted,
but I could not find him--
there was no answer.
7Then I was found by the guards
patrolling the town
and guarding the wall.
They beat me up
and stripped off my robe.
8Young women of Jerusalem,
if you find the one I love,
please say to him,
"She is weak with desire."
Their Friends Speak:
9Most beautiful of women,
why is the one you love
more special than others?
Why do you ask us
to tell him how you feel?
She Speaks:
10He is handsome and healthy,
the most outstanding
among ten thousand.
11His head is purest gold;
his hair is wavy,
black as a raven.
12His eyes are a pair of doves
bathing in a stream
flowing with milk. [a]
13His face is a garden
of sweet-smelling spices;
his lips are lilies
dripping with perfume.
14His arms are branches of gold
covered with jewels;
his body is ivory [b]
decorated with sapphires.
15His legs are columns of marble
on feet of gold.
He stands there majestic
like Mount Lebanon
and its choice cedar trees.
16His kisses are sweet.
I desire him so much!
Young women of Jerusalem,
he is my lover and friend.
Song of Solomon 6
Their Friends Speak:
1Most beautiful of women,
tell us where he has gone.
Let us help you find him.
She Speaks:
2My darling has gone down
to his garden of spices,
where he will feed his sheep
and gather lilies.
3I am his, and he is mine,
as he feeds his sheep
among the lilies.
He Speaks:
4My dearest, the cities of Tirzah
and Jerusalem
are not as lovely as you.
Your charms are more powerful
than all of the stars
in the heavens. [c] 5Turn away your eyes--
they make me melt.
Your hair tosses about
as gracefully as goats
coming down from Gilead.
6Your teeth are whiter
than sheep freshly washed;
they match perfectly,
not one is missing.
7Behind your veil are hidden
beautiful rosy cheeks. [d]
8What if I could have
sixty queens, eighty wives,
and thousands of others!
9You would be my only choice,
my flawless dove,
the favorite child
of your mother.
The young women, the queens,
and all the others
tell how excited you are
as they sing your praises:
10"You are as majestic
as the morning sky--
glorious as the moon--
blinding as the sun!
Your charms are more powerful
than all the stars above." [e]
She Speaks:
11I went down to see if blossoms
were on the walnut trees,
grapevines, and fruit trees.
12But in my imagination
I was suddenly riding
on a glorious chariot. [f]
Their Friends Speak:
13Dance! Dance!
Beautiful woman from Shulam,
let us see you dance!
Why do you want to see
this woman from Shulam
dancing with the others? [g]
Song of Solomon 7
She Speaks:
The Wedding Dance
He Speaks:
1You are a princess,
and your feet are graceful
in their sandals.
Your thighs are works of art,
each one a jewel;
2your navel is a wine glass
filled to overflowing.
Your body is full and slender
like a bundle of wheat
bound together by lilies.
3Your breasts are like twins
of a deer.
4Your neck is like ivory,
and your eyes sparkle
like the pools of Heshbon
by the gate of Bath-Rabbim.
Your nose is beautiful
like Mount Lebanon
above the city of Damascus.
5Your head is held high
like Mount Carmel;
your hair is so lovely
it holds a king prisoner. [h]
6You are beautiful,
so very desirable!
7You are tall and slender
like a palm tree,
and your breasts are full.
8I will climb that tree
and cling to its branches.
I will discover that your breasts
are clusters of grapes,
and that your breath
is the aroma of apples.
9Kissing you is more delicious
than drinking the finest wine.
How wonderful and tasty! [i]
She Speaks:
10My darling, I am yours,
and you desire me.
11Let's stroll through the fields
and sleep in the villages.
12At dawn let's slip out and see
if grapevines and fruit trees
are covered with blossoms.
When we are there,
I will give you my love.
13Perfume from the magic flower [j]
fills the air, my darling.
Right at our doorstep
I have stored up for you
all kinds of tasty fruits.
Song of Solomon 8
If Only You and I. . .
She Speaks:
1If you were my brother,
I could kiss you
whenever we happen to meet,
and no one would say
I did wrong.
2I could take you to the home
of my mother,
who taught me all I know. [k]
I would give you delicious wine
and fruit juice as well.
3Put your left hand under my head
and embrace me
with your right arm.
4Young women of Jerusalem,
promise me by the power
of deer and gazelles [l]
never to awaken love
before it is ready.
Their Friends Speak:
5Who is this young woman
coming in from the desert
and leaning on the shoulder
of the one she loves?
I stirred up your passions
under the apple tree
where you were born.
She Speaks:
6Always keep me in your heart
and wear this bracelet
to remember me by.
The passion of love
bursting into flame
is more powerful than death,
stronger than the grave.
7Love cannot be drowned
by oceans or floods;
it cannot be bought,
no matter what is offered.
Their Friends Speak:
8We have a little sister
whose breasts
are not yet formed.
If someone asks to marry her,
what should we do?
9She isn't a wall
that we can defend
behind a silver shield.
Neither is she a room
that we can protect
behind a wooden door.
She Speaks:
10I am a wall around a city,
my breasts are towers,
and just looking at me
brings him great pleasure.
11Solomon has a vineyard
at Baal-Hamon,
which he rents to others
for a thousand pieces
of silver each.
12My vineyard is mine alone!
Solomon can keep his silver
and the others can keep
their share of the profits.
He Speaks:
13You are in the garden
with friends all around.
Let me hear your voice!
She Speaks:
14Hurry to me, my darling!
Run faster than a deer
to mountains of spices.
Footnotes:
Song of Solomon 5:12 milk: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 12.
Song of Solomon 5:14 his. . . ivory: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Song of Solomon 6:4 all. . . heavens: Or "a mighty army ready for war."
Song of Solomon 6:7 cheeks: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 7.
Song of Solomon 6:10 all. . . above: Or "a mighty army ready for war."
Song of Solomon 6:12 chariot: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 12.
Song of Solomon 6:13 dancing. . . others: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Song of Solomon 7:5 it. . . prisoner: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Song of Solomon 7:9 How. . . tasty: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Song of Solomon 7:13 magic flower: The Hebrew text has "mandrake," a plant that was thought to give sexual powers.
Song of Solomon 8:2 who...know: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Song of Solomon 8:4 deer and gazelles: See the note at 2.7.
2 Corinthians 9:1-15 (Contemporary English Version)
2 Corinthians 9
The Money for God's People
1I don't need to write you about the money you plan to give for God's people. 2I know how eager you are to give. And I have proudly told the Lord's followers in Macedonia that you people in Achaia have been ready for a whole year. Now your desire to give has made them want to give. 3That's why I am sending Titus and the two others to you. I want you to be ready, just as I promised. This will prove that we were not wrong to brag about you.
4Some followers from Macedonia may come with me, and I want them to find that you have the money ready. If you don't, I would be embarrassed for trusting you to do this. But you would be embarrassed even more. 5So I have decided to ask Titus and the others to spend some time with you before I arrive. This way they can arrange to collect the money you have promised. Then you will have the chance to give because you want to, and not because you feel forced to.
6Remember this saying,
"A few seeds make
a small harvest,
but a lot of seeds make
a big harvest."
7Each of you must make up your own mind about how much to give. But don't feel sorry that you must give and don't feel that you are forced to give. God loves people who love to give. 8God can bless you with everything you need, and you will always have more than enough to do all kinds of good things for others. 9The Scriptures say,
"God freely gives his gifts
to the poor,
and always does right."
10God gives seed to farmers and provides everyone with food. He will increase what you have, so that you can give even more to those in need. 11You will be blessed in every way, and you will be able to keep on being generous. Then many people will thank God when we deliver your gift.
12What you are doing is much more than a service that supplies God's people with what they need. It is something that will make many others thank God. 13The way in which you have proved yourselves by this service will bring honor and praise to God. You believed the message about Christ, and you obeyed it by sharing generously with God's people and with everyone else. 14Now they are praying for you and want to see you, because God used you to bless them so very much. 15Thank God for his gift that is too wonderful for words!
Psalm 51:1-19 (Contemporary English Version)
Psalm 51
(For the music leader. A psalm by David when the prophet Nathan came to him after David had been with Bathsheba.)
A Prayer for Forgiveness
1You are kind, God!
Please have pity on me.
You are always merciful!
Please wipe away my sins.
2Wash me clean from all
of my sin and guilt.
3I know about my sins,
and I cannot forget
my terrible guilt.
4You are really the one
I have sinned against;
I have disobeyed you
and have done wrong.
So it is right and fair for you
to correct and punish me.
5I have sinned and done wrong
since the day I was born.
6But you want complete honesty,
so teach me true wisdom.
7Wash me with hyssop [a]
until I am clean
and whiter than snow.
8Let me be happy and joyful!
You crushed my bones,
now let them celebrate.
9Turn your eyes from my sin
and cover my guilt.
10Create pure thoughts in me
and make me faithful again.
11Don't chase me away from you
or take your Holy Spirit
away from me.
12Make me as happy as you did
when you saved me;
make me want to obey!
13I will teach sinners your Law,
and they will return to you.
14Keep me from any deadly sin.
Only you can save me!
Then I will shout and sing
about your power to save.
15Help me to speak,
and I will praise you, Lord.
16Offerings and sacrifices
are not what you want.
17The way to please you
is to feel sorrow
deep in our hearts.
This is the kind of sacrifice
you won't refuse.
18Please be willing, Lord,
to help the city of Zion
and to rebuild its walls.
19Then you will be pleased
with the proper sacrifices,
and we will offer bulls
on your altar once again.
Footnotes:
Psalm 51:7 hyssop: A small bush with bunches of small, white flowers. It was sometimes used as a symbol for making a person clean from sin.
Proverbs 22:24-25 (Contemporary English Version)
-2-
24 Don't make friends with anyone
who has a bad temper.
25You might turn out like them
and get caught in a trap.
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