Sunday, July 23, 2023

Song of Songs 5

¹I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice. I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey; I have drunk my wine and my milk.

Eat, O friends, and drink; drink your fill, O lovers.

²I slept but my heart was awake. Listen! My lover is knocking: "Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my flawless one. My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night." ³I have taken off my robe-- must I put it on again? I have washed my feet-- must I soil them again? ⁴My lover thrust his hand through the latch-opening; my heart began to pound for him. ⁵I arose to open for my lover, and my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with flowing myrrh, on the handles of the lock. ⁶I opened for my lover, but my lover had left; he was gone. My heart sank at his departure. I looked for him but did not find him. I called him but he did not answer. ⁷The watchmen found me as they made their rounds in the city. They beat me, they bruised me; they took away my cloak, those watchmen of the walls! ⁸O daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you-- if you find my lover, what will you tell him? Tell him I am faint with love.

⁹How is your beloved better than others, most beautiful of women? How is your beloved better than others, that you charge us so?

¹⁰My lover is radiant and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand. ¹¹His head is purest gold; his hair is wavy and black as a raven. ¹²His eyes are like doves by the water streams, washed in milk, mounted like jewels. ¹³His cheeks are like beds of spice yielding perfume. His lips are like lilies dripping with myrrh. ¹⁴His arms are rods of gold set with chrysolite. His body is like polished ivory decorated with sapphires. ¹⁵His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of pure gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, choice as its cedars. ¹⁶His mouth is sweetness itself; he is altogether lovely. This is my lover, this my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.

 

 

Psalm 20

¹For the director of music. A psalm of David. May the LORD answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. ²May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. ³May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. [Selah] ⁴May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. ⁵We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your requests. ⁶Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand. ⁷Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. ⁸They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. ⁹O LORD, save the king! Answer us when we call!

 

 

Matthew 11:20–30

²⁰Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. ²¹"Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. ²²But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. ²³And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. ²⁴But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."

²⁵At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. ²⁶Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.

²⁷"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

²⁸"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."