Today's Reading

¹By night on my bed, I sought him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but I did not find him.

²I will get up now, and go about the city; in the streets and in the squares I will seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but I did not find him.

³The watchmen who go about the city found me; "Have you seen him whom my soul loves?"

⁴I had scarcely passed from them, when I found him whom my soul loves. I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's house, into the chamber of her who conceived me.

⁵I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, or by the hinds of the field, that you not stir up, nor awaken love, until it so desires.

⁶Who is this who comes up from the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all spices of the merchant?

⁷Behold, it is Solomon's carriage! Sixty mighty men are around it, of the mighty men of Israel.

⁸They all handle the sword, and are expert in war. Every man has his sword on his thigh, because of fear in the night.

⁹King Solomon made himself a carriage of the wood of Lebanon.

¹⁰He made its pillars of silver, its bottom of gold, its seat of purple, its midst being paved with love, from the daughters of Jerusalem.

¹¹Go forth, you daughters of Zion, and see king Solomon, with the crown with which his mother has crowned him, in the day of his weddings, in the day of the gladness of his heart. Lover

¹Behold, you are beautiful, my love. Behold, you are beautiful. Your eyes are doves behind your veil. Your hair is as a flock of goats, that descend from Mount Gilead.

²Your teeth are like a newly shorn flock, which have come up from the washing, where every one of them has twins. None is bereaved among them.

³Your lips are like scarlet thread. Your mouth is lovely. Your temples are like a piece of a pomegranate behind your veil.

⁴Your neck is like David's tower built for an armory, whereon a thousand shields hang, all the shields of the mighty men.

⁵Your two breasts are like two fawns that are twins of a roe, which feed among the lilies.

⁶Until the day is cool, and the shadows flee away, I will go to the mountain of myrrh, to the hill of frankincense.

⁷You are all beautiful, my love. There is no spot in you.

⁸Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, with me from Lebanon. Look from the top of Amana, from the top of Senir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards.

⁹You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride. You have ravished my heart with one of your eyes, with one chain of your neck.

¹⁰How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much better is your love than wine! The fragrance of your perfumes than all manner of spices!

¹¹Your lips, my bride, drip like the honeycomb. Honey and milk are under your tongue. The smell of your garments is like the smell of Lebanon.

¹²A locked up garden is my sister, my bride; a locked up spring, a sealed fountain.

¹³Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates, with precious fruits: henna with spikenard plants,

¹⁴spikenard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with every kind of incense tree; myrrh and aloes, with all the best spices,

¹⁵a fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, flowing streams from Lebanon. Beloved

¹⁶Awake, north wind; and come, you south! Blow on my garden, that its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and taste his precious fruits. Lover

¹I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride. I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Friends Eat, friends! Drink, yes, drink abundantly, beloved. Beloved

²I was asleep, but my heart was awake. It is the voice of my beloved who knocks: "Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled; for my head is filled with dew, and my hair with the dampness of the night."

³I have taken off my robe. Indeed, must I put it on? I have washed my feet. Indeed, must I soil them?

⁴My beloved thrust his hand in through the latch opening. My heart pounded for him.

⁵I rose up to open for my beloved. My hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh, on the handles of the lock.

⁶I opened to my beloved; but my beloved left; and had gone away. My heart went out when he spoke. I looked for him, but I did not find him. I called him, but he did not answer.

⁷The watchmen who go about the city found me. They beat me. They bruised me. The keepers of the walls took my cloak away from me.

⁸I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, If you find my beloved, that you tell him that I am faint with love. Friends

⁹How is your beloved better than another beloved, you fairest among women? How is your beloved better than another beloved, that you do so adjure us? Beloved

¹⁰My beloved is white and ruddy. The best among ten thousand.

¹¹His head is like the purest gold. His hair is bushy, black as a raven.

¹²His eyes are like doves beside the water brooks, washed with milk, mounted like jewels.

¹³His cheeks are like a bed of spices with towers of perfumes. His lips are like lilies, dropping liquid myrrh.

¹⁴His hands are like rings of gold set with beryl. His body is like ivory work overlaid with sapphires.

¹⁵His legs are like pillars of marble set on sockets of fine gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.

¹⁶His mouth is sweetness; yes, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, daughters of Jerusalem. Friends

¹Foolish Galatians, who has cunningly deceived you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly set forth as crucified?

²I just want to learn this from you. Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith?

³Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now completed in the flesh?

⁴Did you suffer so many things in vain, if it is indeed in vain?

⁵He therefore who supplies the Spirit to you, and works miracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith?

⁶Even as Abraham "believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness."

⁷Know therefore that those who are of faith, the same are children of Abraham.

⁸The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the Good News beforehand to Abraham, saying, "In you all the nations will be blessed."

⁹So then, those who are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham.

¹⁰For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things that are written in the scroll of the Law, to do them."

¹¹Now that no man is justified by the law before God is evident, for, "The righteous will live by faith."

¹²The law is not of faith, but, "The man who does them will live by them."

¹³Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,"

¹⁴that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

¹⁵Brothers, speaking of human terms, though it is only a man's covenant, yet when it has been confirmed, no one makes it void, or adds to it.

¹⁶Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "To seeds," as of many, but as of one, "To your seed," which is Christ.

¹⁷Now I say this. A covenant confirmed beforehand by God, the law, which came four hundred thirty years after, does not annul, so as to make the promise of no effect.

¹⁸For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by promise.

¹⁹What then is the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the seed should come to whom the promise has been made. It was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator.

²⁰Now a mediator is not between one, but God is one.

²¹Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could make alive, most certainly righteousness would have been of the law.

²²But the Scriptures imprisoned all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

²³But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, confined for the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

²⁴So that the law has become our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

²⁵But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

²⁶For you are all children of God, through faith in Christ Jesus.

²⁷For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

²⁸There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

²⁹If you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to promise.

¹The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a glad father; but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.

²Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death.

³The Lord will not allow the soul of the righteous to go hungry, but he thrusts away the desire of the wicked.

⁴He becomes poor who works with a lazy hand, but the hand of the diligent brings wealth.

⁵He who gathers in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during the harvest is a son who causes shame.

⁶Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

⁷The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot.

⁸The wise in heart accept commandments, but a chattering fool will fall.

⁹He who walks blamelessly walks surely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out.

¹⁰One winking with the eye causes sorrow, but a chattering fool will fall.

¹¹The mouth of the righteous is a spring of life, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

¹²Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all wrongs.

¹³Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has discernment, but a rod is for the back of him who is void of understanding.

¹⁴Wise men lay up knowledge, but the mouth of the foolish is near ruin.

¹⁵The rich man's wealth is his strong city. The destruction of the poor is their poverty.

¹⁶The labor of the righteous leads to life. The increase of the wicked leads to sin.

¹⁷He is in the way of life who heeds correction, but he who forsakes reproof leads others astray.

¹⁸He who hides hatred has lying lips. He who utters a slander is a fool.

¹⁹In the multitude of words there is no lack of disobedience, but he who restrains his lips does wisely.

²⁰The tongue of the righteous is like choice silver. The heart of the wicked is of little worth.

²¹The lips of the righteous feed many, but the foolish die for lack of understanding.

²²The Lord's blessing brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.

²³It is a fool's pleasure to do wickedness, but wisdom is a man of understanding's pleasure.

²⁴What the wicked fear, will overtake them, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.

²⁵When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more; but the righteous stand firm forever.

²⁶As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him.

²⁷The fear of the Lord prolongs days, but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.

²⁸The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hope of the wicked will perish.

²⁹The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the upright, but it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity.

³⁰The righteous will never be removed, but the wicked will not dwell in the land.

³¹The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off.

³²The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked is perverse.