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Song of Songs 4-5
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Song of Songs 4-5
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Young Woman’s Beauty Extolled
4 How beautiful you are, my love,
how very beautiful!
Your eyes are doves
behind your veil.
Your hair is like a flock of goats,
moving down the slopes of Gilead.(A)
2 Your teeth are like a flock of shorn ewes
that have come up from the washing,
all of which bear twins,
and not one among them is bereaved.(B)
3 Your lips are like a crimson thread,
and your mouth is lovely.
Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate
behind your veil.(C)
4 Your neck is like the tower of David,
built in courses;
on it hang a thousand bucklers,
all of them shields of warriors.(D)
5 Your two breasts are like two fawns,
twins of a gazelle,
that feed among the lilies.(E)
6 Until the day breathes
and the shadows flee,
I will hasten to the mountain of myrrh
and the hill of frankincense.(F)
7 You are altogether beautiful, my love;
there is no flaw in you.(G)
8 Come with me from Lebanon, my bride;
come with me from Lebanon.
Depart[a] from the peak of Amana,
from the peak of Senir and Hermon,
from the dens of lions,
from the mountains of leopards.(H)
9 You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride;
you have ravished my heart with a glance of your eyes,
with one jewel of your necklace.(I)
10 How sweet is your love, my sister, my bride!
How much better is your love than wine
and the fragrance of your oils than any spice!(J)
11 Your lips distill nectar, my bride;
honey and milk are under your tongue;
the scent of your garments is like the scent of Lebanon.(K)
12 A garden locked is my sister, my bride,
a garden[b] locked, a fountain sealed.(L)
13 Your channel[c] is an orchard of pomegranates
with all choicest fruits,
henna with nard,(M)
14 nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon,
with all trees of frankincense,
myrrh and aloes,
with all chief spices—(N)
15 a garden fountain, a well of living water,
and flowing streams from Lebanon.(O)
16 Awake, O north wind,
and come, O south wind!
Blow upon my garden
that its fragrance may be wafted abroad.
Let my beloved come to his garden
that he may eat its choicest fruits.(P)
5 I come to my garden, my sister, my bride;
I gather my myrrh with my spice;
I eat my honeycomb with my honey;
I drink my wine with my milk.
Eat, friends, drink,
and be drunk with love.(Q)
Another Dream
2 I was sleeping, but my heart was awake.
The sound of my beloved knocking!
“Open to me, my sister, my love,
my dove, my perfect one,
for my head is wet with dew,
my locks with the drops of the night.”(R)
3 I had put off my garment;
how could I put it on again?
I had bathed my feet;
how could I soil them?(S)
4 My beloved thrust his hand into the opening,
and my inmost being yearned for him.
5 I arose to open to my beloved,
and my hands dripped with myrrh,
my fingers with liquid myrrh,
upon the handles of the bolt.(T)
6 I opened to my beloved,
but my beloved had turned away and was gone.
My soul failed me when he spoke.
I sought him but did not find him;
I called him, but he gave no answer.(U)
7 Making their rounds in the city
the sentinels found me;
they beat me; they wounded me;
they took away my mantle,
those sentinels of the walls.(V)
8 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
if you find my beloved,
tell him this:
I am faint with love.(W)
Colloquy of Friends and the Young Woman
9 What is your beloved more than another beloved,
O fairest among women?
What is your beloved more than another beloved,
that you thus charge us?(X)
10 My beloved is all radiant and ruddy,
distinguished among ten thousand.
11 His head is the finest gold;
his locks are wavy,
black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves
beside springs of water,
bathed in milk,
fitly set.[d](Y)
13 His cheeks are like beds of spices,
yielding fragrance.
His lips are lilies,
dripping liquid myrrh.(Z)
14 His arms are rounded gold,
set with jewels.
His body is an ivory panel,[e]
decorated with sapphires.
15 His legs are alabaster columns,
set upon bases of gold.
His appearance is like Lebanon,
choice as the cedars.
16 His speech is most sweet,
and he is altogether desirable.
This is my beloved, and this is my friend,
O daughters of Jerusalem.(AA)
Song of Songs 4-5
New International Version
Song of Songs 4-5
New International Version
He
4 How beautiful you are, my darling!
Oh, how beautiful!
Your eyes behind your veil(A) are doves.(B)
Your hair is like a flock of goats
descending from the hills of Gilead.(C)
2 Your teeth are like a flock of sheep just shorn,
coming up from the washing.
Each has its twin;
not one of them is alone.(D)
3 Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon;
your mouth(E) is lovely.(F)
Your temples behind your veil
are like the halves of a pomegranate.(G)
4 Your neck is like the tower(H) of David,
built with courses of stone[a];
on it hang a thousand shields,(I)
all of them shields of warriors.
5 Your breasts(J) are like two fawns,
like twin fawns of a gazelle(K)
that browse among the lilies.(L)
6 Until the day breaks
and the shadows flee,(M)
I will go to the mountain of myrrh(N)
and to the hill of incense.
7 You are altogether beautiful,(O) my darling;
there is no flaw(P) in you.
8 Come with me from Lebanon, my bride,(Q)
come with me from Lebanon.
Descend from the crest of Amana,
from the top of Senir,(R) the summit of Hermon,(S)
from the lions’ dens
and the mountain haunts of leopards.
9 You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride;(T)
you have stolen my heart
with one glance of your eyes,
with one jewel of your necklace.(U)
10 How delightful(V) is your love(W), my sister, my bride!
How much more pleasing is your love than wine,(X)
and the fragrance of your perfume(Y)
more than any spice!
11 Your lips drop sweetness as the honeycomb, my bride;
milk and honey are under your tongue.(Z)
The fragrance of your garments
is like the fragrance of Lebanon.(AA)
12 You are a garden(AB) locked up, my sister, my bride;(AC)
you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain.(AD)
13 Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates(AE)
with choice fruits,
with henna(AF) and nard,
14 nard and saffron,
calamus and cinnamon,(AG)
with every kind of incense tree,
with myrrh(AH) and aloes(AI)
and all the finest spices.(AJ)
15 You are[b] a garden(AK) fountain,(AL)
a well of flowing water
streaming down from Lebanon.
She
16 Awake, north wind,
and come, south wind!
Blow on my garden,(AM)
that its fragrance(AN) may spread everywhere.
Let my beloved(AO) come into his garden
and taste its choice fruits.(AP)
He
5 I have come into my garden,(AQ) my sister, my bride;(AR)
I have gathered my myrrh with my spice.
I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey;
I have drunk my wine and my milk.(AS)
Friends
Eat, friends, and drink;
drink your fill of love.
She
2 I slept but my heart was awake.
Listen! My beloved is knocking:
“Open to me, my sister, my darling,
my dove,(AT) my flawless(AU) one.(AV)
My head is drenched with dew,
my hair with the dampness of the night.”
3 I have taken off my robe—
must I put it on again?
I have washed my feet—
must I soil them again?
4 My beloved thrust his hand through the latch-opening;
my heart began to pound for him.
5 I arose to open for my beloved,
and my hands dripped with myrrh,(AW)
my fingers with flowing myrrh,
on the handles of the bolt.
6 I opened for my beloved,(AX)
but my beloved had left; he was gone.(AY)
My heart sank at his departure.[c]
I looked(AZ) for him but did not find him.
I called him but he did not answer.
7 The watchmen found me
as they made their rounds in the city.(BA)
They beat me, they bruised me;
they took away my cloak,
those watchmen of the walls!
8 Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you(BB)—
if you find my beloved,(BC)
what will you tell him?
Tell him I am faint with love.(BD)
Friends
9 How is your beloved better than others,
most beautiful of women?(BE)
How is your beloved better than others,
that you so charge us?
She
10 My beloved is radiant and ruddy,
outstanding among ten thousand.(BF)
11 His head is purest gold;
his hair is wavy
and black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves(BG)
by the water streams,
washed in milk,(BH)
mounted like jewels.
13 His cheeks(BI) are like beds of spice(BJ)
yielding perfume.
His lips are like lilies(BK)
dripping with myrrh.(BL)
14 His arms are rods of gold
set with topaz.
His body is like polished ivory
decorated with lapis lazuli.(BM)
15 His legs are pillars of marble
set on bases of pure gold.
His appearance is like Lebanon,(BN)
choice as its cedars.
16 His mouth(BO) is sweetness itself;
he is altogether lovely.
This is my beloved,(BP) this is my friend,
daughters of Jerusalem.(BQ)
Footnotes
- Song of Songs 4:4 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
- Song of Songs 4:15 Or I am (spoken by She)
- Song of Songs 5:6 Or heart had gone out to him when he spoke
Galatians 3
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Galatians 3
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Law or Faith
3 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified!(A) 2 The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard?(B) 3 Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh?(C) 4 Did you experience so much for nothing?—if it really was for nothing.(D) 5 Well then, does God[a] supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law or by your believing what you heard?
6 Just as Abraham “believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,”(E) 7 so, you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham. 8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would reckon as righteous the gentiles by faith, declared the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the gentiles shall be blessed in you.”(F) 9 For this reason, those who believe are blessed with Abraham who believed.
10 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the things written in the book of the law.”(G) 11 Now it is evident that no one is reckoned as righteous before God by the law, for “the one who is righteous will live by faith.”[b](H) 12 But the law does not rest on faith; on the contrary, “Whoever does the works of the law[c] will live by them.”(I) 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”(J)— 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.(K)
The Promise to Abraham
15 Brothers and sisters, I give an example from daily life: once a person’s will[d] has been ratified, no one adds to it or annuls it.(L) 16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring;[e] it does not say, “And to offsprings,”[f] as of many, but it says, “And to your offspring,”[g] that is, to one person, who is Christ.(M) 17 My point is this: the law, which came four hundred thirty years later, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise.(N) 18 For if the inheritance comes from the law, it no longer comes from the promise, but God granted it to Abraham through the promise.(O)
The Purpose of the Law
19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring[h] would come to whom the promise had been made, and it was ordained through angels by a mediator.(P) 20 Now a mediator involves more than one party, but God is one.(Q)
21 Is the law then opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could make alive, then righteousness would indeed come through the law. 22 But the scripture has imprisoned all things under the power of sin, so that what was promised through the faith of Jesus Christ[i] might be given to those who believe.(R)
23 Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be reckoned as righteous[j] by faith.(S) 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.(T) 27 As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.(U) 28 There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.(V) 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring,[k] heirs according to the promise.(W)
Galatians 3
New International Version
Galatians 3
New International Version
Faith or Works of the Law
3 You foolish(A) Galatians!(B) Who has bewitched you?(C) Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.(D) 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit(E) by the works of the law,(F) or by believing what you heard?(G) 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?[a] 4 Have you experienced[b] so much in vain—if it really was in vain? 5 So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles(H) among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?(I) 6 So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”[c](J)
7 Understand, then, that those who have faith(K) are children of Abraham.(L) 8 Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”[d](M) 9 So those who rely on faith(N) are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.(O)
10 For all who rely on the works of the law(P) are under a curse,(Q) as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”[e](R) 11 Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God,(S) because “the righteous will live by faith.”[f](T) 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.”[g](U) 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law(V) by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”[h](W) 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus,(X) so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.(Y)
The Law and the Promise
15 Brothers and sisters,(Z) let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. 16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed.(AA) Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,”[i](AB) meaning one person, who is Christ. 17 What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years(AC) later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. 18 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise;(AD) but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.
19 Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions(AE) until the Seed(AF) to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels(AG) and entrusted to a mediator.(AH) 20 A mediator,(AI) however, implies more than one party; but God is one.
21 Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not!(AJ) For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.(AK) 22 But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin,(AL) so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
Children of God
23 Before the coming of this faith,[j] we were held in custody(AM) under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.(AN) 24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came(AO) that we might be justified by faith.(AP) 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.(AQ)
26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God(AR) through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ(AS) have clothed yourselves with Christ.(AT) 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free,(AU) nor is there male and female,(AV) for you are all one in Christ Jesus.(AW) 29 If you belong to Christ,(AX) then you are Abraham’s seed,(AY) and heirs(AZ) according to the promise.(BA)
Footnotes
- Galatians 3:3 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.
- Galatians 3:4 Or suffered
- Galatians 3:6 Gen. 15:6
- Galatians 3:8 Gen. 12:3; 18:18; 22:18
- Galatians 3:10 Deut. 27:26
- Galatians 3:11 Hab. 2:4
- Galatians 3:12 Lev. 18:5
- Galatians 3:13 Deut. 21:23
- Galatians 3:16 Gen. 12:7; 13:15; 24:7
- Galatians 3:23 Or through the faithfulness of Jesus … 23 Before faith came
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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