Wednesday, September 6, 2023

Bible Readings for September 6, 2023

Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today our passages are Song of Solomon 1:1-4:16; 2 Corinthians 8:16-24; Psalm 50:1-23; and Proverbs 22:22-23. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.



Song of Solomon 1-4:16 (Contemporary English Version)


Song of Solomon 1

Love Is Better than Wine

 1This is Solomon's
   most beautiful song.   

She Speaks:

 2Kiss me tenderly!
   Your love is better than wine,
    3and you smell so sweet.
   All the young women adore you;
   the very mention of your name
   is like spreading perfume.
    4Hurry, my king! Let's hurry.
    5Take me to your home.
   We are happy for you!
   And we praise your love
   even more than wine.
   Young women of Jerusalem,
   it is only right
   that you should adore him.
   My skin is dark and beautiful,
   like a tent in the desert
   or like Solomon's curtains.   

The Young Women Speak:
She Speaks:

 6Don't stare at me
   just because the sun
   has darkened my skin.
   My brothers were angry with me;
   they made me work in the vineyard,
   and so I neglected
   my complexion.
   Don't let the other shepherds
   think badly of me. [a] 7I'm not one of those women
   who shamelessly follow
   after shepherds. [b] My darling, I love you!
   Where do you feed your sheep
   and let them rest at noon?   

He Speaks:

 8My dearest, if you don't know,
   just follow the path
   of the sheep.
   Then feed your young goats
   near the shepherds' tents.
    9You move as gracefully
   as the pony
   that leads
   the chariot of the king.
    10Earrings add to your beauty,
   and you wear a necklace
   of precious stones.
    11Let's make you some jewelry
   of gold,
   woven with silver.   

She Speaks:

 12My king, while you
   were on your couch,
   my love was a magic charm. [c] 13My darling, you are perfume
   between my breasts;
    14you are flower blossoms
   from the gardens of En-Gedi. [d]

He Speaks:

 15My darling, you are lovely,
   so very lovely--
   your eyes are those of a dove.   

She Speaks:

 16My love, you are handsome,
   truly handsome--
   the fresh green grass
   will be our wedding bed
    17in the shade of cedar
   and cypress trees.
   

Song of Solomon 2

Love Makes Everything Beautiful
She Speaks:

 1I am merely a rose [e] from the land of Sharon,
   a lily from the valley.   

He Speaks:

 2My darling, when compared
   with other young women,
   you are a lily among thorns.   

She Speaks:

 3And you, my love,
   are an apple tree
   among trees of the forest.
   Your shade brought me pleasure;
   your fruit was sweet.
    4You led me to your banquet room
   and showered me with love.
    5Refresh and strengthen me
   with raisins and apples.
   I am hungry for love!
    6Put your left hand under my head
   and embrace me
   with your right arm.
    7Young women of Jerusalem,
   promise me by the power
   of deer and gazelles [f] never to awaken love
   before it is ready.   

Winter Is Past
She Speaks:

 8I hear the voice
   of the one I love,
   as he comes leaping
   over mountains and hills
    9like a deer or a gazelle.
   Now he stands outside our wall,
   looking through the window
    10and speaking to me.
   My darling, I love you!
   Let's go away together.   

He Speaks:

 11Winter is past,
   the rain has stopped;
    12flowers cover the earth,
   it's time to sing. [g] The cooing of doves
   is heard in our land.
    13Fig trees are bearing fruit,
   while blossoms on grapevines
   fill the air with perfume.
   My darling, I love you!
   Let's go away together.
    14You are my dove
   hiding among the rocks
   on the side of a cliff.
   Let me see how lovely you are!
   Let me hear the sound
   of your melodious voice.
    15Our vineyards are in blossom;
   we must catch the little foxes
   that destroy the vineyards. [h]

She Speaks:

 16My darling, I am yours,
   and you are mine,
   as you feed your sheep
   among the lilies.
    17Pretend to be a young deer
   dancing on mountain slopes [i] until daylight comes
   and shadows fade away.
   

Song of Solomon 3

Beautiful Dreams
She Speaks:

 1While in bed at night,
   I reached for the one I love
   with heart and soul.
   I looked for him,
   but he wasn't there.
    2So I searched through the town
   for the one I love.
   I looked on every street,
   but he wasn't there.
    3I even asked the guards
   patrolling the town,
   "Have you seen the one
   I love so much?"
    4Right after that, I found him.
   I held him and would not let go
   until I had taken him
   to the home of my mother.
    5Young women of Jerusalem,
   promise me by the power
   of deer and gazelles, [j] never to awaken love
   before it is ready.   

The Groom and the Wedding Party
Their Friends Speak:

 6What do we see approaching
   from the desert
   like a cloud of smoke?
   With it comes the sweet smell
   of spices,
   including myrrh
   and frankincense.
    7It is King Solomon
   carried on a throne,
   surrounded by sixty
   of Israel's best soldiers.
    8Each of them wears a sword.
   They are experts at fighting,
   even in the dark.
    9The throne is made of trees
   from Lebanon.
    10Its posts are silver,
   the back is gold,
   and the seat is covered
   with purple cloth.
   You women of Jerusalem
   have taken great care
   to furnish the inside. [k] 11Now come and see the crown
   given to Solomon
   by his mother
   on his happy wedding day.
   

Song of Solomon 4

What a Beautiful Bride
He Speaks:

 1My darling, you are lovely,
   so very lovely--
   as you look through your veil,
   your eyes are those of a dove.
   Your hair tosses about
   as gracefully as goats
   coming down from Gilead.
    2Your teeth are whiter
   than sheep freshly washed;
   they match perfectly,
   not one is missing.
    3Your lips are crimson cords,
   your mouth is shapely;
   behind your veil are hidden
   beautiful rosy cheeks. [l] 4Your neck is more graceful
   than the tower of David,
   decorated with thousands
   of warriors' shields.
    5Your breasts are perfect;
   they are twin deer
   feeding among lilies.
    6I will hasten to those hills
   sprinkled with sweet perfume
   and stay there till sunrise.
    7My darling, you are lovely
   in every way.
    8My bride, together
   we will leave Lebanon!
   We will say good-by
   to the peaks
   of Mount Amana,
   Senir, and Hermon,
   where lions and leopards
   live in the caves.
    9My bride, my very own,
   you have stolen my heart!
   With one glance from your eyes
   and the glow of your necklace,
   you have stolen my heart.
    10Your love is sweeter than wine;
   the smell of your perfume
   is more fragrant than spices.
    11Your lips are a honeycomb;
   milk and honey
   flow from your tongue.
   Your dress has the aroma
   of cedar trees from Lebanon.
    12My bride, my very own,
   you are a garden,
   a fountain
   closed off to all others.
    13Your arms [m] are vines, covered with delicious fruits
   and all sorts of spices--
   henna, nard, 14saffron,
   calamus, cinnamon,
   frankincense, myrrh, and aloes
   --all the finest spices.
    15You are a spring in the garden,
   a fountain of pure water,
   and a refreshing stream
   from Mount Lebanon.   

She Speaks:

 16Let the north wind blow,
   the south wind too!
   Let them spread the aroma
   of my garden,
   so the one I love
   may enter
   and taste
   its delicious fruits.
   
Footnotes:
  1. Song of Solomon 1:6 Don't. . . me: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  2. Song of Solomon 1:7 I'm. . . shepherds: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  3. Song of Solomon 1:12 magic charm: The Hebrew text has "spikenard" (or "nard"), a sweet-smelling ointment made from a plant that comes from India. The ointment was sometimes used as a love charm.
  4. Song of Solomon 1:14 En-Gedi: An oasis west of the Dead Sea.
  5. Song of Solomon 2:1 rose: The traditional translation. The exact variety of the flower is not known, though it may have been a crocus.
  6. Song of Solomon 2:7 deer and gazelles: Deer and gazelles were sacred animals in some religions of Old Testament times, and they were thought to have special powers.
  7. Song of Solomon 2:12 sing: Or "trim the vines."
  8. Song of Solomon 2:15 vineyards: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 15.
  9. Song of Solomon 2:17 mountain slopes: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  10. Song of Solomon 3:5 deer and gazelles: See the note at 2.7.
  11. Song of Solomon 3:10 inside: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  12. Song of Solomon 4:3 beautiful rosy cheeks: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  13. Song of Solomon 4:13 Your arms: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.




2 Corinthians 8:16-24 (Contemporary English Version)

Titus and His Friends

 16I am grateful that God made Titus care as much about you as we do. 17When we begged Titus to visit you, he said he would. He wanted to because he cared so much for you. 18With Titus we are also sending one of the Lord's followers who is well known in every church for spreading the good news. 19The churches chose this follower to travel with us while we carry this gift that will bring praise to the Lord and show how much we hope to help. 20We don't want anyone to find fault with the way we handle your generous gift. 21But we want to do what pleases the Lord and what people think is right.
    22We are also sending someone else with Titus and the other follower. We approve of this man. In fact, he has already shown us many times that he wants to help. And now he wants to help even more than ever, because he trusts you so much. 23Titus is my partner, who works with me to serve you. The other two followers are sent by the churches, and they bring honor to Christ. 24Treat them in such a way that the churches will see your love and will know why we bragged about you.



Psalm 50:1-23 (Contemporary English Version)


Psalm 50

(A psalm by Asaph.)
What Pleases God

 1From east to west,
   the powerful LORD God
   has been calling together
   everyone on earth.
    2God shines brightly from Zion,
   the most beautiful city.
    3Our God approaches,
   but not silently;
   a flaming fire comes first,
   and a storm surrounds him.
    4God comes to judge his people.
   He shouts to the heavens
   and to the earth,
    5"Call my followers together!
   They offered me a sacrifice,
   and we made an agreement."
    6The heavens announce,
   "God is the judge,
   and he is always honest."
    7My people, I am God!
   Israel, I am your God.
   Listen to my charges
   against you.
    8Although you offer sacrifices
   and always bring gifts,
    9I won't accept your offerings
   of bulls and goats.
    10Every animal in the forest
   belongs to me,
   and so do the cattle
   on a thousand hills.
    11I know all the birds
   in the mountains,
   and every wild creature
   is in my care.
    12If I were hungry,
   I wouldn't tell you,
   because I own the world
   and everything in it.
    13I don't eat the meat of bulls
   or drink the blood of goats.
    14I am God Most High!
   The only sacrifice I want
   is for you to be thankful
   and to keep your word.
    15Pray to me in time of trouble.
   I will rescue you,
   and you will honor me.
    16But to the wicked I say:
   "You don't have the right
   to mention my laws
   or claim
   to keep our agreement!
    17You refused correction
   and rejected my commands.
    18You made friends
   with every crook you met,
   and you liked people who break
   their wedding vows.
    19You talked only about violence
   and told nothing but lies;
    20you sat around gossiping,
   ruining the reputation
   of your own relatives."
    21When you did all of this,
   I didn't say a word,
   and you thought,
   "God is just like us!"
   But now I will accuse you.
    22You have ignored me!
   So pay close attention
   or I will tear you apart,
   and no one can help you.
    23The sacrifice that honors me
   is a thankful heart.
   Obey me, [a] and I, your God,
   will show my power to save.
   
Footnotes:
  1. Psalm 50:23 Obey me: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.



Proverbs 22:22-23 (Contemporary English Version)

-1-

 22 Don't take advantage
   of the poor
   or cheat them in court.
    23The LORD is their defender,
   and what you do to them,
   he will do to you.





Thought for the Day
 

“Jesus replied: If anyone loves me, they will obey me. Then my Father will love them, and we will come to them and live in them.” (John 14:23 - Contemporary English Version) We can show our love for Jesus by showing love to others. And when we do, not only will we receive the satisfaction of knowing that we're doing what we've been called to do, we'll also feel closer to the one who loved us before time had any meaning. 


Quote for the Day

English actor, Michael Caine wrote, "Be like a duck. Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath."



A Joke for Today

Arriving late for a political conference, the college student asks another student standing by the door, "How long has the candidate been talking now?"

"Half an hour."

"And what is he talking about?"

"That I wouldn't know, he hasn't said."



A Prayer Request

As Christians, we can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Below is the need that we're laying before God today.

That leaders put aside their pride and ambition for the good of their country.

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