The Daily Audio Bible
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King Solomon
5 “I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride. I have gathered my perfume with my spice. I have eaten my honey and the comb. I have drunk my wine and my milk. Eat and drink, friends. Drink much, O lovers.”
The Fourth Song
The Woman
2 “I was asleep, but my heart was awake. A voice! My love was knocking: ‘Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one! For my head is wet from the water on the grass in the early morning. My hair is wet from the night.’ 3 I have taken off my dress. How can I put it on again? I have washed my feet. Should I get them dirty again? 4 My love put his hand through the opening, and joy filled my heart. 5 I got up to let my love in, and perfume fell from my hands. Wet perfume fell from my fingers onto the lock. 6 I opened the door to my love, but he had already gone! My heart went out to him as he spoke. I looked for him, but did not find him. I called him, but he did not answer me. 7 The watchmen of the city found me. They beat me and hurt me. The watchmen of the walls took my coat from me. 8 I tell you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my loved one, you must tell him that I am weak with love.”
Women of Jerusalem
9 “What is your loved one more than another loved one, O most beautiful among women? What is your loved one more than another loved one, that you tell us to do this?”
The Woman
10 “My loved one is bright and red, the best among 10,000. 11 His head is like gold, pure gold. His hair has waves and is black as a raven. 12 His eyes are like doves beside rivers of water, washed in milk, and resting in their places. 13 His cheeks are like beds of spices, with sweet-smelling plants. His lips are like lily flowers giving off drops of perfume. 14 His hands are strong pieces of gold set with stones of much worth. His body is made of ivory set with stones of much worth. 15 His legs are pillars of clay put on bases of pure gold. He looks like Lebanon, as beautiful as the cedar trees. 16 His mouth is very sweet, everything about him is pleasing. This is my loved one and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.”
Women of Jerusalem
6 “Where has your loved one gone, O most beautiful among women? Where has your loved one turned, that we may look for him with you?”
The Woman
2 “My love has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices. He has gone to feed his flock in the gardens and to gather lilies. 3 I am my love’s, and my love is mine, he who feeds his flock among the lilies.”
The Fifth Song
King Solomon
4 “You are as beautiful as Tirzah, my love, as beautiful as Jerusalem. You are to be feared as an army with flags. 5 Turn your eyes away from me, for they trouble me. Your hair is like a flock of goats that has come down from Gilead. 6 Your teeth are like a flock of sheep which has come up from the washing. All of them give birth to two lambs at a time, and not one of them has lost her young. 7 The sides of your forehead are like a piece of a pomegranate behind your face-covering. 8 There are sixty queens, and eighty women kept who act like wives, and there are too many young women to number who have never had a man. 9 But my dove, my perfect one, is special. She is her mother’s only daughter. She is the pure child of the one who gave birth to her. The young women saw her and knew she was honored. The queens and the women who act as wives praised her, saying, 10 ‘Who is this that looks out like the first light of day? She is as beautiful as the full moon, as pure as the sun. She is to be feared as an army with flags.’”
The Woman
11 “I went down to the field of nut trees to see the flowers of the valley, to see if the vines or the pomegranates had flowers. 12 Before I knew it, I wanted to be over the war-wagons of the princes of my people.”
Women of Jerusalem
13 “Return, return, O Shulammite! Return, return, that we may look upon you!”
The Woman
“Why should you look upon the Shulammite, as upon a dance in front of two armies?”
King Solomon
7 “How beautiful are your feet in their shoes, O daughter! Your legs are like stones of much worth, the work of an able workman. 2 Your navel is like a beautiful glass full of wine. Your stomach is like gathered grain with lilies around it. 3 Your two breasts are like two young deer, the two young ones of a gazelle. 4 Your neck is like a tower of ivory. Your eyes are like the pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bath-rabbim. Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon, which looks toward Damascus. 5 Your head crowns you like Carmel. Your flowing hair is like strings of purple. The king is held by the beauty of your hair. 6 How beautiful and how pleasing you are, my love! How happy you make me! 7 You stand like a palm tree. And your breasts are like its fruit. 8 I said, ‘I will go to the top of the palm tree. I will take hold of its branches.’ O, may your breasts be like the fruit of the vine, and the sweet smell of your breath like pleasing fruit. 9 And may your mouth be like the best wine.”
The Woman
“For my love, it is smooth going down, flowing through the lips while sleeping.
10 “I am my love’s, and he wants me. 11 Come, my love, let us go to the country. Let us spend the night in the villages. 12 Let us get up early and go to the grape-fields. Let us see if the buds are on the vines, and if its flowers have opened. Let us see if the pomegranates have flowers. There I will give you my love. 13 The mandrakes have given out their sweet smell. And over our doors are all the best fruits, both new and old, which I have saved for you, my love.
8 “O that you were like a brother to me, who nursed from my mother’s breasts! If I found you outside, I would kiss you, and no one would hate me. 2 I would lead you and bring you into the house of my mother, who used to teach me. I would give you wine with spices to drink, made from my pomegranates. 3 Let his left hand be under my head, and his right hand hold me close.”
King Solomon
4 “I tell you, O daughters of Jerusalem. You must not wake up my love, until it is pleasing to her.”
The Sixth Song
Women of Jerusalem
5 “Who is this coming up from the desert, resting on her loved one?”
The Woman
“I woke you up under the fruit tree. There your mother suffered and gave birth to you. 6 Put me over your heart and on your arm, never to be taken off. For love is as strong as death. Jealousy is as hard as the grave. Its bright light is like the light of fire, the very fire of the Lord. 7 Many waters cannot put out love. Rivers cannot cover it. If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, it would all be hated.”
The Woman’s Brothers
8 “We have a little sister, and she has no breasts. What should we do for our sister on the day when she is promised in marriage? 9 If she is a wall, we should build on her a tower of silver. But if she is a door, we should cover her with strong pieces of cedar wood.”
The Woman
10 “I was a wall, and my breasts were like towers. Then I was in his eyes as one who finds peace.”
The Woman’s Brothers
11 “Solomon has a grape-field at Baal-hamon. He put the grape-field into the care of certain men. Each one was to bring 1,000 pieces of silver for its fruit. 12 My own grape-field is for myself. The 1,000 pieces of silver are for you, Solomon. And 200 are for those who take care of its fruit.”
13 “O you who sit in the gardens, my friends are listening for your voice. Let me hear it.”
The Woman
14 “Hurry, my love. Be like a gazelle or a young deer on the mountains of spices.”
Giving to Help Other Christians
9 I do not need to write to you about helping those who belong to Christ. 2 I know you want to do it. I have told the people in the country of Macedonia that you were ready to send money last year. Your desire has started most of them to give. 3 I am sending these Christian brothers so the words I said about you will prove to be true and you will be ready to help. 4 What if some of the people of Macedonia came with me and found you were not ready to send your gift of money? We would all be ashamed since we have talked of you so much. 5 That is why I asked these men to go ahead of me. They can see that the gift you promised is ready. In that way, it will be a true gift and not something you were made to do.
6 Remember, the man who plants only a few seeds will not have much grain to gather. The man who plants many seeds will have much grain to gather. 7 Each man should give as he has decided in his heart. He should not give, wishing he could keep it. Or he should not give if he feels he has to give. God loves a man who gives because he wants to give. 8 God can give you all you need. He will give you more than enough. You will have everything you need for yourselves. And you will have enough left over to give when there is a need. 9 The Holy Writings say, “He has given much to the poor. His right-standing with God lasts forever.” (A) 10 It is God Who gives seed to the man to plant. He also gives the bread to eat. Then we know He will give you more seed to plant and make it grow so you will have more to give away. 11 God will give you enough so you can always give to others. Then many will give thanks to God for sending gifts through us. 12 This gift you give not only helps Christians who are in need, but it also helps them give thanks to God. 13 You are proving by this act of love what you are. They will give thanks to God for your gift to them and to others. This proves you obey the Good News of Christ. 14 They will pray for you with great love because God has given you His loving-favor. 15 Thank God for His great Gift.
Prayer of the Sinner
51 O God, favor me because of Your loving-kindness. Take away my wrong-doing because of the greatness of Your loving-pity. 2 Wash me inside and out from my wrong-doing and make me clean from my sin. 3 For I know my wrong-doing, and my sin is always in front of me. 4 I have sinned against You, and You only. I have done what is sinful in Your eyes. You are always right when You speak, and fair when You judge.
5 See, I was born in sin and was in sin from my very beginning. 6 See, You want truth deep within the heart. And You will make me know wisdom in the hidden part. 7 Take away my sin, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Make me hear joy and happiness. Let the bones that You have broken be full of joy. 9 Hide Your face from my sins. And take away all my wrong-doing.
10 Make a clean heart in me, O God. Give me a new spirit that will not be moved. 11 Do not throw me away from where You are. And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Let the joy of Your saving power return to me. And give me a willing spirit to obey you. 13 Then I will teach wrong-doers Your ways. And sinners will turn to You.
14 Save me from the guilt of blood, O God. You are the God Who saves me. Then my tongue will sing with joy about how right and good You are. 15 O Lord, open my lips, so my mouth will praise You. 16 For You are not happy with a gift given on the altar in worship, or I would give it. You are not pleased with burnt gifts. 17 The gifts on an altar that God wants are a broken spirit. O God, You will not hate a broken heart and a heart with no pride.
18 Be pleased to do good to Zion. Build the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then You will be happy with gifts given on the altar that are right and good, with burnt gifts and whole burnt gifts. Then young bulls will be given on Your altar.
24 Do not have anything to do with a man given to anger, or go with a man who has a bad temper. 25 Or you might learn his ways and get yourself into a trap.
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