Psalm 143

English Standard Version

My Soul Thirsts for You

A Psalm of David.

143 Hear my prayer, O Lord;
    ^(A)give ear to my pleas for mercy!
    In your ^(B)faithfulness answer me, in your ^(C)righteousness!
²^(D)Enter not into judgment with your servant,
    for no one living is righteous ^(E)before you.

³For the enemy has pursued my soul;
    ^(F)he has crushed my life to the ground;
    ^(G)he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.
⁴Therefore my spirit ^(H)faints within me;
    my heart within me is appalled.

⁵^(I)I remember the days of old;
    ^(J)I meditate on all that you have done;
    I ponder the work of your hands.
⁶^(K)I stretch out my hands to you;
    ^(L)my soul thirsts for you like ^(M)a parched land. Selah

⁷^(N)Answer me quickly, O Lord!
    ^(O)My spirit fails!
^(P)Hide not your face from me,
    ^(Q)lest I be like those who go down to the pit.
⁸^(R)Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
    for in you I ^(S)trust.
^(T)Make me know the way I should go,
    ^(U)for to you I lift up my soul.

⁹^(V)Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord!
    I have fled to you for refuge.^[a]
¹⁰^(W)Teach me to do your will,
    for you are my God!
^(X)Let your good Spirit ^(Y)lead me
    on ^(Z)level ground!

¹¹^(AA)For your name's sake, O Lord, ^(AB)preserve my life!
    In your righteousness ^(AC)bring my soul out of trouble!
¹²And in your steadfast love you will ^(AD)cut off my enemies,
    and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul,
    for I am your ^(AE)servant.

Footnotes

Psalm 143:9 One Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts To you I have covered

Song of Solomon 5

English Standard Version

He

5 I ^(A)came to my garden, my ^(B)sister, my bride,
    I gathered my ^(C)myrrh with my spice,
    I ate my ^(D)honeycomb with my honey,
    I ^(E)drank my wine with my milk.

Others

Eat, ^(F)friends, drink,
and be drunk with love!

The Bride Searches for Her Beloved

She

²I slept, but my heart was awake.
A sound! My beloved is ^(G)knocking.
“Open to me, my ^(H)sister, my ^(I)love,
    my ^(J)dove, my ^(K)perfect one,
for my head is wet with dew,
    my ^(L)locks with the drops of the night.”
³^(M)I had put off my garment;
    how could I put it on?
I had ^(N)bathed my feet;
    how could I soil them?
⁴My beloved put his hand to the latch,
    and my heart was thrilled within me.
⁵I arose to open to my beloved,
    and my hands dripped with myrrh,
my fingers with ^(O)liquid myrrh,
    on the handles of the bolt.
⁶I opened to my beloved,
    but my beloved had turned and gone.
My soul failed me when he ^(P)spoke.
^(Q)I sought him, but found him not;
    ^(R)I called him, but he gave no answer.
⁷^(S)The watchmen found me
    as they went about in the city;
they beat me, they bruised me,
    they took away my veil,
    those watchmen of the walls.
⁸I ^(T)adjure you, O ^(U)daughters of Jerusalem,
    if you find my beloved,
that you tell him
    ^(V)I am sick with love.

Others

⁹What is your beloved more than another beloved,
O ^(W)most beautiful among women?
What is your beloved more than another beloved,
that you thus ^(X)adjure us?

The Bride Praises Her Beloved

She

¹⁰My beloved is radiant and ^(Y)ruddy,
    ^(Z)distinguished among ten thousand.
¹¹His head is the finest gold;
    ^(AA)his locks are wavy,
    black as a raven.
¹²His ^(AB)eyes are like doves
    beside streams of water,
bathed in milk,
    sitting beside a full pool.^[a]
¹³His ^(AC)cheeks are like ^(AD)beds of spices,
    mounds of sweet-smelling herbs.
His lips are ^(AE)lilies,
    dripping ^(AF)liquid myrrh.
¹⁴His arms are rods of gold,
    set with ^(AG)jewels.
His body is polished ivory,^[b]
    bedecked with ^(AH)sapphires.^[c]
¹⁵His legs are alabaster columns,
    set on bases of gold.
His appearance is like ^(AI)Lebanon,
    choice as the cedars.
¹⁶His ^(AJ)mouth^[d] is most sweet,
    and he is altogether desirable.
This is my beloved and this is my friend,
    O ^(AK)daughters of Jerusalem.

Footnotes

Song of Solomon 5:12 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
Song of Solomon 5:14 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
Song of Solomon 5:14 Hebrew lapis lazuli
Song of Solomon 5:16 Hebrew palate

Luke 23:1-25

English Standard Version

Jesus Before Pilate

23 ^(A)Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. ²And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man ^(B)misleading our nation and ^(C)forbidding us to give tribute to ^(D)Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, ^(E)a king.” ³^(F)And Pilate asked him, ^(G)“Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, ^(H)“You have said so.” ⁴Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, ^(I)“I find no guilt in this man.” ⁵But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, ^(J)from Galilee even to this place.”

Jesus Before Herod

⁶When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. ⁷And when he learned that he belonged to ^(K)Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. ⁸When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, ^(L)for he had long desired to see him, ^(M)because he had heard about him, and he was hoping ^(N)to see some sign done by him. ⁹So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. ¹⁰The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. ¹¹And Herod with his soldiers ^(O)treated him with contempt and ^(P)mocked him. Then, ^(Q)arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. ¹²And ^(R)Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.

¹³Pilate then called together the chief priests and ^(S)the rulers and the people, ¹⁴and said to them, “You brought me this man ^(T)as one who was misleading the people. And ^(U)after examining him before you, behold, I ^(V)did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. ¹⁵Neither did Herod, for ^(W)he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. ¹⁶^(X)I will therefore punish and release him.”^[a]

Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified

¹⁸^(Y)But they all cried out together, ^(Z)“Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”— ¹⁹a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and ^(AA)for murder. ²⁰Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, ²¹but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” ²²A third time he said to them, “Why? ^(AB)What evil has he done? ^(AC)I have found in him no guilt deserving death. ^(AD)I will therefore punish and release him.” ²³But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. ²⁴So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. ²⁵He released the man who had been thrown into prison ^(AE)for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, ^(AF)but he delivered Jesus over to their will.