Bible Browser

Psalm 16

1  Preserve me, O God, for in you have I taken refuge; ♦︎
   I have said to the Lord, ‘You are my lord,
      all my good depends on you.’
2  All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land, ♦︎
   upon those who are noble in heart.
3  Though the idols are legion
      that many run after, ♦︎
   their drink offerings of blood I will not offer,
      neither make mention of their names upon my lips.
4  The Lord himself is my portion and my cup; ♦︎
   in your hands alone is my fortune.
5  My share has fallen in a fair land; ♦︎
   indeed, I have a goodly heritage.
6  I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel, ♦︎
   and in the night watches he instructs my heart.
7  I have set the Lord always before me; ♦︎
   he is at my right hand; I shall not fall.
8  Wherefore my heart is glad and my spirit rejoices; ♦︎
   my flesh also shall rest secure.
9  For you will not abandon my soul to Death, ♦︎
   nor suffer your faithful one to see the Pit.
10  You will show me the path of life;
      in your presence is the fullness of joy ♦︎
   and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.

Springtime Rhapsody

⁸ The voice of my beloved!
   Look, he comes,
leaping upon the mountains,
   bounding over the hills.
⁹ My beloved is like a gazelle
   or a young stag.
Look, there he stands
   behind our wall,
gazing in at the windows,
   looking through the lattice.
¹⁰ My beloved speaks and says to me:
‘Arise, my love, my fair one,
   and come away;
¹¹ for now the winter is past,
   the rain is over and gone.
¹² The flowers appear on the earth;
   the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtle-dove
   is heard in our land.
¹³ The fig tree puts forth its figs,
   and the vines are in blossom;
   they give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my fair one,
   and come away.
¹⁴ O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
   in the covert of the cliff,
let me see your face,
   let me hear your voice;
for your voice is sweet,
   and your face is lovely.
¹⁵ Catch us the foxes,
   the little foxes,
that ruin the vineyards—
   for our vineyards are in blossom.’

Further Instructions

2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving. ³At the same time pray for us as well that God will open to us a door for the word, that we may declare the mystery of Christ, for which I am in prison, ⁴so that I may reveal it clearly, as I should.

5 Conduct yourselves wisely towards outsiders, making the most of the time.^*