Study Desk

Let the sinful fall into their own nets, while I pass by and am safe.

Listen to my cry, for I am brought down. Save me from those who make it hard for me. For they are too strong for me.

In Your loving-kindness cut off those who hate me. Destroy all those who make it hard for my soul, for I am Your servant.

Who can say, "I have made my heart clean, and I am pure from my sin?"

For sure, I am more foolish than any man, and I do not have the understanding of a man.

There was a certain man who lived alone. He did not have a son or a brother. Yet he worked all the time. His eyes were never happy with the riches he had, and he never asked, "For whom am I working and why am I keeping myself from happiness?" This also is for nothing. It is work that brings sorrow.

which I am still looking for but have not found. I have found one man among a thousand, but I have not found a woman among all these.

The Song of Songs, the most beautiful of them all, which is Solomon's. "May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine. Your oils have a pleasing smell. Your name is like oil poured out. So the young women love you. Take me away with you, and let us run together. The king has brought me into his room. "We will have joy and be glad because of you. We will praise your love more than wine. They are right to love you. "I am dark but beautiful, O people of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon. Do not look hard at me because I am dark, for the sun has burned me. My mother's sons were angry with me, and made me take care of the grape-fields. But I have not taken care of my own grape-field. Tell me, O you whom my soul loves. In what field do you feed your flock? Where do your sheep lie down at noon? Why should I need to look for you beside the flocks of your friends?" "If you do not know, most beautiful among women, follow the path of the flock. And let your young goats eat in the field beside the tents of the shepherds. "To me, my love, you are like my horse among the war-wagons of Pharaoh. Your face is beautiful with the objects you wear, and your neck with the beautiful chain around it. We will make objects of gold and silver for you." "While the king was at his table, my perfume gave out its smell. My loved one is like a jar of perfume to me, who lies all night between my breasts. My loved one is to me like many henna flowers, in the grape-fields of Engedi." "How beautiful you are, my love! How beautiful you are! Your eyes are like doves." "How beautiful you are, my love, and so pleasing! Our bed is green. The pillars of our house are cedars. The pieces on our roof are pine.

"I am dark but beautiful, O people of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.

Do not look hard at me because I am dark, for the sun has burned me. My mother's sons were angry with me, and made me take care of the grape-fields. But I have not taken care of my own grape-field.

"I am the rose of Sharon, the lily of the valleys."

Make me strong with cakes of dried grapes. Make me strong again with fruit, because I am sick with love.

"I tell you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles and deer of the field, you must not wake up my love until it is pleasing to her." "Listen, it is the voice of my loved one! See, he is coming! He is running over the mountains, jumping across the hills. My love is like a gazelle or a young deer. See, he is standing behind our wall. He is looking through the windows, through the wood cross-pieces. "My love speaks and says to me, ‘Get up, my love, my beautiful one, and come with me. For see, the winter is past. The rain is over and gone. The flowers are coming through the ground. The time for singing has come. The voice of the turtle-dove has been heard in our land. The fig tree has its fruits. The flowers on the vines spread their sweet smell. Get up, my love, my beautiful one, and come with me! O my dove, hidden in the rock, in the secret place in the mountain-side, let me see you. Let me hear your voice. For your voice is sweet, and you are beautiful. ‘Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that are destroying our grape-fields, for the flowers are on the vines. My love is mine, and I am his. He lets his flock eat among the lilies. Until the morning comes and the shadows hurry away, turn, my love. Be like a gazelle or a young deer on the mountains of Bether.'"

My love is mine, and I am his. He lets his flock eat among the lilies.

"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." "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.' I have taken off my dress. How can I put it on again? I have washed my feet. Should I get them dirty again? My love put his hand through the opening, and joy filled my heart. I got up to let my love in, and perfume fell from my hands. Wet perfume fell from my fingers onto the lock. 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. The watchmen of the city found me. They beat me and hurt me. The watchmen of the walls took my coat from me. I tell you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my loved one, you must tell him that I am weak with love." "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?" "My loved one is bright and red, the best among 10,000. His head is like gold, pure gold. His hair has waves and is black as a raven. His eyes are like doves beside rivers of water, washed in milk, and resting in their places. His cheeks are like beds of spices, with sweet-smelling plants. His lips are like lily flowers giving off drops of perfume. 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. His legs are pillars of clay put on bases of pure gold. He looks like Lebanon, as beautiful as the cedar trees. His mouth is very sweet, everything about him is pleasing. This is my loved one and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem."

I tell you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my loved one, you must tell him that I am weak with love."

I am my love's, and my love is mine, he who feeds his flock among the lilies." "You are as beautiful as Tirzah, my love, as beautiful as Jerusalem. You are to be feared as an army with flags. Turn your eyes away from me, for they trouble me. Your hair is like a flock of goats that has come down from Gilead. 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. The sides of your forehead are like a piece of a pomegranate behind your face-covering. 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. 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, ‘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.'" "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. Before I knew it, I wanted to be over the war-wagons of the princes of my people." "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?"

I am my love's, and my love is mine, he who feeds his flock among the lilies." "You are as beautiful as Tirzah, my love, as beautiful as Jerusalem. You are to be feared as an army with flags.

"I am my love's, and he wants me.

"What are your many gifts given in worship to Me?" says the Lord. "I have had enough burnt gifts of rams and the fat of cattle. And I am not pleased with the blood of bulls, lambs, or goats.