By day the Lord decrees his loyal love, and by night he gives me a song, a prayer to the living God.

I will continually thank you when you execute judgment; I will rely on you, for your loyal followers know you are good.

I am surrounded by lions; I lie down among those who want to devour me; men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are a sharp sword.

Be my protector and refuge, a stronghold where I can be safe! For you are my high ridge and my stronghold.

May he live! May they offer him gold from Sheba! May they continually pray for him! May they pronounce blessings on him all day long!

It is vain for you to rise early, come home late, and work so hard for your food. Yes, he can provide for those whom he loves even when they sleep.

The Lord avenges me. O Lord, your loyal love endures. Do not abandon those whom you have made!

All this monotony is tiresome; no one can bear to describe it: The eye is never satisfied with seeing, nor is the ear ever content with hearing.

One dead fly makes the perfumer’s ointment give off a rancid stench, so a little folly can outweigh much wisdom.

The watchmen found me as they made their rounds in the city. They beat me, they bruised me; they took away my cloak, those watchmen on the walls!

May your mouth be like the best wine, flowing smoothly for my beloved, gliding gently over our lips as we sleep together.

Surging waters cannot quench love; floodwaters cannot overflow it. If someone were to offer all his possessions to buy love, the offer would be utterly despised.

My vineyard, which belongs to me, is at my disposal alone. The thousand shekels belong to you, O Solomon, and two hundred shekels belong to those who maintain it for its fruit.

None tire or stumble, they don’t stop to nap or sleep. They don’t loosen their belts, or unstrap their sandals to rest.

At that time the Lord will remove their burden from your shoulders, and their yoke from your neck; the yoke will be taken off because your neck will be too large.

Indeed the stars in the sky and their constellations no longer give out their light; the sun is darkened as soon as it rises, and the moon does not shine.

Their arrows will cut young men to ribbons; they have no compassion on a person’s offspring, they will not look with pity on children.

All you who live in the world, who reside on the earth, you will see a signal flag raised on the mountains; you will hear a trumpet being blown.

On this mountain he will swallow up the shroud that is over all the peoples, the woven covering that is over all the nations;

Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The Lord’s word which you have announced is appropriate.” Then he thought, “For there will be peace and stability during my lifetime.”