Numbers 6, Psalm 40, 41, Song of Solomon 4, Hebrews 4

Numbers 6,

1 The LORD said to Moses,
 
2 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of separation to the LORD as a Nazirite,
 
3 he must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or from other fermented drink. He must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins.
 
4 As long as he is a Nazirite, he must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins.
 
5 " 'During the entire period of his vow of separation no razor may be used on his head. He must be holy until the period of his separation to the LORD is over; he must let the hair of his head grow long.
 
6 Throughout the period of his separation to the LORD he must not go near a dead body.
 
7 Even if his own father or mother or brother or sister dies, he must not make himself ceremonially unclean on account of them, because the symbol of his separation to God is on his head.
 
8 Throughout the period of his separation he is consecrated to the LORD.
 
9 " 'If someone dies suddenly in his presence, thus defiling the hair he has dedicated, he must shave his head on the day of his cleansing-the seventh day.
 
10 Then on the eighth day he must bring two doves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
 
11 The priest is to offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to make atonement for him because he sinned by being in the presence of the dead body. That same day he is to consecrate his head.
 
12 He must dedicate himself to the LORD for the period of his separation and must bring a year-old male lamb as a guilt offering. The previous days do not count, because he became defiled during his separation.
 
13 " 'Now this is the law for the Nazirite when the period of his separation is over. He is to be brought to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
 
14 There he is to present his offerings to the LORD : a year-old male lamb without defect for a burnt offering, a year-old ewe lamb without defect for a sin offering, a ram without defect for a fellowship offering,
 
15 together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and a basket of bread made without yeast-cakes made of fine flour mixed with oil, and wafers spread with oil.
 
16 " 'The priest is to present them before the LORD and make the sin offering and the burnt offering.
 
17 He is to present the basket of unleavened bread and is to sacrifice the ram as a fellowship offering to the LORD, together with its grain offering and drink offering.
 
18 " 'Then at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the Nazirite must shave off the hair that he dedicated. He is to take the hair and put it in the fire that is under the sacrifice of the fellowship offering.
 
19 " 'After the Nazirite has shaved off the hair of his dedication, the priest is to place in his hands a boiled shoulder of the ram, and a cake and a wafer from the basket, both made without yeast.
 
20 The priest shall then wave them before the LORD as a wave offering; they are holy and belong to the priest, together with the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented. After that, the Nazirite may drink wine.
 
21 " 'This is the law of the Nazirite who vows his offering to the LORD in accordance with his separation, in addition to whatever else he can afford. He must fulfill the vow he has made, according to the law of the Nazirite.' "
 
22 The LORD said to Moses,
 
23 "Tell Aaron and his sons, 'This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:
 
24 " ' "The LORD bless you and keep you;
 
25 the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;
 
26 the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.' "
 
27 "So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them."

Psalm 40, 41,

1 I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.
 
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
 
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.
 
4 Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.
 
5 Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.
 
6 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.
 
7 Then I said, "Here I am, I have come-it is written about me in the scroll.
 
8 I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."
 
9 I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, as you know, O LORD.
 
10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly.
 
11 Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD; may your love and your truth always protect me.
 
12 For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me.
 
13 Be pleased, O LORD, to save me; O LORD, come quickly to help me.
 
14 May all who seek to take my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.
 
15 May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!" be appalled at their own shame.
 
16 But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, "The LORD be exalted!"
 
17 Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay.

1 Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble.
 
2 The LORD will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes.
 
3 The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness.
 
4 I said, "O LORD, have mercy on me; heal me, for I have sinned against you."
 
5 My enemies say of me in malice, "When will he die and his name perish?"
 
6 Whenever one comes to see me, he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander; then he goes out and spreads it abroad.
 
7 All my enemies whisper together against me; they imagine the worst for me, saying,
 
8 "A vile disease has beset him; he will never get up from the place where he lies."
 
9 Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.
 
10 But you, O LORD, have mercy on me; raise me up, that I may repay them.
 
11 I know that you are pleased with me, for my enemy does not triumph over me.
 
12 In my integrity you uphold me and set me in your presence forever.
 
13 Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.

Song of Solomon 4,

1 How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! Your eyes behind your veil are doves. Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from Mount Gilead.
 
2 Your teeth are like a flock of sheep just shorn, coming up from the washing. Each has its twin; not one of them is alone.
 
3 Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon; your mouth is lovely. Your temples behind your veil are like the halves of a pomegranate.
 
4 Your neck is like the tower of David, built with elegance; on it hang a thousand shields, all of them shields of warriors.
 
5 Your two breasts are like two fawns, like twin fawns of a gazelle that browse among the lilies.
 
6 Until the day breaks and the shadows flee, I will go to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of incense.
 
7 All beautiful you are, my darling; there is no flaw in you.
 
8 Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, come with me from Lebanon. Descend from the crest of Amana, from the top of Senir, the summit of Hermon, from the lions' dens and the mountain haunts of the leopards.
 
9 You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride; you have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace.
 
10 How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much more pleasing is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your perfume than any spice!
 
11 Your lips drop sweetness as the honeycomb, my bride; milk and honey are under your tongue. The fragrance of your garments is like that of Lebanon.
 
12 You are a garden locked up, my sister, my bride; you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain.
 
13 Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates with choice fruits, with henna and nard,
 
14 nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with every kind of incense tree, with myrrh and aloes and all the finest spices.
 
15 You are a garden fountain, a well of flowing water streaming down from Lebanon.
 
16 Awake, north wind, and come, south wind! Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread abroad. Let my lover come into his garden and taste its choice fruits.

Hebrews 4

1 Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.
 
2 For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.
 
3 Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, "So I declared on oath in my anger, 'They shall never enter my rest.' " And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world.
 
4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: "And on the seventh day God rested from all his work."
 
5 And again in the passage above he says, "They shall never enter my rest."
 
6 It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience.
 
7 Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts."
 
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day.
 
9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God;
 
10 for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.
 
11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.
 
12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
 
13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
 
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.
 
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin.
 
16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.