Song of Solomon 4; Song of Solomon 5; Galatians 3

1 The king says to the Shulammite woman, "You are so beautiful, my love! So beautiful! Your eyes behind your veil are like doves. Your hair flows like a flock of black goats coming down from Mount Gilead.

2 Your teeth are as clean as a flock of sheep. Their wool has just been clipped. They have just come up from being washed. Each of your teeth has its twin. Not one of them is alone.

3 Your lips are like a bright red ribbon. Your mouth is so lovely. Your cheeks behind your veil are like the halves of a pomegranate.

4 Your neck is strong and beautiful like the tower of David. That tower is built with beautiful stones. A thousand shields are hanging on it. All of them belong to mighty soldiers.

5 Your two breasts are lovely. They are like two young antelopes that eat among the lilies.

6 I will go to the mountain of myrrh. I'll go to the hill of incense. I'll stay there until the day begins and the shadows fade away.

7 Every part of you is so beautiful, my love. There is no flaw in you.

8 "Come with me from Lebanon, my bride. Come with me from Lebanon. Come down from the top of Mount Amana. Come down from the top of Senir. Come to me from the peak of Mount Hermon. Leave the dens where the lions live. Leave the places in the mountains where the leopards stay.

9 My bride, you have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes. My sister, you have stolen my heart with one jewel in your necklace.

10 My bride, your love is so delightful. My sister, your love makes me happier than wine does. Your perfume smells better than any spice.

11 Your lips are as sweet as a honeycomb, my bride. Milk and honey are under your tongue. Your clothes smell like the cedar trees in Lebanon.

12 My bride, you are like a garden that is locked up. My sister, you are like a spring of water that has a fence around it. You are like a fountain that is sealed up.

13 You are like trees whose branches are loaded with pomegranates, fine fruits, henna and nard,

14 with saffron, cane and cinnamon. You are like every kind of incense tree. You have myrrh, aloes and all of the finest spices.

15 You are like a fountain in a garden. You are like a well of flowing water streaming down from Lebanon." The woman says,

16 "Wake up, north wind! Come, south wind! Blow on my garden. Then its sweet smell will spread everywhere. Let my love come into his garden. Let him taste its fine fruits."

1 The king says, "My bride, I have come into my garden. My sister, I've gathered my myrrh and my spice. I've eaten my honeycomb and my honey. I've drunk my wine and my milk." The other women say to the Shulammite woman and to Solomon, "Friends, eat and drink. Lovers, drink all you want." The woman says,

2 "I slept, but my heart was awake. Listen! The one who loves me is knocking. He says, 'My sister, I love you. Open up so I can come in. You are my dove. You are perfect in every way. My head is soaked with dew. The night air has made my hair wet.'

3 "But I've taken my robe off. Must I put it on again? I've washed my feet. Must I get them dirty again?

4 My love put his hand through the opening. My heart began to pound for him.

5 I got up to open the door for my love. My hands dripped with myrrh. It flowed from my fingers onto the handles of the lock.

6 I opened the door for my love. But he had left. He was gone. My heart sank because he had left. I looked for him but didn't find him. I called out to him, but he didn't answer.

7 Those on guard duty found me as they were walking around in the city. They beat me. They hurt me. Those on guard duty at the walls took my coat away from me.

8 Women of Jerusalem, take an oath and make me a promise. If you find the one who loves me, tell him our love has made me weak." The other women say,

9 "You are the most beautiful woman of all. How is the one you love better than others? How is he better than anyone else? Why do you ask us to make you a promise?" The woman says,

10 "The one who loves me is tanned and handsome. He's the finest man among 10,000.

11 His head is like the purest gold. His hair is wavy and as black as a raven.

12 His eyes are like doves by streams of water. They look as if they've been washed in milk. They are set like jewels in his head.

13 His cheeks are like beds of spice that give off perfume. His lips are like lilies that drip with myrrh.

14 His arms are like gold that are set with chrysolite. His body is like polished ivory that is decorated with sapphires.

15 His legs are like pillars of marble that are set on bases of pure gold. He looks like the finest cedar tree in the mountains of Lebanon.

16 His mouth is very sweet. Everything about him is delightful. That's what the one who loves me is like. That's what my friend is like, women of Jerusalem."

1 You foolish people of Galatia! Who has put you under an evil spell? When I preached, I clearly showed you that Jesus Christ had been nailed to the cross.

2 I would like to learn just one thing from you. Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law? Or did you receive the Spirit by believing what you heard?

3 Are you so foolish? You began with the Holy Spirit. Are you now trying to complete God's work in you by your own strength?

4 Have you suffered so much for nothing? And was it really for nothing?

5 Why does God give you his Spirit? Why does he work miracles among you? Is it because you do what the law says? Or is it because you believe what you have heard?

6 Think about Abraham. Scripture says, "Abraham believed God. God accepted Abraham because he believed. So his faith made him right with God."(Genesis 15:6)

7 So you see, those who have faith are children of Abraham.

8 Long ago, Scripture knew that God would make non-Jews right with himself by believing in him. He announced the good news ahead of time to Abraham. He said, "All nations will be blessed because of you."(Genesis 12:3; 18:18; 22:18)

9 So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham. He was the man of faith.

10 All who depend on obeying the law are under a curse. It is written, "May everyone who doesn't continue to do everything that is written in the Book of the Law be under God's curse."(Deuteronomy 27:26)

11 We know that no one is made right with God by keeping the law. Scripture says, "Those who are right with God will live by faith."(Habakkuk 2:4)

12 The law is not based on faith. In fact, it is just the opposite. It teaches that "the one who does those things will live by them."(Leviticus 18:5)

13 Christ set us free from the curse of the law. He did it by becoming a curse for us. It is written, "Everyone who is hung on a pole is under God's curse."(Deuteronomy 21:23)

14 Christ Jesus set us free so that the blessing given to Abraham would come to non-Jews through Christ. He did it so that we might receive the promise of the Holy Spirit by believing in Christ.

15 Brothers and sisters, let me give you an example from everyday life. No one can get rid of an official agreement between people. No one can add to it. It can't be changed after it has been made. It is the same with God's covenant.

16 The promises were given to Abraham. They were also given to his seed. Scripture does not say, "and to seeds." That means many people. It says, "and to your seed."(Genesis 12:7; 13:15; 24:7) That means one person. And that one person is Christ.

17 Here is what I mean. The law came 430 years after the promise. But the law does not get rid of God's covenant and promise. The covenant had already been made by God. So the law does not do away with the promise.

18 The great gift that God has for us does not depend on the law. If it did, it would no longer depend on a promise. But God gave it to Abraham as a free gift through a promise.

19 Then what was the purpose of the law? It was added because of human sin. And it was supposed to control us until the promised Seed had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a go-between.

20 A go-between does not take sides. God didn't use a go-between when he made his promise to Abraham. But the same God was at work in both the law and the promise.

21 So is the law opposed to God's promises? Certainly not! What if a law had been given that could give life? Then people could become right with God by obeying the law.

22 But Scripture announces that the whole world is a prisoner because of sin. It does so in order that what was promised might be given to those who believe. The promise comes through faith in Jesus Christ.

23 Before faith in Christ came, we were held prisoners by the law. We were locked up until faith was made known.

24 So the law was put in charge until Christ came. He came so that we might be made right with God by believing in Christ.

25 But now faith in Christ has come. So we are no longer under the control of the law.

26 You are all children of God by believing in Christ Jesus.

27 All of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ as if he were your clothes.

28 There is no Jew or Greek. There is no slave or free person. There is no male or female. Because you belong to Christ Jesus, you are all one.

29 You who belong to Christ are Abraham's seed. You will receive what God has promised.