Wake up, North Wind. South Wind, blow on my garden; fill the air with fragrance. Let my lover come to his garden and eat the best of its fruits.

My lover has gone to his garden, where the balsam trees grow. He is feeding his flock in the garden and gathering lilies.

I have come down among the almond trees to see the young plants in the valley, to see the new leaves on the vines and the blossoms on the pomegranate trees.

Let me hear your voice from the garden, my love; my companions are waiting to hear you speak.

Listen while I sing you this song, a song of my friend and his vineyard: My friend had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.

"I will show compassion to Jerusalem, to all who live in her ruins. Though her land is a desert, I will make it a garden, like the garden I planted in Eden. Joy and gladness will be there, and songs of praise and thanks to me.

And I will always guide you and satisfy you with good things. I will keep you strong and well. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water, like a spring of water that never goes dry.

As surely as seeds sprout and grow, The Sovereign LORD will save his people, And all the nations will praise him.

"Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. My Father will love those who love me; I too will love them and reveal myself to them."

Jesus answered him, "Those who love me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and my Father and I will come to them and live with them.

The look in your eyes, my sweetheart and bride, and the necklace you are wearing have stolen my heart.

The taste of honey is on your lips, my darling; your tongue is milk and honey for me. Your clothing has all the fragrance of Lebanon.

I wish that you were my brother, that my mother had nursed you at her breast. Then, if I met you in the street, I could kiss you and no one would mind.

He says to God, "I will tell my people what you have done; I will praise you in their meeting."

Since the children, as he calls them, are people of flesh and blood, Jesus himself became like them and shared their human nature. He did this so that through his death he might destroy the Devil, who has the power over death,

there the plants flourish. They grow like an orchard of pomegranate trees and bear the finest fruits. There is no lack of henna and nard,

of saffron, calamus, and cinnamon, or incense of every kind. Myrrh and aloes grow there with all the most fragrant perfumes.

but he takes pleasure in those who honor him, in those who trust in his constant love.

After a life of suffering, he will again have joy; he will know that he did not suffer in vain. My devoted servant, with whom I am pleased, will bear the punishment of many and for his sake I will forgive them.

"After you have threshed all your grain and pressed all your grapes, celebrate the Festival of Shelters for seven days.

Honor the LORD your God by celebrating this festival for seven days at the one place of worship. Be joyful, because the LORD has blessed your harvest and your work.

as he is able, in proportion to the blessings that the LORD your God has given him.

So now I bring to the LORD the first part of the harvest that he has given me.' "Then set the basket down in the LORD's presence and worship there.

"Every third year give the tithe---a tenth of your crops---to the Levites, the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows, so that in every community they will have all they need to eat. When you have done this,

I have not eaten any of it when I was mourning; I have not taken any of it out of my house when I was ritually unclean; and I have not given any of it as an offering for the dead. I have obeyed you, O LORD; I have done everything you commanded concerning the tithe.

All the people who lived in the cities of Judah brought tithes of their cattle and sheep, and they also brought large quantities of gifts which they dedicated to the LORD their God.

When King Hezekiah and his officials saw how much had been given, they praised the LORD and praised his people Israel.

and Azariah the High Priest, a descendant of Zadok, said to him, "Since the people started bringing their gifts to the Temple, there has been enough to eat and a large surplus besides. We have all this because the LORD has blessed his people."

How excellent are the LORD's faithful people! My greatest pleasure is to be with them.

The money she earns by commerce will be dedicated to the LORD. She will not store it away, but those who worship the LORD will use her money to buy the food and the clothing they need.

The LORD says, "Come, everyone who is thirsty--- here is water! Come, you that have no money--- buy grain and eat! Come! Buy wine and milk--- it will cost you nothing!

Why spend money on what does not satisfy? Why spend your wages and still be hungry? Listen to me and do what I say, and you will enjoy the best food of all.

The LORD has made a solemn promise, And by his power he will carry it out: "Your grain will no longer be food for your enemies, And foreigners will no longer drink your wine.

But you that planted and harvested the grain Will eat the bread and praise the LORD. You that tended and gathered the grapes Will drink the wine in the courts of my Temple."

And so I tell you that those who worship and obey me will have plenty to eat and drink, but you will be hungry and thirsty. They will be happy, but you will be disgraced.

When you see this happen, you will be glad; it will make you strong and healthy. Then you will know that I, the LORD, help those who obey me, and I show my anger against my enemies."

The King will reply, 'I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least important of these followers of mine, you did it for me!'

The disciples decided that they each would send as much as they could to help their fellow believers who lived in Judea.

He will always make you rich enough to be generous at all times, so that many will thank God for your gifts which they receive from us.

And because of the proof which this service of yours brings, many will give glory to God for your loyalty to the gospel of Christ, which you profess, and for your generosity in sharing with them and everyone else.

Let us thank God for his priceless gift!

Do not get drunk with wine, which will only ruin you; instead, be filled with the Spirit.

because now we really live if you stand firm in your life in union with the Lord.

Now we can give thanks to our God for you. We thank him for the joy we have in his presence because of you.

"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot afterward do anything worse.

and carry it back home. Then you call your friends and neighbors together and say to them, 'I am so happy I found my lost sheep. Let us celebrate!'

In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine respectable people who do not need to repent.

When she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, and says to them, 'I am so happy I found the coin I lost. Let us celebrate!'

In the same way, I tell you, the angels of God rejoice over one sinner who repents."

The bridegroom is the one to whom the bride belongs; but the bridegroom's friend, who stands by and listens, is glad when he hears the bridegroom's voice. This is how my own happiness is made complete.

And you are my friends if you do what I command you.

I do not call you servants any longer, because servants do not know what their master is doing. Instead, I call you friends, because I have told you everything I heard from my Father.

The LORD Almighty will protect his people, and they will destroy their enemies. They will shout in battle like drunk men and will shed the blood of their enemies; it will flow like the blood of a sacrifice poured on the altar from a bowl.

How good and beautiful the land will be! The young people will grow strong on its grain and wine.

The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come!" Everyone who hears this must also say, "Come!" Come, whoever is thirsty; accept the water of life as a gift, whoever wants it.