Shulamite: I went down to the garden of nuts to see the greenery of the valley, to see whether the vine had budded and the pomegranates had bloomed.

I said, I will go up into the palm tree, I will grasp its stalk. Let now your breasts be like clusters of the vine, the fragrance of your nose like apples,

Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages.

At our door all manner of excellent fragrances for love, new and old, I have treasured up for you, my beloved.

For before the harvest, when the bud is perfect, and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, then He will cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the branches.

For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and does not return there, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, and gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater;

so shall My Word be, which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall succeed in that for which I have sent it.

For as the earth brings forth its bud, and as the garden causes that which is sown to grow; so the Lord Jehovah will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

His branches shall spread out, and his beauty shall be like the olive tree, and his scent as Lebanon.

Is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not brought forth. From this day I will bless them.

He also spoke this parable: A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.

Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it encumber the ground?

My beloved spoke, and said to me: Rise up, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.

saying, If you had known, even you, at least in this your day, the things that make for your peace. But now they are hidden from your eyes.

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ. As God is exhorting through us, we beseech you on Christ's behalf, Be reconciled to God.

We then, as workers together with Him, also beseech you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

For He says: In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you. Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.