Formation Journal Reading Plan

6:1 Where has your beloved gone, you fairest among women? Where has your beloved turned, that we may seek him with you?

6:2 My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.

6:3 I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine. He browses among the lilies,

6:4 You are beautiful, my love, as Tirzah, lovely as Jerusalem, awesome as an army with banners.

6:5 Turn away your eyes from me, for they have overcome me. Your hair is like a flock of goats, that lie along the side of Gilead.

6:6 Your teeth are like a flock of ewes, which have come up from the washing; of which every one has twins; none is bereaved among them.

6:7 Your temples are like a piece of a pomegranate behind your veil.

6:8 There are sixty queens, eighty concubines, and virgins without number.

6:9 My dove, my perfect one, is unique. She is her mother’s only daughter. She is the favorite one of her who bore her. The daughters saw her, and called her blessed; the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.

6:10 Who is she who looks forth as the morning, beautiful as the moon, clear as the sun, and awesome as an army with banners?

6:11 I went down into the nut tree grove, to see the green plants of the valley, to see whether the vine budded, and the pomegranates were in flower.

6:12 Without realizing it, my desire set me with my royal people’s chariots.

6:13 Return, return, Shulammite! Return, return, that we may gaze at you. Why do you desire to gaze at the Shulammite, as at the dance of Mahanaim?

7:1 How beautiful are your feet in sandals, prince’s daughter! Your rounded thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a skillful workman.

7:2 Your body is like a round goblet, no mixed wine is wanting. Your waist is like a heap of wheat, set about with lilies.

7:3 Your two breasts are like two fawns, that are twins of a roe.

7:4 Your neck is like an ivory tower. Your eyes are like the pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bathrabbim. Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon which looks toward Damascus.

7:5 Your head on you is like Carmel. The hair of your head like purple. The king is held captive in its tresses.

7:6 How beautiful and how pleasant you are, love, for delights!

7:7 This, your stature, is like a palm tree, your breasts like its fruit.

7:8 I said, “I will climb up into the palm tree. I will take hold of its fruit.” Let your breasts be like clusters of the vine, the smell of your breath like apples,

7:9 Your mouth like the best wine, that goes down smoothly for my beloved, gliding through the lips of those who are asleep.

7:10 I am my beloved’s. His desire is toward me.

7:11 Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field. Let us lodge in the villages.

7:12 Let’s go early up to the vineyards. Let’s see whether the vine has budded, its blossom is open, and the pomegranates are in flower. There I will give you my love.

7:13 The mandrakes give forth fragrance. At our doors are all kinds of precious fruits, new and old, which I have stored up for you, my beloved.

73:15 If I had said, “I will speak thus;” behold, I would have betrayed the generation of your children.

73:16 When I tried to understand this, it was too painful for me;

73:17 Until I entered God’s sanctuary, and considered their latter end.

73:18 Surely you set them in slippery places. You throw them down to destruction.

73:19 How they are suddenly destroyed! They are completely swept away with terrors.

73:20 As a dream when one wakes up, so, Lord, when you awake, you will despise their fantasies.

73:21 For my soul was grieved. I was embittered in my heart.

73:22 I was so senseless and ignorant. I was a brute beast before you.

73:23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you. You have held my right hand.

73:24 You will guide me with your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.

73:25 Whom do I have in heaven? There is no one on earth whom I desire besides you.

73:26 My flesh and my heart fails, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

73:27 For, behold, those who are far from you shall perish. You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to you.

73:28 But it is good for me to come close to God. I have made the Lord Yahweh my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.

8:16 But thanks be to God, who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus.

8:17 For he indeed accepted our exhortation, but being himself very earnest, he went out to you of his own accord.

8:18 We have sent together with him the brother whose praise in the Good News is known through all the assemblies.

8:19 Not only so, but who was also appointed by the assemblies to travel with us in this grace, which is served by us to the glory of the Lord himself, and to show our readiness.

8:20 We are avoiding this, that any man should blame us concerning this abundance which is administered by us.

8:21 Having regard for honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

8:22 We have sent with them our brother, whom we have many times proved earnest in many things, but now much more earnest, by reason of the great confidence which he has in you.

8:23 As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for you. As for our brothers, they are the apostles of the assemblies, the glory of Christ.

8:24 Therefore show the proof of your love to them in front of the assemblies, and of our boasting on your behalf.