How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much better is your love than wine; the fragrance of your perfume is better than any spice!

The Lord told me, ¹  “Tell the king and the queen mother, ‘Surrender your thrones, ²  for your glorious crowns will be removed ³  from your heads. ⁴ 

Mourn for that nation, all you nations living around it, all of you nations that know of its fame. ¹  Mourn and say, ‘Alas, its powerful influence has been broken! Its glory and power have been done away!’ ² 

ו (Vav) All of Daughter Zion’s ¹  splendor ²  has departed. ³  Her leaders became like deer; they found no pasture, so they were too exhausted to escape ⁴  from the hunter. ⁵ 

Let your ¹  beauty ²  not be external – the braiding of hair and wearing of gold jewelry ³  or fine clothes –

Its foliage was attractive and its fruit plentiful; on it there was food enough for all. Under it the wild animals ¹  used to seek shade, and in its branches the birds of the sky used to nest. All creatures ²  used to feed themselves from it.

whose foliage was attractive and its fruit plentiful, and from which there was food available for all, under whose branches wild animals ¹  used to live, and in whose branches birds of the sky used to nest –

to strengthen those who mourn in Zion, by giving them a turban, instead of ashes, oil symbolizing joy, ¹  instead of mourning, a garment symbolizing praise, ²  instead of discouragement. ³  They will be called oaks of righteousness, ⁴  trees planted by the Lord to reveal his splendor. ⁵ 

Can you tie the bands ¹  of the Pleiades, or release the cords of Orion?

Adorn yourself, then, with majesty and excellency, and clothe yourself with glory and honor!

You godly ones, shout for joy because of the Lord! It is appropriate for the morally upright to offer him praise.

Your cheeks are beautiful with ornaments; your neck is lovely ¹  with strings of jewels.

I will make your pinnacles out of gems, ¹  your gates out of beryl, ²  and your outer wall ³  out of beautiful ⁴  stones.

In any case, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.

Her father said, “I really thought ¹  you absolutely despised ²  her, so I gave her to your best man. Her younger sister is more attractive than she is. Take her instead!” ³ 

So I ¹  began to shepherd the flock destined for slaughter, the most afflicted ²  of all the flock. Then I took two staffs, ³  calling one “Pleasantness” ⁴  and the other “Binders,” ⁵  and I tended the flock.

Ascribe to the Lord the splendor he deserves! ¹  Bring an offering and enter his presence! Worship the Lord in holy attire! ² 

You severely discipline people for their sins; ¹  like a moth you slowly devour their strength. ²  Surely all people are a mere vapor. (Selah)

May our sovereign God extend his favor to us! ¹  Make our endeavors successful! Yes, make them successful! ² 

Your people willingly follow you ¹  when you go into battle. ²  On the holy hills ³  at sunrise ⁴  the dew of your youth ⁵  belongs to you. ⁶