The Song of Songs 2:8-14
8 BELOVED: I hear my love. See how he comes leaping on the mountains, bounding over the hills.
9 My love is like a gazelle, like a young stag. See where he stands behind our wall. He looks in at the window, he peers through the opening.
10 My love lifts up his voice, he says to me, Come then, my beloved, my lovely one, come.
11 For see, winter is past, the rains are over and gone.
12 Flowers are appearing on the earth. The season of glad songs has come, the cooing of the turtledove is heard in our land.
2 Gather round, sons of Jacob, and listen; listen to Israel your father.
8 Judah, your brothers will praise you: you grip your enemies by the neck, your father s sons will do you homage.
9 Judah is a lion s whelp; You stand over your prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, a mighty lion: who dare rouse him?
10 The sceptre shall not pass from Judah, nor the ruler s staff from between his feet, until tribute be brought him and the peoples render him obedience.
Responsorial Psalm,
3 Mountains and hills, bring peace to the people! With justice
4 he will judge the poor of the people, he will save the children of the needy and crush their oppressors.