Solomon’s Wedding Day

The Bride

[a](A)What is this coming up from the wilderness
Like (B)columns of smoke,
Perfumed with (C)myrrh and (D)frankincense,
With all the scented powders of the merchant?

The Chorus

Behold, it is [b]the traveling couch of Solomon;
Sixty warriors around it,
Of the warriors of Israel.
All of them are wielders of the sword,
(E)Expert in war;
Each man has his (F)sword at his side,
Guarding against the [c](G)terrors of the night.
King Solomon has made for himself a [d]sedan chair
From the timber of Lebanon.
10 He made its posts of silver,
Its [e]back of gold
And its seat of purple fabric,
With its interior lovingly inlaid
By the (H)daughters of Jerusalem.
11 Go out, you (I)daughters of Zion,
And look at King Solomon with the [f]crown
With which his mother has crowned him
On the (J)day of his wedding,
And on the day of the joy of his heart.”

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Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 3:6 Lit Who
  2. Song of Solomon 3:7 I.e., an elegant couch designed to be carried with poles by servants
  3. Song of Solomon 3:8 Lit terror in the nights
  4. Song of Solomon 3:9 I.e., an elegant throne with poles, carried by servants
  5. Song of Solomon 3:10 Or support
  6. Song of Solomon 3:11 Or wreath

The Young Man and His Party Approach

Who is that coming up from the wilderness
    like a column of smoke,
perfumed with myrrh and frankincense,
    with all the fragrant powders of the merchant?(A)
Look, it is the litter of Solomon!
Around it are sixty mighty men
    of the mighty men of Israel,
all equipped with swords
    and expert in war,
each with his sword at his thigh
    because of alarms by night.(B)
King Solomon made himself a palanquin
    from the wood of Lebanon.
10 He made its posts of silver,
    its back of gold, its seat of purple;
its interior was inlaid with stone.
    Daughters[a] of Jerusalem,(C)
11     come out and look[b]
    at King Solomon,
at the crown with which his mother crowned him
    on the day of his wedding,
    on the day of the gladness of his heart.

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Footnotes

  1. 3.10 Cn Compare Gk: Heb with love from the daughters
  2. 3.11 Gk: Heb adds daughters of Zion

Who is she that goeth up by the desert, as a pillar of smoke of aromatical spices, of myrrh, and frankincense, and of all the powders of the perfumer?

Behold threescore valiant ones of the most valiant of Israel, surrounded the bed of Solomon?

All holding swords, and most expert in war: every man's sword upon his thigh, because of fears in the night.

King Solomon hath made him a litter of the wood of Libanus:

10 The pillars thereof he made of silver, the seat of gold, the going up of purple: the midst he covered with charity for the daughters of Jerusalem.

11 Go forth, ye daughters of Sion, and see king Solomon in the diadem, wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the joy of his heart.

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6-10 What’s this I see, approaching from the desert,
    raising clouds of dust,
Filling the air with sweet smells
    and pungent aromatics?
Look! It’s Solomon’s carriage,
    carried and guarded by sixty soldiers,
    sixty of Israel’s finest,
All of them armed to the teeth,
    trained for battle,
    ready for anything, anytime.
King Solomon once had a carriage built
    from fine-grained Lebanon cedar.
He had it framed with silver and roofed with gold.
    The cushions were covered with a purple fabric,
    the interior lined with tooled leather.

11 Come and look, sisters in Jerusalem.
    Oh, sisters of Zion, don’t miss this!
My King-Lover,
    dressed and garlanded for his wedding,
    his heart full, bursting with joy!

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