Genesis 2:15-25

New International Version

¹⁵The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden^(A) to work it and take care of it. ¹⁶And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;^(B) ¹⁷but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,^(C) for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”^(D)

¹⁸The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”^(E)

¹⁹Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals^(F) and all the birds in the sky.^(G) He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called^(H) each living creature,^(I) that was its name. ²⁰So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.

But for Adam^[a] no suitable helper^(J) was found. ²¹So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep;^(K) and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs^[b] and then closed up the place with flesh. ²²Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib^[c]^(L) he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

²³The man said,

“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;^(M)
she shall be called^(N) ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man.^(O)”

²⁴That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united^(P) to his wife, and they become one flesh.^(Q)

²⁵Adam and his wife were both naked,^(R) and they felt no shame.

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Footnotes

Genesis 2:20 Or the man
Genesis 2:21 Or took part of the man’s side
Genesis 2:22 Or part

Song of Songs 1:1-8

New International Version

1 Solomon’s Song of Songs.^(A)

She^[a]

²Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—
    for your love^(B) is more delightful than wine.^(C)
³Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes;^(D)
    your name^(E) is like perfume poured out.
    No wonder the young women^(F) love you!
⁴Take me away with you—let us hurry!
    Let the king bring me into his chambers.^(G)

Friends

We rejoice and delight^(H) in you^[b];
we will praise your love^(I) more than wine.

She

How right they are to adore you!

⁵Dark am I, yet lovely,^(J)
    daughters of Jerusalem,^(K)
dark like the tents of Kedar,^(L)
    like the tent curtains of Solomon.^[c]
⁶Do not stare at me because I am dark,
    because I am darkened by the sun.
My mother’s sons were angry with me
    and made me take care of the vineyards;^(M)
    my own vineyard I had to neglect.
⁷Tell me, you whom I love,
    where you graze your flock
    and where you rest your sheep^(N) at midday.
Why should I be like a veiled^(O) woman
    beside the flocks of your friends?

Friends

⁸If you do not know, most beautiful of women,^(P)
follow the tracks of the sheep
and graze your young goats
by the tents of the shepherds.

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Footnotes

Song of Songs 1:2 The main male and female speakers (identified primarily on the basis of the gender of the relevant Hebrew forms) are indicated by the captions He and She respectively. The words of others are marked Friends. In some instances the divisions and their captions are debatable.
Song of Songs 1:4 The Hebrew is masculine singular.
Song of Songs 1:5 Or Salma