Song of Solomon 3
Holman Christian Standard Bible
3 In my bed at night[a]
I sought the one I love;(A)
I sought him, but did not find him.[b](B)
2 I will arise now and go about the city,
through the streets and the plazas.(C)
I will seek the one I love.
I sought him, but did not find him.
3 The guards who go about the city found me.(D)
I asked them, “Have you seen the one I love?”
4 I had just passed them
when I found the one I love.
I held on to him and would not let him go
until I brought him to my mother’s house(E)—
to the chamber of the one who conceived me.
5 Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you
by the gazelles and the wild does of the field:
do not stir up or awaken love
until the appropriate time.[c](F)
6 N What is this(G) coming up from the wilderness
like columns of smoke,
scented with myrrh and frankincense(H)
from every fragrant powder of the merchant?
7 It is Solomon’s royal litter[d]
surrounded by 60 warriors
from the mighty of Israel.
8 All of them are skilled with swords
and trained in warfare.
Each has his sword at his side(I)
to guard against the terror of the night.(J)
9 King Solomon made a sedan chair[e] for himself
with wood from Lebanon.
10 He made its posts of silver,
its back[f] of gold,
and its seat of purple.
Its interior is inlaid with love[g]
by the young women of Jerusalem.(K)
11 Come out, young women of Zion,(L)
and gaze at King Solomon,
wearing the crown his mother placed on him
the day of his wedding(M)—
the day of his heart’s rejoicing.
Footnotes
- Song of Solomon 3:1 Or bed night after night
- Song of Solomon 3:1 LXX adds I called him, but he did not answer me
- Song of Solomon 3:5 Lit until it pleases
- Song of Solomon 3:7 A conveyance carried on the shoulders of servants
- Song of Solomon 3:9 In Hb, the term sedan chair is possibly a synonym for “litter”; it is also called a palanquin.
- Song of Solomon 3:10 Or base, or canopy
- Song of Solomon 3:10 Or leather
Song of Solomon 3
New Living Translation
Young Woman
3 One night as I lay in bed, I yearned for my lover.
I yearned for him, but he did not come.
2 So I said to myself, “I will get up and roam the city,
searching in all its streets and squares.
I will search for the one I love.”
So I searched everywhere but did not find him.
3 The watchmen stopped me as they made their rounds,
and I asked, “Have you seen the one I love?”
4 Then scarcely had I left them
when I found my love!
I caught and held him tightly,
then I brought him to my mother’s house,
into my mother’s bed, where I had been conceived.
5 Promise me, O women of Jerusalem,
by the gazelles and wild deer,
not to awaken love until the time is right.[a]
Young Women of Jerusalem
6 Who is this sweeping in from the wilderness
like a cloud of smoke?
Who is it, fragrant with myrrh and frankincense
and every kind of spice?
7 Look, it is Solomon’s carriage,
surrounded by sixty heroic men,
the best of Israel’s soldiers.
8 They are all skilled swordsmen,
experienced warriors.
Each wears a sword on his thigh,
ready to defend the king against an attack in the night.
9 King Solomon’s carriage is built
of wood imported from Lebanon.
10 Its posts are silver,
its canopy gold;
its cushions are purple.
It was decorated with love
by the young women of Jerusalem.
Young Woman
11 Come out to see King Solomon,
young women of Jerusalem.[b]
He wears the crown his mother gave him on his wedding day,
his most joyous day.
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
