Song of Solomon 5
New Living Translation
Young Man
5 I have entered my garden, my treasure,[a] my bride!
I gather myrrh with my spices
and eat honeycomb with my honey.
I drink wine with my milk.
Young Women of Jerusalem
Oh, lover and beloved, eat and drink!
Yes, drink deeply of your love!
Young Woman
2 I slept, but my heart was awake,
when I heard my lover knocking and calling:
“Open to me, my treasure, my darling,
my dove, my perfect one.
My head is drenched with dew,
my hair with the dampness of the night.”
3 But I responded,
“I have taken off my robe.
Should I get dressed again?
I have washed my feet.
Should I get them soiled?”
4 My lover tried to unlatch the door,
and my heart thrilled within me.
5 I jumped up to open the door for my love,
and my hands dripped with perfume.
My fingers dripped with lovely myrrh
as I pulled back the bolt.
6 I opened to my lover,
but he was gone!
My heart sank.
I searched for him
but could not find him anywhere.
I called to him,
but there was no reply.
7 The night watchmen found me
as they made their rounds.
They beat and bruised me
and stripped off my veil,
those watchmen on the walls.
8 Make this promise, O women of Jerusalem—
If you find my lover,
tell him I am weak with love.
Young Women of Jerusalem
9 Why is your lover better than all others,
O woman of rare beauty?
What makes your lover so special
that we must promise this?
Young Woman
10 My lover is dark and dazzling,
better than ten thousand others!
11 His head is finest gold,
his wavy hair is black as a raven.
12 His eyes sparkle like doves
beside springs of water;
they are set like jewels
washed in milk.
13 His cheeks are like gardens of spices
giving off fragrance.
His lips are like lilies,
perfumed with myrrh.
14 His arms are like rounded bars of gold,
set with beryl.
His body is like bright ivory,
glowing with lapis lazuli.
15 His legs are like marble pillars
set in sockets of finest gold.
His posture is stately,
like the noble cedars of Lebanon.
16 His mouth is sweetness itself;
he is desirable in every way.
Such, O women of Jerusalem,
is my lover, my friend.
Song of Solomon 5
International Standard Version
The Lover
5 I’ve come into my garden, my sister, my[a] bride;
I’ve gathered my myrrh with my spices.
I’ve eaten my honeycomb with my honey.
I’ve drunk my wine with my milk.
Eat, friends!
Drink and become drunk with love.
The Loved One
2 I was asleep, but my heart was awake.
There’s a sound! My beloved is knocking.
The Lover
“Open up for me, my sister, my darling,
my dove, my perfect one.
For my head is drenched with dew,
my hair with the dampness of the night.”
The Loved One
3 “I’ve taken off my clothes[b]—
am I supposed to put them on again?[c]
I’ve washed my feet—
am I supposed to[d] get them dirty again?”
4 My beloved reached out his hand for the latch.[e]
My feelings for him were aroused.
5 I got up to open the door,[f]
and my hands dripped with myrrh,
my fingers with liquid myrrh,
on the handle of the lock.
6 I opened the door[g] for my beloved,
but my beloved had turned away; he was gone!
My very life went out when he departed.[h]
I searched for him,
but couldn’t find him.
I called out to him,
but he didn’t answer.
7 The watchmen making their[i] rounds
through the city found me.
They beat me, they bruised me.
Those guarding the walls took my cloak[j] from me.
8 I charge you, young women of Jerusalem,
“If you find my beloved, what are you to tell him?
Tell him[k] that I’m weak with love.”
The Young Women
9 What is so special about your beloved,[l]
most beautiful of women?
What is so special about your beloved,
that you charge us like this?
The Loved One
10 My beloved is dazzling,
with a dark and healthy complexion,
outstanding among ten thousand.
11 His head is pure gold,
his hair is wavy, black like a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves
by streams of water,
bathed in milk,
mounted like jewels.
13 His cheeks are like beds of spices,
like towers of perfume.
His lips are lilies,
dripping with liquid myrrh.
14 His hands are rods of gold,
set with beryl.
His stomach is carved ivory,
inlaid with sapphires.[m]
15 His legs are pillars of marble
set on bases of pure gold.
His appearance is like Lebanon,
choice like its cedars.
16 His mouth[n] is sweetness,
and all of him is desirable.
This is my beloved, this is my friend,
young women of Jerusalem!
Footnotes
- Song of Solomon 5:1 The Heb. lacks my
- Song of Solomon 5:3 Or my tunic
- Song of Solomon 5:3 Lit. How shall I put them on again?
- Song of Solomon 5:3 Lit. How shall I
- Song of Solomon 5:4 Or keyhole
- Song of Solomon 5:5 The Heb. lacks the door
- Song of Solomon 5:6 The Heb. lacks the door
- Song of Solomon 5:6 Or when he spoke
- Song of Solomon 5:7 The Heb. lacks their
- Song of Solomon 5:7 Or shawl
- Song of Solomon 5:8 The Heb. lacks Tell him
- Song of Solomon 5:9 Or How is your beloved better than other beloveds
- Song of Solomon 5:14 Or lapis lazuli
- Song of Solomon 5:16 Lit. palate
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.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.