Mutual Delight in Each Other

The Chorus

(A)Where has your beloved gone,
O (B)most beautiful among women?
Where has your beloved turned,
That we may seek him with you?”

The Bride

“My beloved has gone down to his (C)garden,
To the (D)beds of balsam,
To (E)pasture his flock in the gardens
And gather (F)lilies.
(G)I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine,
He who (H)pastures his flock among the lilies.”

The Groom

(I)You are as beautiful as (J)Tirzah, my darling,
As (K)lovely as (L)Jerusalem,
As (M)awesome as an army with banners.
Turn your eyes away from me,
For they have confused me;
(N)Your hair is like a flock of goats
That have descended from Gilead.
(O)Your teeth are like a flock of ewes
That have come up from their watering place,
All of which bear twins,
And not one among them has lost her young.
(P)Your temples are like a slice of a pomegranate
Behind your veil.
There are sixty (Q)queens and eighty concubines,
And [a](R)young women without number;
But (S)my dove, my perfect one, is [b]unique:
She is her mother’s [c]only daughter;
She is the pure child of the one who gave birth to her.
The [d](T)young women saw her and called her [e]blessed,
The (U)queens and the concubines also, and they praised her, saying,

10 ‘Who is this who looks down like the dawn,
As beautiful as the full (V)moon,
As pure (W)as the sun,
As (X)awesome as an army with banners?’
11 I went down to the orchard of nut trees
To see the plants of the valley,
To see whether (Y)the vine had grown
Or the (Z)pomegranates had bloomed.
12 [f]Before I was aware, my soul set me
Over the chariots of [g]my noble people.”

The Chorus

13 [h]Come back, come back, O Shulammite;
Come back, come back, so that we may look at you!”

The Groom

“Why should you look at the Shulammite,
As at the (AA)dance of [i](AB)the two armies?

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 6:8 Or virgins
  2. Song of Solomon 6:9 Lit one
  3. Song of Solomon 6:9 Lit one
  4. Song of Solomon 6:9 Lit daughters
  5. Song of Solomon 6:9 Or happy
  6. Song of Solomon 6:12 Lit I was not aware, my soul
  7. Song of Solomon 6:12 Or Ammi-nadib
  8. Song of Solomon 6:13 Ch 7:1 in Heb
  9. Song of Solomon 6:13 Or Mahanaim

Where has your beloved gone,
    O fairest among women?
Which way has your beloved turned
    that we may seek him with you?(A)

My beloved has gone down to his garden,
    to the beds of spices,
to pasture his flock in the gardens
    and to gather lilies.(B)
I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine;
    he pastures his flock among the lilies.(C)

The Young Woman’s Matchless Beauty

You are beautiful as Tirzah, my love,
    comely as Jerusalem,
    terrible as an army with banners.(D)
Turn away your eyes from me,
    for they overwhelm me!
Your hair is like a flock of goats,
    moving down the slopes of Gilead.(E)
Your teeth are like a flock of ewes
    that have come up from the washing;
all of them bear twins,
    and not one among them is bereaved.(F)
Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate
    behind your veil.(G)
There are sixty queens and eighty concubines
    and maidens without number.(H)
My dove, my perfect one, is the only one,
    the darling of her mother,
    flawless to her who bore her.
The maidens saw her and called her happy;
    the queens and concubines praised her.(I)
10 “Who is this that looks forth like the dawn,
    fair as the moon, bright as the sun,
    terrible as an army with banners?”(J)

11 I went down to the nut orchard
    to look at the blossoms of the valley,
to see whether the vines had budded,
    whether the pomegranates were in bloom.(K)
12 Before I was aware, my desire set me
    in a chariot beside my prince.[a]

13 [b]Return, return, O Shulammite!
    Return, return, that we may look upon you.

Why should you look upon the Shulammite,
    as upon a dance before two armies?[c](L)

Footnotes

  1. 6.12 Cn: Meaning of Heb uncertain
  2. 6.13 7.1 in Heb
  3. 6.13 Or dance of Mahanaim