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Song of Solomon 6-8
Common English Bible
Song of Solomon 6-8
Common English Bible
[Daughters of Jerusalem]
6 Which way did your lover go,
you who are the most beautiful of women?
Which way did your lover turn,
that we may look for him along with you?
[Woman]
2 My lover has gone down to his garden,
to the fragrant plantings,
to graze in the gardens,
to gather the lilies.
3 I belong to my lover and my lover belongs to me—
the one grazing among the lilies.
An overwhelming sight
[Man]
4 You are as beautiful, my dearest, as Tirzah,
as lovely as Jerusalem,
formidable as those lofty sights.
5 Turn your eyes away from me,
for they overwhelm me!
Your hair is like a flock of goats
as they stream down from Gilead.
6 Your teeth are like a flock of ewes
as they come up from the washing pool—
all of them perfectly matched,
not one of them lacks its twin.
7 Like a slice of pomegranate is the curve of your face
behind the veil of your hair.
8 There may be sixty queens
and eighty secondary wives,
young women beyond counting,
9 but my dove, my perfect one, is one of a kind.
To her mother she’s the only one,
radiant to the one who bore her.
Young women see her and declare her fortunate;
queens and secondary wives praise her.
10 Who is this, gazing down like the morning star,
beautiful as the full moon,
radiant as the sun,
formidable as those lofty sights?
Transported
[Man]
11 To the nut grove I went down
to look upon the fresh growth in the valley,
to see whether the vine was in flower,
whether the pomegranates had bloomed.
12 I hardly knew myself;
she had set me in an official’s chariot![a]
Graceful dancer
[Man]
13 [b] Come back, come back, Shulammite![c]
Come back, come back, so we may admire you.
How you all admire the Shulammite
as she whirls between two circles of dancers!
7 How graceful are your sandaled feet,
willing woman!
The smooth curves of your thighs—like fine jewelry,
the work of an artist’s hands!
2 Your navel, cupped like the full moon—
may it never lack spiced wine!
Your belly is a mound of winnowed wheat
edged with lilies.
3 Your two breasts are like two fawns,
twins of a gazelle doe;
4 your neck, like a tower of ivory;
your eyes, pools in Heshbon,
by the gate of that lordly city.[d]
Your profile is like the tower of Lebanon,
looking out toward Damascus.
5 Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel,
and your hair, braided in royal purple—
a king is bound by the tresses!
6 You are so beautiful, so lovely—
my love, delightful one![e]
7 Your stately form resembles a date palm,
and your breasts are like clustered fruit.
8 I say, “I will climb the palm tree;
I will hold its fruit!”
May your breasts be now
like grape clusters,
and the scent of your breath like apples!
9 Your palate is like excellent wine . . .
[Woman]
. . . flowing smoothly for my love,
gliding through the lips and teeth.[f]
10 I belong to my lover,
and his longing is only for me.
The ripeness of love
[Woman]
11 Come, my love:
Let’s go out to the field
and rest all night among the flowering henna.
12 Let’s set out early for the vineyards.
We will see if the vines have budded
and the blossoms opened,
see if the pomegranates have bloomed.
There I’ll give my loving to you.
13 The mandrakes give off their scent,
and at our doorways is every delicacy—
fresh or ripened—
my love, I have kept them hidden for you.
Wishing
[Woman]
8 If only you were as my brother—
the one who nursed at my mother’s breast.
I would find you in the street and kiss you,
and no one would shame me for it.
2 I would lead you, I would bring you
to my mother’s house;
she would teach me what to do.[g]
I would give you spiced wine to drink,
some of my fresh pomegranate juice.
3 His left arm is beneath my head,
and his right embraces me!
4 Make a solemn pledge,
daughters of Jerusalem,
never to rouse, never to arouse love
until it desires.
Love, strong and invaluable
[Daughters of Jerusalem]
5 Who is this coming up from the wilderness
leaning against her lover?
[Woman]
Under the apple tree I aroused you—
there, where your mother labored with you,
there where, laboring, she bore you.
6 Set me as a seal over your heart,
as a seal upon your arm,
for love is as strong as death,
passionate love unrelenting as the grave.[h]
Its darts are darts of fire—
divine flame!
7 Rushing waters can’t quench love;
rivers can’t wash it away.
If someone gave
all his estate in exchange for love,
he would be laughed to utter shame.
[The Woman’s Brothers]
8 Our sister is small;
she has no breasts.
What will we do for our sister
on the day that she is spoken for?
9 If she is a city wall,
then we will build a turret of silver on her.[i]
And if she is a door,
then we will barricade her[j] with a panel of cedar.
[Woman]
10 I’m a city wall,
and my breasts are the towers.
So now I’m in his eyes
as one who brings peace.
[Man]
11 Solomon had a vineyard
in Baal-hamon.
He gave charge of the vineyard to keepers;
one would bring in exchange for its fruit
a thousand pieces of silver.
12 My vineyard, my very own, is before me.
You can have the thousand, Solomon[k]—
with two hundred for those who tend the fruit!
13 You who sit in the gardens,
my companions are listening for your voice.
Let me hear it!
[Woman]
14 “Take flight, my love,
and be like a gazelle
or a young stag
on the mountains of spice!”
Footnotes
- Song of Solomon 6:12 Or I hardly knew what happened; my passion set me in an official's chariot! LXX, Vulg Aminadab's chariots; Heb uncertain
- Song of Solomon 6:13 7:1 in Heb
- Song of Solomon 6:13 A name or title for the woman
- Song of Solomon 7:4 Or by the gate of Bath-rabbim
- Song of Solomon 7:6 With Syr and Aquila daughter of delights; MT love in delights or love with every charm
- Song of Solomon 7:9 LXX, Syr, Vulg; MT through the lips of those who sleep; Heb uncertain
- Song of Solomon 8:2 Or you would teach me; LXX, Syr to my mother's house, and to the chamber of the one who conceived me (cf 3:4)
- Song of Solomon 8:6 Heb Sheol
- Song of Solomon 8:9 Or on it (the city wall)
- Song of Solomon 8:9 Or it (the door)
- Song of Solomon 8:12 Cf 1 Kgs 11:3
Song of Songs 6-8
New International Version
Song of Songs 6-8
New International Version
Friends
6 Where has your beloved(A) gone,
most beautiful of women?(B)
Which way did your beloved turn,
that we may look for him with you?
She
2 My beloved has gone(C) down to his garden,(D)
to the beds of spices,(E)
to browse in the gardens
and to gather lilies.
3 I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine;(F)
he browses among the lilies.(G)
He
4 You are as beautiful as Tirzah,(H) my darling,
as lovely as Jerusalem,(I)
as majestic as troops with banners.(J)
5 Turn your eyes from me;
they overwhelm me.
Your hair is like a flock of goats
descending from Gilead.(K)
6 Your teeth are like a flock of sheep
coming up from the washing.
Each has its twin,
not one of them is missing.(L)
7 Your temples behind your veil(M)
are like the halves of a pomegranate.(N)
8 Sixty queens(O) there may be,
and eighty concubines,(P)
and virgins beyond number;
9 but my dove,(Q) my perfect one,(R) is unique,
the only daughter of her mother,
the favorite of the one who bore her.(S)
The young women saw her and called her blessed;
the queens and concubines praised her.
Friends
10 Who is this that appears like the dawn,
fair as the moon, bright as the sun,
majestic as the stars in procession?
He
11 I went down to the grove of nut trees
to look at the new growth in the valley,
to see if the vines had budded
or the pomegranates were in bloom.(T)
12 Before I realized it,
my desire set me among the royal chariots of my people.[a]
Friends
13 Come back, come back, O Shulammite;
come back, come back, that we may gaze on you!
He
7 [c]How beautiful your sandaled feet,
O prince’s(V) daughter!
Your graceful legs are like jewels,
the work of an artist’s hands.
2 Your navel is a rounded goblet
that never lacks blended wine.
Your waist is a mound of wheat
encircled by lilies.
3 Your breasts(W) are like two fawns,
like twin fawns of a gazelle.
4 Your neck is like an ivory tower.(X)
Your eyes are the pools of Heshbon(Y)
by the gate of Bath Rabbim.
Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon(Z)
looking toward Damascus.
5 Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel.(AA)
Your hair is like royal tapestry;
the king is held captive by its tresses.
6 How beautiful(AB) you are and how pleasing,
my love, with your delights!(AC)
7 Your stature is like that of the palm,
and your breasts(AD) like clusters of fruit.
8 I said, “I will climb the palm tree;
I will take hold of its fruit.”
May your breasts be like clusters of grapes on the vine,
the fragrance of your breath like apples,(AE)
9 and your mouth like the best wine.
She
May the wine go straight to my beloved,(AF)
flowing gently over lips and teeth.[d]
10 I belong to my beloved,
and his desire(AG) is for me.(AH)
11 Come, my beloved, let us go to the countryside,
let us spend the night in the villages.[e]
12 Let us go early to the vineyards(AI)
to see if the vines have budded,(AJ)
if their blossoms(AK) have opened,
and if the pomegranates(AL) are in bloom(AM)—
there I will give you my love.
13 The mandrakes(AN) send out their fragrance,
and at our door is every delicacy,
both new and old,
that I have stored up for you, my beloved.(AO)
8 If only you were to me like a brother,
who was nursed at my mother’s breasts!
Then, if I found you outside,
I would kiss you,
and no one would despise me.
2 I would lead you
and bring you to my mother’s house(AP)—
she who has taught me.
I would give you spiced wine to drink,
the nectar of my pomegranates.
3 His left arm is under my head
and his right arm embraces me.(AQ)
4 Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you:
Do not arouse or awaken love
until it so desires.(AR)
Friends
5 Who is this coming up from the wilderness(AS)
leaning on her beloved?
She
Under the apple tree I roused you;
there your mother conceived(AT) you,
there she who was in labor gave you birth.
6 Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm;
for love(AU) is as strong as death,
its jealousy[f](AV) unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire,
like a mighty flame.[g]
7 Many waters cannot quench love;
rivers cannot sweep it away.
If one were to give
all the wealth of one’s house for love,
it[h] would be utterly scorned.(AW)
Friends
8 We have a little sister,
and her breasts are not yet grown.
What shall we do for our sister
on the day she is spoken for?
9 If she is a wall,
we will build towers of silver on her.
If she is a door,
we will enclose her with panels of cedar.
She
10 I am a wall,
and my breasts are like towers.
Thus I have become in his eyes
like one bringing contentment.
11 Solomon had a vineyard(AX) in Baal Hamon;
he let out his vineyard to tenants.
Each was to bring for its fruit
a thousand shekels[i](AY) of silver.
12 But my own vineyard(AZ) is mine to give;
the thousand shekels are for you, Solomon,
and two hundred[j] are for those who tend its fruit.
He
13 You who dwell in the gardens
with friends in attendance,
let me hear your voice!
She
Footnotes
- Song of Songs 6:12 Or among the chariots of Amminadab; or among the chariots of the people of the prince
- Song of Songs 6:13 In Hebrew texts this verse (6:13) is numbered 7:1.
- Song of Songs 7:1 In Hebrew texts 7:1-13 is numbered 7:2-14.
- Song of Songs 7:9 Septuagint, Aquila, Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew lips of sleepers
- Song of Songs 7:11 Or the henna bushes
- Song of Songs 8:6 Or ardor
- Song of Songs 8:6 Or fire, / like the very flame of the Lord
- Song of Songs 8:7 Or he
- Song of Songs 8:11 That is, about 25 pounds or about 12 kilograms; also in verse 12
- Song of Songs 8:12 That is, about 5 pounds or about 2.3 kilograms
Common English Bible (CEB)
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.