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The Shulammite Bride’s Desire

The [a]Song of (A)Songs, which is Solomon’s.

[b]May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your (B)love is better than wine.
Your (C)oils have a pleasing fragrance,
Your (D)name is like [c]purified oil;
Therefore the [d](E)maidens love you.
Draw me after you and let us run together!
The (F)king has brought me into his chambers.”
[e]We will rejoice in you and be glad;
We will [f]extol your (G)love more than wine.
Rightly do they love you.”

[g]I am black but (H)lovely,
O (I)daughters of Jerusalem,
Like the (J)tents of (K)Kedar,
Like the curtains of Solomon.
Do not look at me because I am [h]swarthy,
For the sun has burned me.
My (L)mother’s sons were angry with me;
They made me (M)caretaker of the vineyards,
But I have not taken care of my own vineyard.
Tell me, O you (N)whom my soul loves,
Where do you (O)shepherd your flock,
Where do you make it (P)lie down at noon?
For why should I be like one who [i]veils herself
Beside the flocks of your (Q)companions?”

Solomon and His Bride Extol Each Other

[j]If you yourself do not know,
(R)Most beautiful among women,
Go forth on the trail of the flock
And pasture your young goats
By the dwellings of the shepherds.

“To a (S)mare of mine among the chariots of Pharaoh
I compare you, O (T)my darling.
10 Your (U)cheeks are lovely with ornaments,
Your neck with strings of [k](V)beads.”

11 [l]We will make for you ornaments of gold
With beads of silver.”

12 [m]While the king was at his [n]banqueting table,
My [o](W)perfume gave forth its fragrance.
13 My beloved is to me a pouch of (X)myrrh
Which lies all night between my breasts.
14 My beloved is to me a cluster of (Y)henna blossoms
In the vineyards of (Z)Engedi.”

15 [p](AA)Behold, you are beautiful, my darling,
Behold, you are beautiful!
Your (AB)eyes are like doves.”

16 [q]Behold, you are handsome, (AC)my beloved,
Indeed, so pleasant!
Indeed, our couch is luxuriant!
17 The beams of our houses are (AD)cedars,
Our rafters, [r](AE)cypresses.

Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 1:1 Or Best of the Songs
  2. Song of Songs 1:2 BRIDE
  3. Song of Songs 1:3 Lit oil which is emptied (from one vessel to another)
  4. Song of Songs 1:3 Or virgins
  5. Song of Songs 1:4 CHORUS
  6. Song of Songs 1:4 Lit make remembrance of
  7. Song of Songs 1:5 BRIDE
  8. Song of Songs 1:6 Or black
  9. Song of Songs 1:7 Some versions wanders
  10. Song of Songs 1:8 BRIDEGROOM
  11. Song of Songs 1:10 Or shells
  12. Song of Songs 1:11 CHORUS
  13. Song of Songs 1:12 BRIDE
  14. Song of Songs 1:12 Or couch
  15. Song of Songs 1:12 Lit nard
  16. Song of Songs 1:15 BRIDEGROOM
  17. Song of Songs 1:16 BRIDE
  18. Song of Songs 1:17 Or junipers

Title

The Most Beautiful Song by Solomon.

The Loved One

Let him kiss me over and over again![a]
    Your love is better than wine.
The fragrance of your perfumed oil is wonderful.
    Your name is perfume poured out.
        Therefore the young women love you.
Take me with[b] you! Let’s run away!
    Let the king bring me into his private chambers.

The Young Women

The daughters[c] of Jerusalem[d] will rejoice and be happy for you.
    We will value your love more than wine.
        They love you appropriately.

The Loved One

The daughters[e] of Jerusalem, I’m dark and lovely
    like the tents of Kedar,
        like the curtains of Solomon.
Don’t stare at me because I’m dark;
    the sun has tanned me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me.
    They made me the caretaker of the vineyards,
        but I didn’t take care of my own vineyard.

Tell me, you whom I love,
    where do you graze your flock?
        Where do you make your flock lie down[f] at noon?
Why should I be considered a veiled woman[g]
    beside the flocks of your companions?

The Lover

If you don’t know, most beautiful of women,
    go out after the flock and graze your young goats beside the shepherd’s tents.
My darling, I compare you to a[h] mare
    among Pharaoh’s chariots.
10 Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,
    your neck with strings of jewels.

The Young Women

11 We will make ornaments of gold for you,
    accented with silver.

The Loved One

12 While the king was sitting at his table,
    my perfume sent forth its fragrance.
13 My beloved is to me a pouch of myrrh[i]
    that lies between my breasts all night.
14 My beloved is to me a cluster of henna[j] blossoms
    in the vineyards of En-gedi.

The Lover

15 Look at you! You are beautiful, my darling.
    Look at you! You are so beautiful.
        Your eyes are doves.

The Loved One

16 Look at you! You are handsome, my beloved, truly lovely.
    How lush is our couch.
17 The beams of our house are cedar,[k]
    our rafters are pine.

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 1:2 Lit. me with the kisses of his mouth
  2. Song of Solomon 1:4 Lit. Draw me after
  3. Song of Solomon 1:4 Or The young women
  4. Song of Solomon 1:4 The Heb. lacks daughters of Jerusalem (cf. v. 5)
  5. Song of Solomon 1:5 Or The young women
  6. Song of Solomon 1:7 Lit. where do you make to lie down
  7. Song of Solomon 1:7 I.e. a prostitute
  8. Song of Solomon 1:9 Lit. my
  9. Song of Solomon 1:13 I.e. a fragrant spice used as a perfume
  10. Song of Solomon 1:14 I.e. an aromatic shrub used cosmetically
  11. Song of Solomon 1:17 I.e. a genus of coniferous evergreen in the family Pinaceae; and so throughout the book