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Song of Songs 3
Modern English Version

3 On my bed by night I sought him
    whom my soul loves;
    I sought him, but found him not.
2 I will rise now and go about the city,
    in the streets and in the squares;
I will seek him whom my soul loves.
    I sought him, but found him not.
3 The watchmen found me,
    as they went about the city.
    “Have you seen him whom my soul loves?”
4 Scarcely had I passed them,
    when I found him whom my soul loves.
I held him, and would not let him go
    until I brought him to my mother’s house,
    and into the chamber of her who conceived me.
5 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
    by the gazelles or does of the field,
do not stir up or awaken love
    until it pleases.

6 Who is that coming up from the wilderness,
    like columns of smoke,
perfumed with myrrh and frankincense,
    with all the fragrant powders of the merchant?
7 Look, it is the litter of Solomon!
    Around it are sixty mighty men,
    of the mighty men of Israel,
8 all of them holding swords
    and expert in war,
each with his sword at his thigh,
    because of terrors by night.
9 King Solomon made himself a palanquin
    from the wood of Lebanon.
10 He made its posts of silver,
    its back of gold,
its seat of purple;
    its interior was inlaid with love
    by the daughters of Jerusalem.
11 Go forth, O daughters of Zion,
    and see King Solomon with the crown
    with which his mother crowned him
on the day of his wedding,
    on the day of the gladness of his heart.

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Song of Solomon 3
Lexham English Bible

Maiden’s Dream (?): Seeking and Finding

3 On my bed in the night,
    I sought[a] him whom my heart[b] loves.
I sought him, but I did not find him.
2 Now I will arise, and I will go about in the city,
    in the streets and in the squares;
I will seek him whom my heart[c] loves.
    I sought him, but I did not find him.
3 The sentinels who go about in the city found me.
    “Have you seen the one whom my heart[d] loves?”
4 Scarcely had I passed[e] by them
    when I found him whom my heart[f] loves.
I held him and I would not let him go
    until I brought him to the house of my mother,
        into the bedroom chamber of she who conceived me.

Adjuration Refrain

5 I adjure you, O maidens of Jerusalem,[g]
    by the gazelles or by the does of the field,
do not arouse or awaken love until it pleases![h]

Royal Wedding Procession

6 What is this coming up from the desert
    like a column of smoke,
perfumed with myrrh and frankincense
    from all the fragrant powders of the merchant?
7 Look! It is Solomon’s portable couch![i]
    Sixty mighty men surround it,[j]
        the mighty men of Israel.
8 All of them wield swords;[k]
    they are trained in warfare,[l]
each with his sword at his thigh
    to guard against terror[m] in the night.
9 King Solomon[n] made for himself a sedan chair
    from the wood of Lebanon.
10 He made its column of silver, its back[o] of gold, its seat of purple;
    its interior is inlaid with leather[p] by the maidens of Jerusalem.[q]
11 Come out and look, O maidens of Zion,[r] at King Solomon,[s]
    at the crown with which his mother crowned him
on the day of his wedding,
    on the day of the joy of his heart!

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 3:1 Or “I seek”
  2. Song of Solomon 3:1 Literally “soul”
  3. Song of Solomon 3:2 Literally “soul”
  4. Song of Solomon 3:3 Literally “soul”
  5. Song of Solomon 3:4 Literally “As little that I passed”
  6. Song of Solomon 3:4 Literally “soul”
  7. Song of Solomon 3:5 Literally “O daughters of Jerusalem”
  8. Song of Solomon 3:5 Or “Do not stir up or awaken the love until it is willing,” or “Do not disturb or interrupt our love-making until it is satisfied”
  9. Song of Solomon 3:7 Literally “couch” or “portable sedan chair”
  10. Song of Solomon 3:7 Literally “her”
  11. Song of Solomon 3:8 Literally “holders of sword”
  12. Song of Solomon 3:8 Literally “learnt of war”
  13. Song of Solomon 3:8 Literally “because of the fear”
  14. Song of Solomon 3:9 Literally “The king, Solomon”
  15. Song of Solomon 3:10 Or “its support,” “its base,” “its headrest,” “its litter,” “its cover”
  16. Song of Solomon 3:10 Or “love.” The Hebrew term here translated “leather” is spelled the same as the term for “love.” Most likely this is an example of a word play that puns on the intentional ambiguity: “Its interior was inlaid with leather//love by the maidens of Jerusalem”
  17. Song of Solomon 3:10 Literally “by the daughters of Jerusalem”
  18. Song of Solomon 3:11 Literally “O daughters of Zion”
  19. Song of Solomon 3:11 Literally “the king, Solomon”
Listen to Song of Songs 3
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Song of Songs 3
New International Version

3 All night long on my bed
    I looked(A) for the one my heart loves;
    I looked for him but did not find him.
2 I will get up now and go about the city,
    through its streets and squares;
I will search for the one my heart loves.
    So I looked for him but did not find him.
3 The watchmen found me
    as they made their rounds in the city.(B)
    “Have you seen the one my heart loves?”
4 Scarcely had I passed them
    when I found the one my heart loves.
I held him and would not let him go
    till I had brought him to my mother’s house,(C)
    to the room of the one who conceived me.(D)
5 Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you(E)
    by the gazelles and by the does of the field:
Do not arouse or awaken love
    until it so desires.(F)

6 Who is this coming up from the wilderness(G)
    like a column of smoke,
perfumed with myrrh(H) and incense
    made from all the spices(I) of the merchant?
7 Look! It is Solomon’s carriage,
    escorted by sixty warriors,(J)
    the noblest of Israel,
8 all of them wearing the sword,
    all experienced in battle,
each with his sword at his side,
    prepared for the terrors of the night.(K)
9 King Solomon made for himself the carriage;
    he made it of wood from Lebanon.
10 Its posts he made of silver,
    its base of gold.
Its seat was upholstered with purple,
    its interior inlaid with love.
Daughters of Jerusalem, 11 come out,
    and look, you daughters of Zion.(L)
Look[a] on King Solomon wearing a crown,
    the crown with which his mother crowned him
on the day of his wedding,
    the day his heart rejoiced.(M)

Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 3:11 Or interior lovingly inlaid / by the daughters of Jerusalem. / 11 Come out, you daughters of Zion, / and look
Next
Song of Songs 2
Song of Songs 4
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Modern English Version (MEV)

The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.

Lexham English Bible (LEB)

2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

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