How beautiful are your sandaled feet, princess![a](A)
The curves of your thighs are like jewelry,
the handiwork of a master.
Your navel is a rounded bowl;
it never lacks mixed wine.
Your belly is a mound of wheat
surrounded by lilies.
Your breasts are like two fawns,
twins of a gazelle.(B)
Your neck is like a tower of ivory,(C)
your eyes like pools in Heshbon
by Bath-rabbim’s gate.
Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon
looking toward Damascus.
Your head crowns you[b] like Mount Carmel,
the hair of your head like purple cloth—
a king could be held captive(D) in your tresses.
How beautiful you are and how pleasant,(E)
my love, with such delights!
Your stature is like a palm tree;
your breasts are clusters of fruit.
I said, “I will climb the palm tree
and take hold of its fruit.”(F)
May your breasts be like clusters of grapes,
and the fragrance of your breath like apricots.(G)
Your mouth[c] is like fine wine(H)

Woman

flowing smoothly for my love,
gliding past my lips and teeth![d]
10 I am my love’s,
and his desire(I) is for me.(J)

11 Come, my love,
let’s go to the field;
let’s spend the night among the henna blossoms.[e]
12 Let’s go early to the vineyards;
let’s see if the vine has budded,
if the blossom has opened,
if the pomegranates are in bloom.(K)
There I will give you my caresses.
13 The mandrakes(L) give off a fragrance,
and at our doors is every delicacy,
both new and old.
I have treasured them up for you, my love.

If only I could treat you like my brother,[f]
one who nursed at my mother’s breasts,
I would find you in public and kiss you,
and no one would scorn me.
I would lead you, I would take you,
to the house of my mother(M) who taught me.[g]
I would give you spiced wine to drink
from the juice of my pomegranate.
May his left hand be under my head,
and his right arm embrace me.(N)
Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you,
do not stir up or awaken love
until the appropriate time.(O)

Young Women

Who is this(P) coming up from the wilderness,
leaning on the one she loves?

Woman

I awakened you under the apricot tree.(Q)
There your mother conceived you;
there she conceived and gave you birth.
Set me as a seal on your heart,
as a seal on your arm.(R)
For love is as strong as death;(S)
jealousy is as unrelenting as Sheol.
Love’s flames are fiery flames(T)
an almighty flame![h]
A huge torrent cannot extinguish love;
rivers cannot sweep it away.
If a man were to give all his wealth[i] for love,(U)
it would be utterly scorned.

Brothers

Our sister is young;
she has no breasts.(V)
What will we do for our sister
on the day she is spoken for?
If she is a wall,
we will build a silver barricade on her.
If she is a door,
we will enclose her with cedar planks.(W)

Woman

10 I am[j] a wall
and my breasts like towers.
So to him I have become
like one who finds[k] peace.[l]

11 Solomon owned a vineyard in Baal-hamon.(X)
He leased the vineyard to tenants.(Y)
Each was to bring for his fruit
one thousand pieces of silver.(Z)
12 I have my own vineyard.[m](AA)
The one thousand are for you, Solomon,
but two hundred for those who take care of its fruits.

Man

13 You[n] who dwell in the gardens,
companions(AB) are listening for your voice;
let me hear you!(AC)

Woman

14 Run away with me,[o] my love,
and be like a gazelle
or a young stag
on the mountains of spices.(AD)

Footnotes

  1. 7:1 Lit daughter of a nobleman, or prince
  2. 7:5 Lit head upon you is
  3. 7:9 Lit palate
  4. 7:9 LXX, Syr, Vg; MT reads past lips of sleepers
  5. 7:11 Or the villages
  6. 8:1 Lit Would that you were like a brother to me
  7. 8:2 LXX adds and into the chamber of the one who bore me
  8. 8:6 Or the blaze of the Lord
  9. 8:7 Lit all the wealth of his house
  10. 8:10 Or was
  11. 8:10 Or brings
  12. 8:10 In Hb, the word for peace sounds similar to Solomon and Shulammite.
  13. 8:12 Lit My vineyard, which is mine, is before me; Sg 1:6
  14. 8:13 In Hb, the word for You is feminine.
  15. 8:14 Lit Flee

[a]How beautiful your sandaled feet,
    O prince’s(A) daughter!
Your graceful legs are like jewels,
    the work of an artist’s hands.
Your navel is a rounded goblet
    that never lacks blended wine.
Your waist is a mound of wheat
    encircled by lilies.
Your breasts(B) are like two fawns,
    like twin fawns of a gazelle.
Your neck is like an ivory tower.(C)
Your eyes are the pools of Heshbon(D)
    by the gate of Bath Rabbim.
Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon(E)
    looking toward Damascus.
Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel.(F)
    Your hair is like royal tapestry;
    the king is held captive by its tresses.
How beautiful(G) you are and how pleasing,
    my love, with your delights!(H)
Your stature is like that of the palm,
    and your breasts(I) like clusters of fruit.
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,(J)
    and your mouth like the best wine.

She

May the wine go straight to my beloved,(K)
    flowing gently over lips and teeth.[b]
10 I belong to my beloved,
    and his desire(L) is for me.(M)
11 Come, my beloved, let us go to the countryside,
    let us spend the night in the villages.[c]
12 Let us go early to the vineyards(N)
    to see if the vines have budded,(O)
if their blossoms(P) have opened,
    and if the pomegranates(Q) are in bloom(R)
    there I will give you my love.
13 The mandrakes(S) send out their fragrance,
    and at our door is every delicacy,
both new and old,
    that I have stored up for you, my beloved.(T)

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.
I would lead you
    and bring you to my mother’s house(U)
    she who has taught me.
I would give you spiced wine to drink,
    the nectar of my pomegranates.
His left arm is under my head
    and his right arm embraces me.(V)
Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you:
    Do not arouse or awaken love
    until it so desires.(W)

Friends

Who is this coming up from the wilderness(X)
    leaning on her beloved?

She

Under the apple tree I roused you;
    there your mother conceived(Y) you,
    there she who was in labor gave you birth.
Place me like a seal over your heart,
    like a seal on your arm;
for love(Z) is as strong as death,
    its jealousy[d](AA) unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire,
    like a mighty flame.[e]
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[f] would be utterly scorned.(AB)

Friends

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?
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(AC) in Baal Hamon;
    he let out his vineyard to tenants.
Each was to bring for its fruit
    a thousand shekels[g](AD) of silver.
12 But my own vineyard(AE) is mine to give;
    the thousand shekels are for you, Solomon,
    and two hundred[h] 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

14 Come away, my beloved,
    and be like a gazelle(AF)
or like a young stag(AG)
    on the spice-laden mountains.(AH)

Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 7:1 In Hebrew texts 7:1-13 is numbered 7:2-14.
  2. Song of Songs 7:9 Septuagint, Aquila, Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew lips of sleepers
  3. Song of Songs 7:11 Or the henna bushes
  4. Song of Songs 8:6 Or ardor
  5. Song of Songs 8:6 Or fire, / like the very flame of the Lord
  6. Song of Songs 8:7 Or he
  7. Song of Songs 8:11 That is, about 25 pounds or about 12 kilograms; also in verse 12
  8. Song of Songs 8:12 That is, about 5 pounds or about 2.3 kilograms

The Law of Liberty

14 Welcome(A) anyone who is weak in faith,(B) but don’t argue about disputed matters. One person believes he may eat anything,(C) while one who is weak eats only vegetables. One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat,(D) and one who does not eat must not judge one who does,(E) because God has accepted him.(F) Who are you to judge(G) another’s household servant? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand, because the Lord is able[a] to make him stand.

One person judges one day to be more important than another day.(H) Someone else judges every day to be the same. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind.(I) Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord.[b] Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God;(J) and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, and he gives thanks to God. For none of us lives for himself, and no one dies for himself.(K) If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.(L) Christ died and returned to life(M) for this: that he might be Lord over both the dead and the living.(N) 10 But you, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.[c](O) 11 For it is written,

As I live, says the Lord,
every knee will bow to me,(P)
and every tongue will give praise to God.[d](Q)

12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.(R)

The Law of Love

13 Therefore, let us no longer judge one another.(S) Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in the way of your brother or sister.(T) 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself.(U) Still, to someone who considers a thing to be unclean, to that one it is unclean.(V) 15 For if your brother or sister is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love.(W) Do not destroy, by what you eat, someone for whom Christ died.(X) 16 Therefore, do not let your good be slandered,(Y) 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking,(Z) but righteousness, peace, and joy(AA) in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever serves Christ(AB) in this way is acceptable to God and receives human approval.(AC)

19 So then, let us pursue what promotes peace(AD) and what builds up one another.(AE) 20 Do not tear down God’s work because of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong to make someone fall by what he eats.(AF) 21 It is a good thing not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother or sister stumble.[e] 22 Whatever you believe about these things, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves.(AG) 23 But whoever doubts stands condemned if he eats,(AH) because his eating is not from faith,[f] and everything that is not from faith is sin.

Footnotes

  1. 14:4 Other mss read For God has the power
  2. 14:6 Other mss add but whoever does not observe the day, it is to the Lord that he does not observe it
  3. 14:10 Other mss read of Christ
  4. 14:11 Is 45:23; 49:18
  5. 14:21 Other mss add or offended or weakened
  6. 14:23 Or conviction

The Weak and the Strong

14 Accept the one whose faith is weak,(A) without quarreling over disputable matters. One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.(B) The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt(C) the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge(D) the one who does, for God has accepted them. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant?(E) To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

One person considers one day more sacred than another;(F) another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God;(G) and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives for ourselves alone,(H) and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.(I) For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life(J) so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.(K)

10 You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister[a]? Or why do you treat them with contempt?(L) For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.(M) 11 It is written:

“‘As surely as I live,’(N) says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow before me;
    every tongue will acknowledge God.’”[b](O)

12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.(P)

13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment(Q) on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.(R) 14 I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself.(S) But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean.(T) 15 If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love.(U) Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died.(V) 16 Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil.(W) 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking,(X) but of righteousness, peace(Y) and joy in the Holy Spirit,(Z) 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.(AA)

19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace(AB) and to mutual edification.(AC) 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food.(AD) All food is clean,(AE) but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.(AF) 21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.(AG)

22 So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn(AH) himself by what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts(AI) is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.[c]

Footnotes

  1. Romans 14:10 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family; also in verses 13, 15 and 21.
  2. Romans 14:11 Isaiah 45:23
  3. Romans 14:23 Some manuscripts place 16:25-27 here; others after 15:33.

I will destroy anyone
who secretly slanders his neighbor;(A)
I cannot tolerate anyone
with haughty eyes or an arrogant heart.(B)
My eyes favor the faithful of the land
so that they may sit down with me.
The one who follows the way of integrity
may serve me.(C)
No one who acts deceitfully
will live in my palace;
the one who tells lies
will not be retained here to guide me.[a](D)
Every morning I will destroy
all the wicked of the land,
wiping out all evildoers from the Lord’s city.(E)

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Footnotes

  1. 101:7 Lit be established in front of my eyes

Whoever slanders their neighbor(A) in secret,
    I will put to silence;
whoever has haughty eyes(B) and a proud heart,
    I will not tolerate.

My eyes will be on the faithful in the land,
    that they may dwell with me;
the one whose walk is blameless(C)
    will minister to me.

No one who practices deceit
    will dwell in my house;
no one who speaks falsely
    will stand in my presence.

Every morning(D) I will put to silence
    all the wicked(E) in the land;
I will cut off every evildoer(F)
    from the city of the Lord.(G)

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Better to live on the corner of a roof
than to share a house with a nagging wife.(A)

10 A wicked person desires evil;
he has no consideration[a] for his neighbor.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. 21:10 Or favor

Better to live on a corner of the roof
    than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.(A)

10 The wicked crave evil;
    their neighbors get no mercy from them.

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