12 A locked garden is my sister, my bride,
A locked spring, a (A)sealed (B)fountain.
13 Your branches are an [a](C)orchard of (D)pomegranates
With (E)delicious fruits, (F)henna with nard plants,
14 (G)Nard and saffron, spice reed and (H)cinnamon,
With all the trees of (I)frankincense,
(J)Myrrh, and aloes, along with all the finest balsam oils.
15 You are a garden spring,
A well of [b](K)fresh water,
And flowing streams from Lebanon.”

The Bride

16 “Awake, north wind,
And come, wind of the south;
[c]Make my (L)garden breathe out fragrance,
May its balsam oils flow.
May (M)my beloved come into his garden
And eat its (N)delicious fruits!”

The Torment of Separation

The Groom

“I have (O)come into my garden, (P)my sister, my bride;
I have gathered my (Q)myrrh along with my balsam.
I have eaten my honeycomb with my (R)honey;
I have (S)drunk my wine with my milk.
Eat, (T)friends;
Drink and [d]drink deeply, lovers.”

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 4:13 Or park; or garden
  2. Song of Solomon 4:15 Lit living; i.e., running
  3. Song of Solomon 4:16 Or Drift through my
  4. Song of Solomon 5:1 Or become drunk

12 A garden locked is my sister, my bride,
    a garden[a] locked, a fountain sealed.(A)
13 Your channel[b] is an orchard of pomegranates
    with all choicest fruits,
    henna with nard,(B)
14 nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon,
    with all trees of frankincense,
myrrh and aloes,
    with all chief spices—(C)
15 a garden fountain, a well of living water,
    and flowing streams from Lebanon.(D)

16 Awake, O north wind,
    and come, O south wind!
Blow upon my garden
    that its fragrance may be wafted abroad.
Let my beloved come to his garden
    that he may eat its choicest fruits.(E)

I come to my garden, my sister, my bride;
    I gather my myrrh with my spice;
    I eat my honeycomb with my honey;
    I drink my wine with my milk.

Eat, friends, drink,
    and be drunk with love.(F)

Footnotes

  1. 4.12 Heb mss Gk Vg Syr: MT heap of stones
  2. 4.13 Meaning of Heb uncertain