The Groom

(A)You are as beautiful as (B)Tirzah, my darling,
As (C)lovely as (D)Jerusalem,
As (E)awesome as an army with banners.
Turn your eyes away from me,
For they have confused me;
(F)Your hair is like a flock of goats
That have descended from Gilead.
(G)Your teeth are like a flock of ewes
That have come up from their watering place,
All of which bear twins,
And not one among them has lost her young.
(H)Your temples are like a slice of a pomegranate
Behind your veil.
There are sixty (I)queens and eighty concubines,
And [a](J)young women without number;
But (K)my dove, my perfect one, is [b]unique:
She is her mother’s [c]only daughter;
She is the pure child of the one who gave birth to her.
The [d](L)young women saw her and called her [e]blessed,
The (M)queens and the concubines also, and they praised her, saying,

10 ‘Who is this who looks down like the dawn,
As beautiful as the full (N)moon,
As pure (O)as the sun,
As (P)awesome as an army with banners?’

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Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 6:8 Or virgins
  2. Song of Solomon 6:9 Lit one
  3. Song of Solomon 6:9 Lit one
  4. Song of Solomon 6:9 Lit daughters
  5. Song of Solomon 6:9 Or happy

The Young Woman’s Matchless Beauty

You are beautiful as Tirzah, my love,
    comely as Jerusalem,
    terrible as an army with banners.(A)
Turn away your eyes from me,
    for they overwhelm me!
Your hair is like a flock of goats,
    moving down the slopes of Gilead.(B)
Your teeth are like a flock of ewes
    that have come up from the washing;
all of them bear twins,
    and not one among them is bereaved.(C)
Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate
    behind your veil.(D)
There are sixty queens and eighty concubines
    and maidens without number.(E)
My dove, my perfect one, is the only one,
    the darling of her mother,
    flawless to her who bore her.
The maidens saw her and called her happy;
    the queens and concubines praised her.(F)
10 “Who is this that looks forth like the dawn,
    fair as the moon, bright as the sun,
    terrible as an army with banners?”(G)

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