Song of Solomon 1-2
New American Standard Bible 1995
The Young Shulammite Bride and Jerusalem’s Daughters
1 The [a]Song of (A)Songs, which is Solomon’s.
2 “[b]May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your (B)love is better than wine.
3 “Your (C)oils have a pleasing fragrance,
Your (D)name is like [c]purified oil;
Therefore the [d](E)maidens love you.
4 “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.”
5 “[g]I am black but (H)lovely,
O (I)daughters of Jerusalem,
Like the (J)tents of (K)Kedar,
Like the curtains of Solomon.
6 “Do not stare 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.
7 “Tell me, O you (N)whom my soul loves,
Where do you (O)pasture 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, the Lover, Speaks
8 “[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 tents of the shepherds.
9 “[k]To me, (S)my darling, you are like
My (T)mare among the chariots of Pharaoh.
10 “Your (U)cheeks are lovely with ornaments,
Your neck with strings of (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]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][q](AA)How beautiful you are, my darling,
[r]How beautiful you are!
Your (AB)eyes are like doves.”
16 “[s][t]How handsome you are, (AC)my beloved,
And so pleasant!
Indeed, our couch is luxuriant!
17 “The beams of our houses are (AD)cedars,
Our rafters, [u](AE)cypresses.
The Bride’s Admiration
3 “[z]Like an [aa](AJ)apple tree among the trees of the forest,
So is my beloved among the [ab]young men.
In his shade I took great delight and sat down,
And his (AK)fruit was sweet to my [ac]taste.
4 “He has (AL)brought me to his [ad]banquet hall,
And his (AM)banner over me is love.
5 “Sustain me with (AN)raisin cakes,
Refresh me with [ae](AO)apples,
Because (AP)I am lovesick.
6 “Let (AQ)his left hand be under my head
And (AR)his right hand (AS)embrace me.”
7 “[af]I (AT)adjure you, O (AU)daughters of Jerusalem,
By the (AV)gazelles or by the (AW)hinds of the field,
(AX)That you do not arouse or awaken my love
Until [ag]she pleases.”
8 “[ah]Listen! My beloved!
Behold, he is coming,
Climbing (AY)on the mountains,
Leaping on the hills!
9 “My beloved is like a (AZ)gazelle or a (BA)young [ai]stag.
Behold, he is standing behind our wall,
He is looking through the windows,
He is peering (BB)through the lattice.
10 “My beloved responded and said to me,
‘(BC)Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,
And come along.
11 ‘For behold, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
12 ‘The flowers have already appeared in the land;
The time has arrived for [aj]pruning the vines,
And the voice of the (BD)turtledove has been heard in our land.
13 ‘The (BE)fig tree has ripened its figs,
And the (BF)vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance.
Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,
And come along!’”
14 “[ak]O (BG)my dove, (BH)in the clefts of the [al]rock,
In the secret place of the steep [am]pathway,
Let me see your [an]form,
(BI)Let me hear your voice;
For your voice is sweet,
And your [ao]form is (BJ)lovely.”
15 “[ap](BK)Catch the foxes for us,
The [aq]little foxes that are ruining the vineyards,
While our (BL)vineyards are in blossom.”
16 “[ar](BM)My beloved is mine, and I am his;
He (BN)pastures his flock among the lilies.
17 “(BO)Until [as]the cool of the day when the shadows flee away,
Turn, my beloved, and be like a (BP)gazelle
Or a young stag (BQ)on the mountains of [at]Bether.”
Footnotes
- Song of Solomon 1:1 Or Best of the Songs
- Song of Solomon 1:2 BRIDE
- Song of Solomon 1:3 Lit oil which is emptied (from one vessel to another)
- Song of Solomon 1:3 Or virgins
- Song of Solomon 1:4 CHORUS
- Song of Solomon 1:4 Lit mention with praise
- Song of Solomon 1:5 BRIDE
- Song of Solomon 1:6 Or black
- Song of Solomon 1:7 Some versions read wanders
- Song of Solomon 1:8 BRIDEGROOM
- Song of Solomon 1:9 Lit I have compared you to
- Song of Solomon 1:11 CHORUS
- Song of Solomon 1:12 BRIDE
- Song of Solomon 1:12 Or couch
- Song of Solomon 1:12 Lit nard
- Song of Solomon 1:15 BRIDEGROOM
- Song of Solomon 1:15 Lit Behold
- Song of Solomon 1:15 Lit Behold
- Song of Solomon 1:16 BRIDE
- Song of Solomon 1:16 Lit Behold
- Song of Solomon 1:17 Or junipers
- Song of Solomon 2:1 BRIDE
- Song of Solomon 2:1 Lit crocus
- Song of Solomon 2:2 BRIDEGROOM
- Song of Solomon 2:2 Lit daughters
- Song of Solomon 2:3 BRIDE
- Song of Solomon 2:3 Or apricot
- Song of Solomon 2:3 Lit sons
- Song of Solomon 2:3 Lit palate
- Song of Solomon 2:4 Lit house of wine
- Song of Solomon 2:5 Or apricots
- Song of Solomon 2:7 BRIDEGROOM
- Song of Solomon 2:7 Or it
- Song of Solomon 2:8 BRIDE
- Song of Solomon 2:9 Lit of the stags
- Song of Solomon 2:12 Or singing
- Song of Solomon 2:14 BRIDEGROOM
- Song of Solomon 2:14 Or crag
- Song of Solomon 2:14 Or cliff
- Song of Solomon 2:14 Lit appearance
- Song of Solomon 2:14 Lit appearance
- Song of Solomon 2:15 CHORUS
- Song of Solomon 2:15 Or young
- Song of Solomon 2:16 BRIDE
- Song of Solomon 2:17 Lit the day blows
- Song of Solomon 2:17 Or cleavage or a kind of spice
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
