Song of Solomon 2
International Standard Version
2 I’m a flower[a] from Sharon,
a lily of the valleys.
The Lover
2 Like a lily among thorns,
so is my darling among the young women.
The Loved One
3 Like an apple[b] tree among the trees of the forest,
so is my beloved among the young men.
In his shade I take delight and sit down,
and his fruit is sweet to my taste.[c]
4 He has brought me to the banquet hall,
and his banner over me is love.
5 Sustain me with raisin cakes,
refresh me with apples,[d]
for I’m weak with love.
6 I wish that his left hand were under my head,
and that his right hand were embracing me!
7 Swear to me, young women of Jerusalem,
by the gazelles or by the does of the field,
that you won’t awaken or arouse love
before its proper time![e]
8 The voice of my beloved!
Look! He’s coming,
leaping over the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
9 My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.
Look, there he stands behind our wall,
looking through the windows,
gazing through the lattice.
The Lover
10 My beloved spoke to me:
“Get up, my darling, my beautiful one, and come on.
11 Look! Winter is past.
The rain is over and gone.
12 Blossoms have appeared in the land.
The season of songbirds[f] has arrived,
and cooing of turtledoves is heard in our land.
13 The fig tree has produced its fruit,[g]
the grapevines have blossomed and exude their fragrance.
“Get up, my darling, my beautiful one, and come on.
14 My dove, in the hidden places of the rocks,
in the secret places of the cliffs,
show me your form, and let me hear your voice.
For your voice is pleasant,
and your shape is lovely.
15 Catch the foxes for us,
the little foxes that destroy the vineyards,
our vineyards that are in bloom.”
The Loved One
16 My beloved belongs to me and I belong to him.
He is the one who shepherds his flock among the lilies.
17 Until the day breaks[h] and the shadows flee,
turn around, my beloved,
and be like a gazelle or a young stag
on the rugged mountains.[i]
Footnotes
- Song of Solomon 2:1 Or crocus
- Song of Solomon 2:3 Or apricot
- Song of Solomon 2:3 Lit. palate
- Song of Solomon 2:5 Or apricots
- Song of Solomon 2:7 Lit. until it pleases
- Song of Solomon 2:12 Or for pruning
- Song of Solomon 2:13 Lit. has ripened
- Song of Solomon 2:17 Or until the cool of the day; lit. until the day breathes
- Song of Solomon 2:17 Or the mountains of Bether
Song of Solomon 2
King James Version
2 I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.
2 As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.
3 As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
4 He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.
5 Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love.
6 His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.
7 I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.
8 The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.
9 My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice.
10 My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
11 For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
12 The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
13 The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
14 O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.
15 Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.
16 My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies.
17 Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.
Song of Solomon 2
English Standard Version
He
2 As a lily among brambles,
so is (B)my love among the young women.
She
3 As an apple tree among the trees of the forest,
so is my (C)beloved among the young men.
With great delight I sat (D)in his shadow,
and his (E)fruit was sweet to my taste.
4 He (F)brought me to the banqueting house,[b]
and his (G)banner over me was love.
5 Sustain me with (H)raisins;
refresh me with apples,
(I)for I am sick with love.
6 His (J)left hand is under my head,
and his right hand (K)embraces me!
7 I (L)adjure you,[c] O (M)daughters of Jerusalem,
by (N)the gazelles or the does of the field,
that you not stir up or awaken love
until it pleases.
The Bride Adores Her Beloved
8 The voice of my beloved!
Behold, he comes,
leaping (O)over the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
9 My beloved is like (P)a gazelle
or a young stag.
Behold, there he stands
behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
looking through the lattice.
10 My beloved speaks and says to me:
(Q)“Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away,
11 for behold, the winter is past;
(R)the rain is over and gone.
12 (S)The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of singing[d] has come,
and the voice of (T)the turtledove
is heard in our land.
13 (U)The fig tree ripens its figs,
and (V)the vines are in blossom;
they give forth fragrance.
(W)Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away.
14 O my (X)dove, in the (Y)clefts of the rock,
in the crannies of the cliff,
let me see your face,
let me (Z)hear your voice,
for your voice is sweet,
and your face is (AA)lovely.
15 Catch (AB)the foxes[e] for us,
the little foxes
that spoil the vineyards,
(AC)for our vineyards are in blossom.”
16 (AD)My beloved is mine, and I am his;
he (AE)grazes[f] among the lilies.
17 Until (AF)the day breathes
and (AG)the shadows flee,
turn, my beloved, be like (AH)a gazelle
or a young stag on cleft mountains.[g]
Footnotes
- Song of Solomon 2:1 Probably a bulb, such as a crocus, asphodel, or narcissus
- Song of Solomon 2:4 Hebrew the house of wine
- Song of Solomon 2:7 That is, I put you on oath; so throughout the Song
- Song of Solomon 2:12 Or pruning
- Song of Solomon 2:15 Or jackals
- Song of Solomon 2:16 Or he pastures his flock
- Song of Solomon 2:17 Or mountains of Bether
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The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
