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Night after night on my bed
I looked for the man I love.
I looked for him, but I didn’t find him.
“I will get up now and roam the city,
through the streets and the open places,
I will look for the man I love.”
I looked for him, but I didn’t find him.
The guards roaming the city found me.
“Have you seen the man I love?”
Scarcely had I left them,
when I found the man I love.
I took hold of him
and would not let him go
until I had brought him to my mother’s house,
to the bedroom of the woman who conceived me.
I warn you, daughters of Yerushalayim,
by the gazelles and deer in the wilds,
not to awaken or stir up love
until it wants to arise!

Who is this, coming up from the desert
like a column of smoke,
perfumed with myrrh and frankincense,
chosen from the merchant’s crushed spices?
It is Shlomo’s litter,
escorted by sixty valiant men
chosen from Isra’el’s finest;
all of them wield the sword
and are expert fighters;
each one has his sword ready at his side
to combat the terrors of night.
King Shlomo made himself a royal litter
of wood from the L’vanon.
10 He made its columns of silver,
its roof of gold, its seat of purple cloth;
its inside was lovingly inlaid
by the daughters of Yerushalayim.

11 Daughters of Tziyon, come out,
and gaze upon King Shlomo,
wearing the crown with which his mother crowned him
on his wedding day, his day of joy!

The Bride's Dream

On my bed (A)by night
I sought (B)him whom my soul loves;
    (C)I sought him, but found him not.
I will rise now and go about the city,
    in (D)the streets and in the squares;
I will seek (E)him whom my soul loves.
    I sought him, but found him not.
(F)The watchmen found me
    as they went about in the city.
“Have you seen him whom my soul loves?”
Scarcely had I passed them
    when I found (G)him whom my soul loves.
I (H)held him, and would not let him go
    until I had (I)brought him into my mother's house,
    and into the chamber of (J)her who conceived me.
(K)I adjure you, (L)O daughters of Jerusalem,
    (M)by the gazelles or the does of the field,
that you not stir up or awaken love
    until it pleases.

Solomon Arrives for the Wedding

(N)What is that coming up from the wilderness
    like (O)columns of smoke,
perfumed with (P)myrrh and frankincense,
    with all the fragrant powders of a merchant?
Behold, it is the litter[a] of Solomon!
Around it are (Q)sixty (R)mighty men,
    some of the mighty men of Israel,
all of them wearing swords
    and expert in war,
each with his (S)sword at his thigh,
    against (T)terror by night.
King Solomon made himself a carriage[b]
    from the wood of Lebanon.
10 He made its posts of silver,
    its back of gold, its seat of purple;
its interior was inlaid with love
    by (U)the daughters of Jerusalem.
11 Go out, O (V)daughters of Zion,
    and look upon King Solomon,
with the crown with which his mother crowned him
    on (W)the day of his wedding,
    on the day of the gladness of his heart.

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 3:7 That is, the couch on which servants carry a king
  2. Song of Solomon 3:9 Or sedan chair

On my bed by night I sought him
    whom my soul loves;
    I sought him, but found him not.
I will rise now and go about the city,
    in the streets and in the squares;
I will seek him whom my soul loves.
    I sought him, but found him not.
The watchmen found me,
    as they went about the city.
    “Have you seen him whom my soul loves?”
Scarcely had I passed them,
    when I found him whom my soul loves.
I held him, and would not let him go
    until I brought him to my mother’s house,
    and into the chamber of her who conceived me.
I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
    by the gazelles or does of the field,
do not stir up or awaken love
    until it pleases.

Who is that coming up from the wilderness,
    like columns of smoke,
perfumed with myrrh and frankincense,
    with all the fragrant powders of the merchant?
Look, it is the litter of Solomon!
    Around it are sixty mighty men,
    of the mighty men of Israel,
all of them holding swords
    and expert in war,
each with his sword at his thigh,
    because of terrors by night.
King Solomon made himself a palanquin
    from the wood of Lebanon.
10 He made its posts of silver,
    its back of gold,
its seat of purple;
    its interior was inlaid with love
    by the daughters of Jerusalem.
11 Go forth, O daughters of Zion,
    and see King Solomon with the crown
    with which his mother crowned him
on the day of his wedding,
    on the day of the gladness of his heart.