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Song of Songs 3
New American Bible (Revised Edition)

Chapter 3

Loss and Discovery

1 W(A) On my bed at night I sought him[a]
    whom my soul loves—
I sought him but I did not find him.
2 “Let me rise then and go about the city,[b]
    through the streets and squares;
Let me seek him whom my soul loves.”
    I sought him but I did not find him.
3 The watchmen found me,
    as they made their rounds in the city:
    “Him whom my soul loves—have you seen him?”
4 (B)Hardly had I left them
    when I found him whom my soul loves.[c]
I held him and would not let him go
    until I had brought him to my mother’s house,
    to the chamber of her who conceived me.
5 (C)I adjure you, Daughters of Jerusalem,
    by the gazelles and the does of the field,
Do not awaken or stir up love
    until it is ready.

Solomon’s Wedding Procession

6 D(D) Who is this coming up from the desert,[d]
    like columns of smoke
Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense,
    with all kinds of exotic powders?
7 See! it is the litter of Solomon;
    sixty valiant men surround it,
    of the valiant men of Israel:
8 All of them expert with the sword,
    skilled in battle,
Each with his sword at his side
    against the terrors[e] of the night.
9 King Solomon made himself an enclosed litter
    of wood from Lebanon.
10 He made its columns of silver,
    its roof of gold,
Its seat of purple cloth,
    its interior lovingly fitted.[f]
Daughters of Jerusalem, 11 go out
    and look upon King Solomon
In the crown with which his mother has crowned him
    on the day of his marriage,
    on the day of the joy of his heart.

Footnotes

  1. 3:1–5 See the parallel in 5:2–8.
  2. 3:2 The motif of seeking/finding here and elsewhere is used by later Christian and Jewish mystics to speak of the soul’s search for the divine.
  3. 3:4 Whom my soul loves: the fourfold repetition of this phrase in vv. 1–4 highlights the depth of the woman’s emotion and desire. Mother’s house: cf. 8:2; a place of safety and intimacy, one which implicitly signifies approval of the lovers’ relationship.
  4. 3:6–11 This may be an independent poem. In context it portrays the lover as King Solomon, escorted by sixty armed men, coming in royal procession to meet a bride.
  5. 3:8 Terrors: cf. Ps 91:5; perhaps bandits lying in wait, unidentified dangers lurking in darkness.
  6. 3:10 Lovingly fitted: translation uncertain. The phrase “Daughters of Jerusalem” is read here with the following verse.
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Song of Solomon 3
English Standard Version

The Bride's Dream

3 On my bed (A)by night
I sought (B)him whom my soul loves;
    (C)I sought him, but found him not.
2 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.
3 (F)The watchmen found me
    as they went about in the city.
“Have you seen him whom my soul loves?”
4 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.
5 (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

6 (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?
7 Behold, it is the litter[a] of Solomon!
Around it are (Q)sixty (R)mighty men,
    some of the mighty men of Israel,
8 all of them wearing swords
    and expert in war,
each with his (S)sword at his thigh,
    against (T)terror by night.
9 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
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Song of Songs 3
New International Version

3 All night long on my bed
    I looked(A) for the one my heart loves;
    I looked for him but did not find him.
2 I will get up now and go about the city,
    through its streets and squares;
I will search for the one my heart loves.
    So I looked for him but did not find him.
3 The watchmen found me
    as they made their rounds in the city.(B)
    “Have you seen the one my heart loves?”
4 Scarcely had I passed them
    when I found the one my heart loves.
I held him and would not let him go
    till I had brought him to my mother’s house,(C)
    to the room of the one who conceived me.(D)
5 Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you(E)
    by the gazelles and by the does of the field:
Do not arouse or awaken love
    until it so desires.(F)

6 Who is this coming up from the wilderness(G)
    like a column of smoke,
perfumed with myrrh(H) and incense
    made from all the spices(I) of the merchant?
7 Look! It is Solomon’s carriage,
    escorted by sixty warriors,(J)
    the noblest of Israel,
8 all of them wearing the sword,
    all experienced in battle,
each with his sword at his side,
    prepared for the terrors of the night.(K)
9 King Solomon made for himself the carriage;
    he made it of wood from Lebanon.
10 Its posts he made of silver,
    its base of gold.
Its seat was upholstered with purple,
    its interior inlaid with love.
Daughters of Jerusalem, 11 come out,
    and look, you daughters of Zion.(L)
Look[a] on King Solomon wearing a crown,
    the crown with which his mother crowned him
on the day of his wedding,
    the day his heart rejoiced.(M)

Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 3:11 Or interior lovingly inlaid / by the daughters of Jerusalem. / 11 Come out, you daughters of Zion, / and look
Next
Song of Songs 2
Song of Songs 4
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New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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