Font Size
Song of Solomon 5
Contemporary English Version
Song of Solomon 5
Contemporary English Version
He Speaks:
5 My bride, my very own,
I come to my garden
and enjoy its spices.
I eat my honeycomb and honey;
I drink my wine and milk.
Their Friends Speak:
Eat and drink until
you are drunk with love.
Another Dream
She Speaks:
2 I was asleep, but dreaming:
The one I love was at the door,
knocking and saying,
“My darling, my very own,
my flawless dove,
open the door for me!
My head is drenched
with evening dew.”
3 But I had already undressed
and bathed my feet.
Should I dress again
and get my feet dirty?
4 Then my darling's hand
reached to open the latch,
and my heart stood still.
5 When I rose to open the door,
my hands and my fingers
dripped with perfume.
6 And I yearned for him
while he spoke to me,
but when I opened the door,
my darling had disappeared.
I searched and shouted,
but I could not find him—
there was no answer.
7 Then I was found by the guards
patrolling the town
and guarding the wall.
They beat me up
and stripped off my robe.
8 Young women of Jerusalem,
if you find the one I love,
please say to him,
“She is weak with desire.”
Their Friends Speak:
9 Most beautiful of women,
why is the one you love
more special than others?
Why do you ask us
to tell him how you feel?
She Speaks:
10 He is handsome and healthy,
the most outstanding
among ten thousand.
11 His head is purest gold;
his hair is wavy,
black as a raven.
12 His eyes are a pair of doves
bathing in a stream
flowing with milk.[a]
13 His face is a garden
of sweet-smelling spices;
his lips are lilies
dripping with perfume.
14 His arms are branches of gold
covered with jewels;
his body is ivory[b]
decorated with sapphires.
15 His legs are columns of marble
on feet of gold.
He stands there majestic
like Mount Lebanon
and its choice cedar trees.
16 His kisses are sweet.
I desire him so much!
Young women of Jerusalem,
he is my lover and friend.
Song of Solomon 5
Easy-to-Read Version
Song of Solomon 5
Easy-to-Read Version
He Speaks
5 My darling my bride, I have entered my garden.
I have gathered my myrrh and spice.
I have eaten my honey and honeycomb.
I have drunk my wine and milk.
The Women Speak to the Lovers
Dearest friends, eat, drink!
Be drunk with love!
She Speaks
2 I am asleep,
but my heart is awake.
I hear my lover knocking, saying,
“Open to me, my darling, my love,
my dove, my perfect one!
My head is soaked with dew.
My hair is wet with the mist of the night.”
3 “I have taken off my robe.[a]
I don’t want to put it on again.
I have washed my feet.
I don’t want to get them dirty again.”
4 But my lover put his hand through the opening,[b]
and I felt sorry for him.[c]
5 I got up to open for my lover,
myrrh dripping from my hands,
myrrh scented lotion dripped from my fingers
onto the handles of the lock.
6 I opened for my lover,
but my lover had turned away and was gone!
I nearly died
when he came and went.[d]
I looked for him,
but I couldn’t find him.
I called for him,
but he didn’t answer me.
7 The guards patrolling the city found me.
They hit me.
They hurt me.
The guards on the wall
took my robe from me.
8 I tell you, women of Jerusalem,
if you find my lover, tell him I am weak with love.[e]
The Women of Jerusalem Answer Her
9 Beautiful woman,
how is your lover different from other lovers?
Is your lover better than other lovers?
Is that why you ask us to make this promise?
She Answers the Women of Jerusalem
10 My lover is tanned and radiant.
He would stand out among 10,000 men.
11 His head is like the purest gold.
His hair is curly and as black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves by a stream,
like doves in a pool of milk,
like a jewel in its setting.
13 His cheeks are like a garden of spices,
like flowers used for perfume.
His lips are like lilies,
dripping with liquid myrrh.
14 His arms are like gold rods,
filled with jewels.
His body is like smooth ivory
with sapphires set in it.
15 His legs are like marble pillars
on bases of fine gold.
He stands tall
like the finest cedar tree in Lebanon!
16 Yes, women of Jerusalem, my lover is everything I desire.
His mouth is the sweetest of all.
This is my lover;
this is my darling.
Footnotes
- Song of Solomon 5:3 robe Or “veil,” a piece of cloth used to cover a person’s face. Also in verse 7.
- Song of Solomon 5:4 put … opening Or “pulled his hand from the opening.” In one sense, this might refer to a lock and key. Some ancient keys were shaped like a hand. The key was inserted through a hole in the door, and the “fingers” fit into special holes that allowed the bolt to slide, locking and unlocking the door.
- Song of Solomon 5:4 I felt sorry for him Literally, “My insides stirred for him.”
- Song of Solomon 5:6 I nearly died … went Or “My soul left when he spoke.”
- Song of Solomon 5:8 I am weak with love Or “I am lovesick.”
Song of Solomon 5
English Standard Version Anglicised
Song of Solomon 5
English Standard Version Anglicised
He
5 I (A)came to my garden, my (B)sister, my bride,
I gathered my (C)myrrh with my spice,
I ate my (D)honeycomb with my honey,
I (E)drank my wine with my milk.
Others
Eat, (F)friends, drink,
and be drunk with love!
The Bride Searches for Her Beloved
She
2 I slept, but my heart was awake.
A sound! My beloved is (G)knocking.
“Open to me, my (H)sister, my (I)love,
my (J)dove, my (K)perfect one,
for my head is wet with dew,
my (L)locks with the drops of the night.”
3 (M)I had put off my garment;
how could I put it on?
I had (N)bathed my feet;
how could I soil them?
4 My beloved put his hand to the latch,
and my heart was thrilled within me.
5 I arose to open to my beloved,
and my hands dripped with myrrh,
my fingers with (O)liquid myrrh,
on the handles of the bolt.
6 I opened to my beloved,
but my beloved had turned and gone.
My soul failed me when he (P)spoke.
(Q)I sought him, but found him not;
(R)I called him, but he gave no answer.
7 (S)The watchmen found me
as they went about in the city;
they beat me, they bruised me,
they took away my veil,
those watchmen of the walls.
8 I (T)adjure you, O (U)daughters of Jerusalem,
if you find my beloved,
that you tell him
(V)I am sick with love.
Others
9 What is your beloved more than another beloved,
O (W)most beautiful among women?
What is your beloved more than another beloved,
that you thus (X)adjure us?
The Bride Praises Her Beloved
She
10 My beloved is radiant and (Y)ruddy,
(Z)distinguished among ten thousand.
11 His head is the finest gold;
(AA)his locks are wavy,
black as a raven.
12 His (AB)eyes are like doves
beside streams of water,
bathed in milk,
sitting beside a full pool.[a]
13 His (AC)cheeks are like (AD)beds of spices,
mounds of sweet-smelling herbs.
His lips are (AE)lilies,
dripping (AF)liquid myrrh.
14 His arms are rods of gold,
set with (AG)jewels.
His body is polished ivory,[b]
bedecked with (AH)sapphires.[c]
15 His legs are alabaster columns,
set on bases of gold.
His appearance is like (AI)Lebanon,
choice as the cedars.
16 His (AJ)mouth[d] is most sweet,
and he is altogether desirable.
This is my beloved and this is my friend,
O (AK)daughters of Jerusalem.
Footnotes
- Song of Solomon 5:12 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
- Song of Solomon 5:14 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
- Song of Solomon 5:14 Hebrew lapis lazuli
- Song of Solomon 5:16 Hebrew palate
Song of Songs 5
New International Version
Song of Songs 5
New International Version
He
5 I have come into my garden,(A) my sister, my bride;(B)
I have gathered my myrrh with my spice.
I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey;
I have drunk my wine and my milk.(C)
Friends
Eat, friends, and drink;
drink your fill of love.
She
2 I slept but my heart was awake.
Listen! My beloved is knocking:
“Open to me, my sister, my darling,
my dove,(D) my flawless(E) one.(F)
My head is drenched with dew,
my hair with the dampness of the night.”
3 I have taken off my robe—
must I put it on again?
I have washed my feet—
must I soil them again?
4 My beloved thrust his hand through the latch-opening;
my heart began to pound for him.
5 I arose to open for my beloved,
and my hands dripped with myrrh,(G)
my fingers with flowing myrrh,
on the handles of the bolt.
6 I opened for my beloved,(H)
but my beloved had left; he was gone.(I)
My heart sank at his departure.[a]
I looked(J) for him but did not find him.
I called him but he did not answer.
7 The watchmen found me
as they made their rounds in the city.(K)
They beat me, they bruised me;
they took away my cloak,
those watchmen of the walls!
8 Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you(L)—
if you find my beloved,(M)
what will you tell him?
Tell him I am faint with love.(N)
Friends
9 How is your beloved better than others,
most beautiful of women?(O)
How is your beloved better than others,
that you so charge us?
She
10 My beloved is radiant and ruddy,
outstanding among ten thousand.(P)
11 His head is purest gold;
his hair is wavy
and black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves(Q)
by the water streams,
washed in milk,(R)
mounted like jewels.
13 His cheeks(S) are like beds of spice(T)
yielding perfume.
His lips are like lilies(U)
dripping with myrrh.(V)
14 His arms are rods of gold
set with topaz.
His body is like polished ivory
decorated with lapis lazuli.(W)
15 His legs are pillars of marble
set on bases of pure gold.
His appearance is like Lebanon,(X)
choice as its cedars.
16 His mouth(Y) is sweetness itself;
he is altogether lovely.
This is my beloved,(Z) this is my friend,
daughters of Jerusalem.(AA)
Footnotes
- Song of Songs 5:6 Or heart had gone out to him when he spoke
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International
English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.