Song of Solomon 5
Good News Translation
5 I have entered my garden,
my sweetheart, my bride.
I am gathering my spices and myrrh;
I am eating my honey and honeycomb;
I am drinking my wine and milk.
The Women
Eat, lovers, and drink
until you are drunk with love!
The Fourth Song
The Woman
2 While I slept, my heart was awake.
I dreamed my lover knocked at the door.
The Man
Let me come in, my darling,
my sweetheart, my dove.
My head is wet with dew,
and my hair is damp from the mist.
The Woman
3 I have already undressed;
why should I get dressed again?
I have washed my feet;
why should I get them dirty again?
4 My lover put his hand to the door,
and I was thrilled that he was near.
5 I was ready to let him come in.
My hands were covered with myrrh,
my fingers with liquid myrrh,
as I grasped the handle of the door.
6 I opened the door for my lover,
but he had already gone.
How I wanted to hear his voice!
I looked for him, but couldn't find him;
I called to him, but heard no answer.
7 The sentries patrolling the city found me;
they struck me and bruised me;
the guards at the city wall tore off my cape.
8 Promise me, women of Jerusalem,
that if you find my lover,
you will tell him I am weak from passion.
The Women
9 Most beautiful of women,
is your lover different from everyone else?
What is there so wonderful about him
that we should give you our promise?
The Woman
10 My lover is handsome and strong;
he is one in ten thousand.
11 His face is bronzed and smooth;
his hair is wavy,
black as a raven.
12 His eyes are as beautiful as doves by a flowing brook,
doves washed in milk and standing by the stream.[a]
13 His cheeks are as lovely as a garden
that is full of herbs and spices.
His lips are like lilies,
wet with liquid myrrh.
14 His hands are well-formed,
and he wears rings set with gems.
His body is like smooth ivory,[b]
with sapphires set in it.
15 His thighs are columns of alabaster
set in sockets of gold.
He is majestic, like the Lebanon Mountains
with their towering cedars.
16 His mouth is sweet to kiss;
everything about him enchants me.
This is what my lover is like,
women of Jerusalem.
Footnotes
- Song of Solomon 5:12 and standing by the stream; Hebrew unclear.
- Song of Solomon 5:14 like smooth ivory; Hebrew unclear.
Song of Solomon 5
King James Version
5 I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.
2 I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.
3 I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?
4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.
5 I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.
6 I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.
7 The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.
8 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.
9 What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?
10 My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.
11 His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.
12 His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.
13 His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.
14 His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.
15 His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.
16 His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
Song of Solomon 5
English Standard Version
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
EasyEnglish Bible
The young man:
5 I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride.
I have taken my myrrh with my spice.
I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey.
I have drunk my wine and my milk.
The writer:
Eat, friends, and drink, you who love each other!
Drink until you can drink no more![a]
A dream
The young woman:
2 I slept but my mind was awake.[b]
Listen! My lover is knocking on my door!
He said, ‘Open the door for me, my dear friend.
You are my sister,
the perfect one that I love.
To me you are like a beautiful dove.
Dew from the night air covers my head.
My hair is very wet.’
3 I said, ‘I have taken off my day clothes.
I do not want to dress myself again.
I have washed my feet.
I do not want them to get dirty again.’
4 My lover pushed his hand through the hole in the door.
My heart began to beat faster because he was near.
5 I got up to open the door for my lover.
My hands were wet with myrrh.
Myrrh dropped from my fingers
onto the handle of the door.
6 I opened the door for my lover.
But he had already turned away.
He had gone!
I was very upset that he had gone away.
I looked for him but I did not find him.
I called to him but he did not answer me.
7 The city guards found me
as they walked in the streets of the city.
They beat me and they hurt my body.
Those guards on the city walls took away my robe.
8 Young women of Jerusalem,
please find my lover!
Promise me to tell him this, if you find him.
Tell him that my love for him has made me weak!
The young women of Jerusalem:
9 Tell us this, most beautiful of all women.
Why do you think that your lover is better than other men?
Why must we promise to do this for you?
The young woman:
10 My lover is very handsome and healthy.
He is the greatest man among 10,000 men.
11 His head is like very pure gold.
The hairs on his head are like waves.
They are black like a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves beside streams of water.
They are like doves that someone has washed in milk.
They shine like jewels.
13 The sides of his face are like a garden with spice trees.
Their smell is like perfume.
His lips are like lilies
with myrrh that falls from them.
14 His arms are like bars of gold
with jewels in them.
His body shines like bright ivory,
with sapphire jewels to make it more beautiful.
15 His legs are like pillars of beautiful stone.
They stand on feet that are like pure gold.
He stands tall like the mountains of Lebanon.
He is as handsome as its best cedar trees.
16 The taste of his mouth is very sweet.
Everything about him causes me to love him.
I say to you, young women of Jerusalem,
this is my lover!
This is my true friend.
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
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