Song of Solomon 5
New American Standard Bible
The Torment of Separation
The Groom
5 “I have (A)come into my garden, (B)my sister, my bride;
I have gathered my (C)myrrh along with my balsam.
I have eaten my honeycomb with my (D)honey;
I have (E)drunk my wine with my milk.
Eat, (F)friends;
Drink and [a]drink deeply, lovers.”
The Bride
2 “I was asleep but my heart was awake.
A voice! My beloved was knocking:
‘Open to me, (G)my sister, my darling,
(H)My dove, my perfect one!
For my head is [b]drenched with dew,
My (I)locks with the dew drops of the night.’
3 I have (J)taken off my dress,
How can I put it on again?
I have (K)washed my feet,
How can I dirty them again?
4 My beloved extended his hand through the opening,
And my (L)feelings were stirred for him.
5 I arose to open to my beloved;
And my hands (M)dripped with myrrh,
And my fingers with drops of myrrh,
On the handles of the bolt.
6 I opened to my beloved,
But my beloved had (N)turned away and had gone!
My [c]heart went out to him as he (O)spoke.
I (P)searched for him but I did not find him;
I (Q)called him but he did not answer me.
7 The (R)watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me,
They struck me and wounded me;
The guards of the walls took my shawl away from me.
8 (S)Swear to me, you daughters of Jerusalem,
If you find my beloved,
As to what you will tell him:
For (T)I am lovesick.”
The Chorus
9 “[d]What kind of beloved is your beloved,
O (U)most beautiful among women?
[e]What kind of beloved is your beloved,
That you make us swear in this way?”
Admiration by the Bride
The Bride
10 “My beloved is dazzling and [f](V)reddish,
(W)Outstanding among ten thousand.
11 His head is like gold, pure gold;
His (X)locks are like clusters of dates
And black as a raven.
12 His (Y)eyes are like doves
Beside streams of water,
Bathed in milk,
And perched in their (Z)setting.
13 His cheeks are like a (AA)bed of balsam,
[g]Banks of herbal spices;
His lips are (AB)lilies
(AC)Dripping with drops of myrrh.
14 His hands are rods of gold
Set with (AD)topaz;
His abdomen is panels of ivory
Covered with [h](AE)sapphires.
15 His thighs are pillars of alabaster
Set on pedestals of pure gold;
His appearance is like (AF)Lebanon,
Choice as the (AG)cedars.
16 His [i](AH)mouth is full of sweetness.
And he is wholly (AI)desirable.
This is my beloved and this is my friend,
You daughters of Jerusalem.”
Footnotes
- Song of Solomon 5:1 Or become drunk
- Song of Solomon 5:2 Lit filled
- Song of Solomon 5:6 Lit soul
- Song of Solomon 5:9 Or What is your beloved more than another beloved
- Song of Solomon 5:9 Or What is your beloved more than another beloved
- Song of Solomon 5:10 I.e., of reddish hair or skin
- Song of Solomon 5:13 Lit Towers
- Song of Solomon 5:14 Lit lapis lazuli
- Song of Solomon 5:16 Lit palate
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.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
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