Song of Songs 3
Christian Standard Bible
3 In my bed at night[a]
I sought the one I love;(A)
I sought him, but did not find him.[b](B)
2 I will arise now and go about the city,
through the streets and the plazas.(C)
I will seek the one I love.
I sought him, but did not find him.
3 The guards who go about the city found me.(D)
I asked them, “Have you seen the one I love?”
4 I had just passed them
when I found the one I love.
I held on to him and would not let him go
until I brought him to my mother’s house(E)—
to the chamber of the one who conceived me.
5 Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you
by the gazelles and the wild does of the field,
do not stir up or awaken love
until the appropriate time.[c](F)
Narrator
6 Who is this(G) coming up from the wilderness
like columns of smoke,
scented with myrrh and frankincense(H)
from every fragrant powder of the merchant?
7 Look! Solomon’s bed
surrounded by sixty warriors
from the mighty men of Israel.
8 All of them are skilled with swords
and trained in warfare.
Each has his sword at his side(I)
to guard against the terror of the night.(J)
9 King Solomon made a carriage for himself
with wood from Lebanon.
10 He made its posts of silver,
its back[d] of gold,
and its seat of purple.
Its interior is inlaid with love[e]
by the young women of Jerusalem.(K)
11 Go out, young women of Zion,(L)
and gaze at King Solomon,
wearing the crown his mother placed on him
on the day of his wedding(M)—
the day of his heart’s rejoicing.
Song of Songs 3
EasyEnglish Bible
A young woman's dream
The young woman:[a]
3 All night I lay on my bed.
I wanted my lover to come to me.
I looked for him but he did not appear.
2 I thought, ‘I will get up now and I will go into the city.
I will look everywhere for my lover.
I will look in all the streets.
I will look in all the market places.’
So I looked for him,
but I did not find him.
3 The city guards found me
as they walked in the streets of the city.
I asked them,
‘Have you seen the man that I love?’
4 Just then, as I left them, I found my lover!
I hugged him and I would not let him go.
I took him to my mother's house.
I took him into my mother's bedroom.
That is where my life started, inside my mother's body.
5 Promise this to me, young women of Jerusalem:
Do not cause our love to wake up.
Do not cause it to become too strong
until the time is right.
The gazelles and the wild deer will know about your promise.
A royal wedding
6 Who is this who is coming from the desert?[b]
It seems that smoke is rising into the air!
There is a lovely smell of myrrh and incense.[c]
It is the smell of all the spices that a trader sells.
7 Look! They are carrying King Solomon on a throne![d]
60 soldiers are travelling with it.[e]
They are Israel's bravest soldiers.
8 All of them have swords.
They all know how to fight well.
Their swords are ready for them to use.
They are ready for any danger that comes in the night.
9 King Solomon made the throne for himself.
He used wood from Lebanon to make it.[f]
10 He used silver to make the posts for it.
He used gold to make its back.
Its seat has valuable purple cloth to cover it.
The young women of Jerusalem made it beautiful inside,
to show their love.
11 Young women of Zion,
come out to see King Solomon![g]
He is wearing his crown.
His mother put the crown on him on his wedding day.
It was the happiest day of his life!
Footnotes
- 3:1 The woman tells her friends about a dream.
- 3:6 The speaker here may be the young woman herself, or it might be one of her friends.
- 3:6 The ‘smoke’ that is rising may be sand or dirt from the ground. It blows about because many people are moving. There is also a lovely smell of spice.
- 3:7 People could carry someone on this kind of throne. See verse 9.
- 3:7 Verses 7 and 9 may mean that King Solomon is the man in the story. But, if not, maybe the man and woman are singing a song at their marriage. The song that they sing is about Solomon's marriage.
- 3:9 Lebanon is a country where there are mountains and many strong trees.
- 3:11 ‘Young women of Zion’ is another name for the woman's friends.
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