Young Women

Where has your love gone,
most beautiful of women?
Which way has he[a] turned?
We will seek him with you.

Woman

My love has gone down to his garden,(A)
to beds of spice,(B)
to feed in the gardens(C)
and gather lilies.(D)
I am my love’s and my love is mine;(E)
he feeds among the lilies.

Man

You are as beautiful as Tirzah, my darling,
lovely as Jerusalem,
awe-inspiring as an army with banners.(F)
Turn your eyes away from me,
for they captivate me.(G)
Your hair is like a flock of goats
streaming down from Gilead.(H)
Your teeth are like a flock of ewes
coming up from washing,
each one having a twin,
and not one missing.[b](I)
Behind your veil,(J)
your brow[c] is like a slice of pomegranate.
There are sixty queens
and eighty concubines(K)
and young women[d] without number.
But my dove,(L) my virtuous one, is unique;(M)
she is the favorite of her mother,
perfect to the one who gave her birth.
Women see her and declare her fortunate;(N)
queens and concubines also, and they sing her praises:
10 Who is this(O) who shines like the dawn,
as beautiful as the moon,
bright as the sun,
awe-inspiring as an army with banners?(P)

Woman

11 I came down to the walnut grove
to see the blossoms of the valley,
to see if the vines were budding(Q)
and the pomegranates blooming.
12 I didn’t know what was happening to me.
I felt like I was
in a chariot with a nobleman.[e]

Young Women

13 Come back, come back, Shulammite![f]
Come back, come back, that we may look at you!

Man

How you gaze at the Shulammite,
as you look at the dance(R) of the two camps![g](S)

How beautiful are your sandaled feet, princess![h](T)
The curves of your thighs are like jewelry,
the handiwork of a master.
Your navel is a rounded bowl;
it never lacks mixed wine.
Your belly is a mound of wheat
surrounded by lilies.
Your breasts are like two fawns,
twins of a gazelle.(U)
Your neck is like a tower of ivory,(V)
your eyes like pools in Heshbon
by Bath-rabbim’s gate.
Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon
looking toward Damascus.
Your head crowns you[i] like Mount Carmel,
the hair of your head like purple cloth—
a king could be held captive(W) in your tresses.
How beautiful you are and how pleasant,(X)
my love, with such delights!
Your stature is like a palm tree;
your breasts are clusters of fruit.
I said, “I will climb the palm tree
and take hold of its fruit.”(Y)
May your breasts be like clusters of grapes,
and the fragrance of your breath like apricots.(Z)
Your mouth[j] is like fine wine(AA)

Woman

flowing smoothly for my love,
gliding past my lips and teeth![k]
10 I am my love’s,
and his desire(AB) is for me.(AC)

11 Come, my love,
let’s go to the field;
let’s spend the night among the henna blossoms.[l]
12 Let’s go early to the vineyards;
let’s see if the vine has budded,
if the blossom has opened,
if the pomegranates are in bloom.(AD)
There I will give you my caresses.
13 The mandrakes(AE) give off a fragrance,
and at our doors is every delicacy,
both new and old.
I have treasured them up for you, my love.

Footnotes

  1. 6:1 Lit your love
  2. 6:6 Lit and no one bereaved among them
  3. 6:7 Or temple, or cheek, or lips
  4. 6:8 Or and virgins; Sg 1:3
  5. 6:12 Hb obscure
  6. 6:13 Or the perfect one, or the peaceable one
  7. 6:13 Or dance of Mahanaim
  8. 7:1 Lit daughter of a nobleman, or prince
  9. 7:5 Lit head upon you is
  10. 7:9 Lit palate
  11. 7:9 LXX, Syr, Vg; MT reads past lips of sleepers
  12. 7:11 Or the villages

Bible Gateway Recommends

CSB She Reads Truth Bible--LeatherTouch, rose gold
CSB She Reads Truth Bible--LeatherTouch, rose gold
Retail: $49.99
Our Price: $25.49
Save: $24.50 (49%)
4.5 of 5.0 stars
CSB Apologetics Study Bible, Navy LeatherTouch
CSB Apologetics Study Bible, Navy LeatherTouch
Retail: $59.99
Our Price: $41.99
Save: $18.00 (30%)
5.0 of 5.0 stars
CSB Outreach Bible, Large Print Edition
CSB Outreach Bible, Large Print Edition
Retail: $7.99
Our Price: $6.29
Save: $1.70 (21%)
3.5 of 5.0 stars