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The Song of songs, which is Solomon’s.

Beloved

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth;
    for your love is better than wine.
Your oils have a pleasing fragrance.
    Your name is oil poured out,
    therefore the virgins love you.
Take me away with you.
    Let’s hurry.
    The king has brought me into his rooms.

Friends

We will be glad and rejoice in you.
    We will praise your love more than wine!

Beloved

They are right to love you.
I am dark, but lovely,
    you daughters of Jerusalem,
    like Kedar’s tents,
    like Solomon’s curtains.
Don’t stare at me because I am dark,
    because the sun has scorched me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me.
    They made me keeper of the vineyards.
    I haven’t kept my own vineyard.
Tell me, you whom my soul loves,
    where you graze your flock,
    where you rest them at noon;
    for why should I be as one who is veiled
    beside the flocks of your companions?

Lover

If you don’t know, most beautiful among women,
    follow the tracks of the sheep.
    Graze your young goats beside the shepherds’ tents.

I have compared you, my love,
    to a steed in Pharaoh’s chariots.
10 Your cheeks are beautiful with earrings,
    your neck with strings of jewels.

Friends

11 We will make you earrings of gold,
    with studs of silver.

Beloved

12 While the king sat at his table,
    my perfume spread its fragrance.
13 My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh,
    that lies between my breasts.
14 My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms
    from the vineyards of En Gedi.

Lover

15 Behold,[a] you are beautiful, my love.
    Behold, you are beautiful.
    Your eyes are like doves.

Beloved

16 Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, yes, pleasant;
    and our couch is verdant.

Lover

17 The beams of our house are cedars.
    Our rafters are firs.

Footnotes

  1. 1:15 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.

The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.(A)

Colloquy of the Young Woman and Friends

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your love is better than wine;(B)
    your anointing oils are fragrant;
your name is perfume poured out;
    therefore the maidens love you.(C)
Draw me after you; let us make haste.
    The king has brought me into his chambers.
We will exult and rejoice in you;
    we will extol your love more than wine;
    rightly do they love you.(D)

I am black and beautiful,
    O daughters of Jerusalem,
like the tents of Kedar,
    like the curtains of Solomon.(E)
Do not gaze at me because I am dark,
    because the sun has gazed on me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me;
    they made me keeper of the vineyards,
    but my own vineyard I have not kept!(F)
Tell me, you whom my soul loves,
    where you pasture your flock,
    where you make it lie down at noon,
for why should I be like one who is veiled
    beside the flocks of your companions?(G)

If you do not know,
    O fairest among women,
follow the tracks of the flock
    and pasture your kids
    beside the shepherds’ tents.(H)

Colloquy of the Young Man, Friends, and the Young Woman

I compare you, my love,
    to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots.(I)
10 Your cheeks are comely with ornaments,
    your neck with strings of jewels.(J)
11 We will make you ornaments of gold,
    studded with silver.

12 While the king was on his couch,
    my nard gave forth its fragrance.
13 My beloved is to me a bag of myrrh
    that lies between my breasts.
14 My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms
    in the vineyards of En-gedi.(K)

15 Ah, you are beautiful, my love;
    ah, you are beautiful;
    your eyes are doves.(L)
16 Ah, you are beautiful, my beloved,
    truly lovely.
Our couch is green;
17     the beams of our house are cedar;
    our rafters[a] are pine.(M)

Footnotes

  1. 1.17 Meaning of Heb uncertain