12 A locked garden is my sister, my bride,
A locked spring, a (A)sealed (B)fountain.
13 Your branches are an [a](C)orchard of (D)pomegranates
With (E)delicious fruits, (F)henna with nard plants,
14 (G)Nard and saffron, spice reed and (H)cinnamon,
With all the trees of (I)frankincense,
(J)Myrrh, and aloes, along with all the finest balsam oils.
15 You are a garden spring,
A well of [b](K)fresh water,
And flowing streams from Lebanon.”

The Bride

16 “Awake, north wind,
And come, wind of the south;
[c]Make my (L)garden breathe out fragrance,
May its balsam oils flow.
May (M)my beloved come into his garden
And eat its (N)delicious fruits!”

The Torment of Separation

The Groom

“I have (O)come into my garden, (P)my sister, my bride;
I have gathered my (Q)myrrh along with my balsam.
I have eaten my honeycomb with my (R)honey;
I have (S)drunk my wine with my milk.
Eat, (T)friends;
Drink and [d]drink deeply, lovers.”

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 4:13 Or park; or garden
  2. Song of Solomon 4:15 Lit living; i.e., running
  3. Song of Solomon 4:16 Or Drift through my
  4. Song of Solomon 5:1 Or become drunk

12 A garden [a]shut up is my sister, my bride;
A spring shut up, a fountain sealed.
13 Thy shoots are [b]an orchard of pomegranates, with precious fruits;
Henna with spikenard plants,
14 Spikenard and saffron,
Calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense;
Myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices.
15 Thou art a fountain of gardens,
A well of living waters,
And flowing streams from Lebanon.

16 Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south;
Blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out.
Let my beloved come into his garden,
And eat his precious fruits.

I am come into my garden, my sister, my bride:
I have gathered my myrrh with my [c]spice;
I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey;
I have drunk my wine with my milk.
Eat, O friends;
Drink, yea, drink abundantly, [d]O beloved.

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 4:12 Hebrew barred.
  2. Song of Solomon 4:13 Or, a paradise
  3. Song of Solomon 5:1 Or, balsam
  4. Song of Solomon 5:1 Or, of love