Bible in 90 Days
The Mystery of Time
3 There is an occasion for everything,
and a time for every activity under heaven:(A)
2 a time to give birth and a time to die;(B)
a time to plant and a time to uproot;[a]
3 a time to kill and a time to heal;
a time to tear down and a time to build;
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh;(C)
a time to mourn and a time to dance;(D)
5 a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;(E)
a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing;(F)
6 a time to search and a time to count as lost;
a time to keep and a time to throw away;
7 a time to tear and a time to sew;
a time to be silent and a time to speak;(G)
8 a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace.(H)
9 What does the worker gain from his struggles?(I) 10 I have seen the task that God has given the children of Adam to keep them occupied.(J) 11 He has made everything appropriate[b] in its time.(K) He has also put eternity in their hearts,[c] but no one can discover the work God has done from beginning to end.(L) 12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and enjoy the[d] good life. 13 It is also the gift of God whenever anyone eats, drinks, and enjoys all his efforts.(M) 14 I know that everything God does will last forever; there is no adding to it or taking from it.(N) God works so that people will be in awe of him.(O) 15 Whatever is, has already been,(P) and whatever will be, already is. However, God seeks justice for the persecuted.[e]
The Mystery of Injustice and Death
16 I also observed under the sun: there is wickedness at the place of judgment and there is wickedness at the place of righteousness.(Q) 17 I said to myself, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked,(R) since there is a time for every activity and every work.”(S) 18 I said to myself, “This happens so that God may test the children of Adam and they may see for themselves that they are like animals.”(T) 19 For the fate of the children of Adam and the fate of animals is the same.(U) As one dies, so dies the other; they all have the same breath. People have no advantage over animals since everything is futile. 20 All are going to the same place; all come from dust, and all return to dust.(V) 21 Who knows if the spirits of the children of Adam go upward and the spirits of animals go downward to the earth? 22 I have seen that there is nothing better than for a person to enjoy his activities(W) because that is his reward. For who can enable him to see what will happen after he dies?[f](X)
4 Again, I observed all the acts of oppression being done under the sun.(Y) Look at the tears of those who are oppressed; they have no one to comfort them. Power is with those who oppress them; they have no one to comfort them. 2 So I commended the dead,(Z) who have already died, more than the living, who are still alive. 3 But better than either of them is the one who has not yet existed,(AA) who has not seen the evil activity that is done under the sun.
The Loneliness of Wealth
4 I saw that all labor and all skillful work is due to one person’s jealousy of another.(AB) This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.[g](AC)
5 The fool folds his arms(AD)
and consumes his own flesh.(AE)
6 Better one handful with rest
than two handfuls with effort and a pursuit of the wind.(AF)
7 Again, I saw futility under the sun: 8 There is a person without a companion,[h] without even a son or brother, and though there is no end to all his struggles, his eyes are still not content with riches.(AG) “Who am I struggling for,” he asks, “and depriving myself of good things?” This too is futile and a miserable task.
9 Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. 10 For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up. 11 Also, if two lie down together, they can keep warm; but how can one person alone keep warm?(AH) 12 And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.
13 Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer pays attention to warnings.(AI) 14 For he came from prison to be king,(AJ) even though he was born poor in his kingdom. 15 I saw all the living, who move about under the sun, follow[i] a second youth who succeeds him. 16 There is no limit to all the people who were before them, yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.(AK)
Caution in God’s Presence
5 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Better to approach in obedience than to offer the sacrifice as fools do,(AL) for they ignorantly do wrong. 2 Do not be hasty to speak, and do not be impulsive to make a speech before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.(AM) 3 Just as dreams accompany much labor, so also a fool’s voice comes with many words.(AN) 4 When you make a vow to God,(AO) don’t delay fulfilling it, because he does not delight in fools. Fulfill what you vow. 5 Better that you do not vow than that you vow and not fulfill it.(AP) 6 Do not let your mouth bring guilt on you,(AQ) and do not say in the presence of the messenger that it was a mistake.(AR) Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For many dreams bring futility; so do many words.(AS) Therefore, fear God.
The Realities of Wealth
8 If you see oppression of the poor(AT) and perversion of justice and righteousness in the province, don’t be astonished at the situation,(AU) because one official protects another official, and higher officials protect them. 9 The profit from the land is taken by all; the king is served by the field.[j](AV)
10 The one who loves silver is never satisfied with silver, and whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with income. This too is futile. 11 When good things increase, the ones who consume them multiply; what, then, is the profit to the owner, except to gaze at them with his eyes? 12 The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich permits him no sleep.
13 There is a sickening tragedy I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.(AW) 14 That wealth was lost in a bad venture, so when he fathered a son, he was empty-handed. 15 As he came from his mother’s womb, so he will go again, naked as he came;(AX) he will take nothing for his efforts that he can carry in his hands. 16 This too is a sickening tragedy: exactly as he comes, so he will go. What does the one gain(AY) who struggles for the wind?(AZ) 17 What is more, he eats in darkness all his days,(BA) with much frustration, sickness, and anger.
18 Here is what I have seen to be good:(BB) It is appropriate to eat, drink, and experience good in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of his life God has given him, because that is his reward.(BC) 19 Furthermore, everyone to whom God has given riches and wealth,(BD) he has also allowed him to enjoy them, take his reward, and rejoice in his labor.(BE) This is a gift of God,(BF) 20 for he does not often consider the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart.
6 Here is a tragedy I have observed under the sun,(BG) and it weighs heavily on humanity:[k] 2 God gives a person riches, wealth, and honor(BH) so that he lacks nothing of all he desires for himself,(BI) but God does not allow him to enjoy them. Instead, a stranger will enjoy them. This is futile and a sickening tragedy. 3 A man may father a hundred children and live many years. No matter how long he lives,[l] if he is not satisfied by good things and does not even have a proper burial,(BJ) I say that a stillborn child is better off than he.(BK) 4 For he comes in futility and he goes in darkness, and his name is shrouded in darkness. 5 Though a stillborn child does not see the sun and is not conscious, it has more rest than he. 6 And if a person lives a thousand years twice, but does not experience happiness, do not both go to the same place?
8 What advantage then does the wise person have over the fool?(BM) What advantage is there for the poor person who knows how to conduct himself before others? 9 Better what the eyes see than wandering desire.(BN) This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.[n](BO)
10 Whatever exists was given its name long ago,[o](BP) and it is known what mankind is. But he is not able to contend with the one stronger than he.(BQ) 11 For when there are many words, they increase futility.(BR) What is the advantage for mankind? 12 For who knows what is good for anyone in life, in the few days of his futile life that he spends like a shadow?(BS) Who can tell anyone what will happen after him under the sun?
Wise Sayings
7 A good name is better than fine perfume,(BT)
and the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth.(BU)
2 It is better to go to a house of mourning
than to go to a house of feasting,
since that is the end of all mankind,
and the living should take it to heart.(BV)
3 Grief is better than laughter,
for when a face is sad, a heart may be glad.(BW)
4 The heart of the wise is in a house of mourning,
but the heart of fools is in a house of pleasure.
5 It is better to listen to rebuke from a wise person
than to listen to the song of fools,(BX)
6 for like the crackling of burning thorns under the pot,(BY)
so is the laughter of the fool.
This too is futile.
7 Surely, the practice of extortion turns a wise person into a fool,(BZ)
and a bribe corrupts the mind.(CA)
8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning;
a patient spirit is better than a proud spirit.(CB)
9 Don’t let your spirit rush to be angry,
for anger abides in the heart of fools.(CC)
10 Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?”(CD)
since it is not wise of you to ask this.
11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance
and an advantage to those who see the sun,
12 because wisdom is protection as silver is protection;
but the advantage of knowledge
is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner.(CE)
13 Consider the work of God,(CF)
for who can straighten out
what he has made crooked?(CG)
14 In the day of prosperity be joyful,(CH) but in the day of adversity, consider: God has made the one as well as the other,(CI) so that no one can discover anything that will come after him.
Avoiding Extremes
15 In my futile life[p] I have seen everything:(CJ) someone righteous perishes in spite of his righteousness,(CK) and someone wicked lives long in spite of his evil.(CL) 16 Don’t be excessively righteous, and don’t be overly wise.(CM) Why should you destroy yourself? 17 Don’t be excessively wicked, and don’t be foolish. Why should you die before your time?(CN) 18 It is good that you grasp the one and do not let the other slip from your hand. For the one who fears God will end up with both of them.
19 Wisdom makes the wise person stronger
than ten rulers of a city.(CO)
20 There is certainly no one righteous on the earth
who does good and never sins.(CP)
21 Don’t pay attention[q] to everything people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you,(CQ) 22 for in your heart you know that many times you yourself have cursed others.
What the Teacher Found
23 I have tested all this by wisdom. I resolved, “I will be wise,” but it was beyond me. 24 What exists is beyond reach and very deep.(CR) Who can discover it? 25 I turned my thoughts to know, explore, and examine wisdom(CS) and an explanation for things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity and folly is madness. 26 And I find more bitter than death(CT) the woman who is a trap:(CU) her heart a net and her hands chains. The one who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner will be captured by her. 27 “Look,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find out the explanation, 28 which my soul continually searches for but does not find: I found one person in a thousand, but none of those was a woman.(CV) 29 Only see this: I have discovered that God made people upright,(CW) but they pursued many schemes.”
Wisdom, Authorities, and Inequities
8 Who is like the wise person, and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A person’s wisdom brightens his face, and the sternness of his face is changed.(CX)
2 Keep[r] the king’s command because of your oath made before God.(CY) 3 Do not be in a hurry; leave his presence,(CZ) and don’t persist in a bad cause, since he will do whatever he wants. 4 For the king’s word is authoritative, and who can say to him, “What are you doing?” (DA) 5 The one who keeps a command will not experience anything harmful,(DB) and a wise heart knows the right time and procedure. 6 For every activity there is a right time and procedure,(DC) even though a person’s troubles are heavy on him. 7 Yet no one knows what will happen(DD) because who can tell him what will happen? 8 No one has authority over the wind[s] to restrain it,(DE) and there is no authority over the day of death;(DF) no one is discharged during battle, and wickedness will not allow those who practice it to escape. 9 All this I have seen, applying my mind to all the work that is done under the sun, at a time when one person has authority over another to his harm.
10 In such circumstances, I saw the wicked buried. They came and went from the holy place,(DG) and they were praised[t] in the city where they did those things. This too is futile. 11 Because the sentence against an evil act is not carried out quickly,(DH) the heart of people is filled with the desire to commit evil. 12 Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life,(DI) I also know that it will go well with God-fearing people,(DJ) for they are reverent before him. 13 However, it will not go well with the wicked,(DK) and they will not lengthen their days like a shadow,(DL) for they are not reverent before God.
14 There is a futility that is done on the earth: there are righteous people who get what the actions of the wicked deserve,(DM) and there are wicked people who get what the actions of the righteous deserve.(DN) I say that this too is futile. 15 So I commended enjoyment because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat, drink, and enjoy himself,(DO) for this will accompany him in his labor during the days of his life that God gives him under the sun.
16 When I applied my mind to know wisdom(DP) and to observe the activity that is done on the earth (even though one’s eyes do not close in sleep day or night), 17 I observed all the work of God and concluded that a person is unable to discover the work that is done under the sun. Even though a person labors hard to explore it, he cannot find it;(DQ) even if a wise person claims to know it, he is unable to discover it.
Enjoy Life Despite Death
9 Indeed, I took all this to heart and explained it all: The righteous, the wise, and their works are in God’s hands.(DR) People don’t know whether to expect love or hate. Everything lies ahead of them. 2 Everything is the same for everyone:(DS) There is one fate for the righteous and the wicked,(DT) for the good and the bad,[u] for the clean and the unclean, for the one who sacrifices and the one who does not sacrifice. As it is for the good, so also it is for the sinner; as it is for the one who takes an oath, so also for the one who fears an oath. 3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: there is one fate for everyone. In addition, the hearts of people are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live;(DU) after that they go to the dead. 4 But there is hope for whoever is joined[v] with all the living, since a live dog is better than a dead lion. 5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything. There is no longer a reward for them because the memory of them is forgotten.(DV) 6 Their love, their hate, and their envy have already disappeared, and there is no longer a portion for them in all that is done under the sun.
7 Go, eat your bread with pleasure, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already accepted your works.(DW) 8 Let your clothes be white all the time, and never let oil be lacking on your head.(DX) 9 Enjoy life with the wife you love all the days of your fleeting[w] life,(DY) which has been given to you under the sun, all your fleeting days. For that is your portion in life and in your struggle(DZ) under the sun. 10 Whatever your hands find to do, do with all your strength,(EA) because there is no work, planning, knowledge, or wisdom(EB) in Sheol where you are going.
The Limitations of Wisdom
11 Again I saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift,(EC) or the battle to the strong,(ED) or bread to the wise, or riches to the discerning, or favor to the skillful; rather, time and chance happen to all of them. 12 For certainly no one knows his time:(EE) like fish caught in a cruel net or like birds caught in a trap,(EF) so people are trapped in an evil time(EG) as it suddenly falls on them.(EH)
13 I have observed that this also is wisdom under the sun, and it is significant to me: 14 There was a small city with few men in it. A great king came against it, surrounded it, and built large siege works against it. 15 Now a poor wise man was found in the city,(EI) and he delivered the city by his wisdom.(EJ) Yet no one remembered that poor man. 16 And I said, “Wisdom is better than strength,(EK) but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded.”
17 The calm words of the wise are heeded
more than the shouts of a ruler over fools.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war,
but one sinner can destroy much good.(EL)
The Burden of Folly
10 Dead flies make a perfumer’s oil ferment and stink;(EM)
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
2 A wise person’s heart goes to the[x] right,
but a fool’s heart to the left.
3 Even when the fool walks along the road, his heart lacks sense,
and he shows everyone he is a fool.(EN)
4 If the ruler’s anger rises against you, don’t leave your post,(EO)
for calmness puts great offenses to rest.(EP)
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, an error proceeding from the presence of the ruler:
6 The fool is appointed to great heights,(EQ)
but the rich remain in lowly positions.
7 I have seen slaves on horses,(ER)
but princes walking on the ground like slaves.(ES)
8 The one who digs a pit may fall into it,(ET)
and the one who breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.(EU)
9 The one who quarries stones may be hurt by them;
the one who splits logs may be endangered by them.
10 If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen its edge,
then one must exert more strength;
however, the advantage of wisdom is that it brings success.
11 If the snake bites before it is charmed,(EV)
then there is no advantage for the charmer.[y]
12 The words from the mouth of a wise person are gracious,(EW)
but the lips of a fool consume him.(EX)
13 The beginning of the words from his mouth is folly,
but the end of his speaking is evil madness;
14 yet the fool multiplies words.
No one knows what will happen,
and who can tell anyone what will happen after him?(EY)
15 The struggles of fools weary them,
for they don’t know how to go to the city.
16 Woe to you, land, when your king is a youth(EZ)
and your princes feast in the morning.
17 Blessed are you, land, when your king is a son of nobles
and your princes feast at the proper time—
for strength and not for drunkenness.(FA)
18 Because of laziness the roof caves in,
and because of negligent hands the house leaks.
19 A feast is prepared for laughter,
and wine makes life happy,(FB)
and money[z] is the answer for everything.(FC)
20 Do not curse the king even in your thoughts,(FD)
and do not curse a rich person even in your bedroom,(FE)
for a bird of the sky may carry the message,
and a winged creature may report the matter.
Invest in Life
11 Send your bread on the surface of the water,(FF)
for after many days you may find it.
2 Give a portion to seven or even to eight,(FG)
for you don’t know what disaster may happen on earth.
3 If the clouds are full, they will pour out rain on the earth;
whether a tree falls to the south or the north,
the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.
4 One who watches the wind will not sow,
and the one who looks at the clouds will not reap.
5 Just as you don’t know the path of the wind,
or how bones develop in[aa] the womb of a pregnant woman,
so also you don’t know the work of God who makes everything.(FH)
6 In the morning sow your seed,
and at evening do not let your hand rest,
because you don’t know which will succeed,
whether one or the other,
or if both of them will be equally good.
7 Light is sweet,
and it is pleasing for the eyes to see the sun.(FI)
8 Indeed, if someone lives many years,
let him rejoice in them all,
and let him remember the days of darkness,(FJ) since they will be many.
All that comes is futile.
9 Rejoice, young person, while you are young,
and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth.
And walk in the ways of your heart
and in the desire of your eyes;(FK)
but know that for all of these things God will bring you to judgment.
10 Remove sorrow from your heart,
and put away pain from your flesh,(FL)
because youth and the prime of life are fleeting.
The Twilight of Life
12 So remember your Creator in the days of your youth:
Before the days of adversity come,
and the years approach when you will say,(FM)
“I have no delight in them”;
2 before the sun and the light are darkened,(FN)
and the moon and the stars,
and the clouds return after[ab] the rain;
3 on the day when the guardians of the house tremble,
and the strong men stoop,
the women who grind grain cease because they are few,
and the ones who watch through the windows see dimly,(FO)
4 the doors at the street are shut
while the sound of the mill fades;(FP)
when one rises at the sound of a bird,
and all the daughters of song grow faint.
5 Also, they are afraid of heights and dangers on the road;
the almond tree blossoms,
the grasshopper loses its spring,[ac]
and the caper berry has no effect;
for the mere mortal is headed to his eternal home,(FQ)
and mourners will walk around in the street;(FR)
6 before the silver cord is snapped,[ad]
and the gold bowl is broken,(FS)
and the jar is shattered at the spring,
and the wheel is broken into the well;
7 and the dust returns to the earth as it once was,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.(FT)
8 “Absolute futility,” says the Teacher. “Everything is futile.”(FU)
The Teacher’s Objectives and Conclusion
9 In addition to the Teacher being a wise man, he constantly taught the people knowledge; he weighed, explored, and arranged many proverbs.(FV) 10 The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and write words of truth accurately. 11 The sayings of the wise are like cattle prods,(FW) and those from masters of collections are like firmly embedded nails.(FX) The sayings are given by one Shepherd.[ae]
12 But beyond these, my son, be warned: there is no end to the making of many books,(FY) and much study wearies the body.(FZ) 13 When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: fear God(GA) and keep his commands, because this is for all[af] humanity.(GB) 14 For God will bring every act to judgment,(GC) including every hidden thing, whether good or evil.
1 The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.(GD)
Woman
2 Oh, that he would kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your caresses[ag] are more delightful than wine.(GE)
3 The fragrance of your perfume is intoxicating;(GF)
your name is perfume poured out.(GG)
No wonder young women[ah] adore you.
4 Take me with you(GH)—let’s hurry.
Oh, that the king would bring[ai] me to his chambers.
Young Women
We will rejoice and be glad in you;
we will celebrate your caresses more than wine.
Woman
It is only right that they adore you.
5 Daughters of Jerusalem,(GI)
I am dark like the tents of Kedar,(GJ)
yet lovely(GK) like the curtains of Solomon.
6 Do not stare at me because I am dark,
for the sun has gazed on me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me;(GL)
they made me take care of the vineyards.(GM)
I have not taken care of my own vineyard.
7 Tell me, you whom I love:(GN)
Where do you pasture your sheep?(GO)
Where do you let them rest at noon?(GP)
Why should I be like one who veils herself[aj]
beside the flocks of your companions?(GQ)
Man
8 [ak]If you do not know,
most beautiful of women,(GR)
follow[al] the tracks of the flock,
and pasture your young goats
near the shepherds’ tents.
9 I compare you, my darling,(GS)
to a[am] mare among Pharaoh’s chariots.(GT)
10 Your cheeks are beautiful with jewelry,(GU)
your neck with its necklace.
11 We will make gold jewelry for you,
accented with silver.
Woman
12 While the king is on his couch,[an]
my perfume[ao] releases its fragrance.(GV)
13 The one I love is a sachet of myrrh to me,(GW)
spending the night between my breasts.
14 The one I love is a cluster of henna blossoms to me,(GX)
in the vineyards of En-gedi.(GY)
Man
15 How beautiful you are, my darling.
How very beautiful!
Your eyes are doves.(GZ)
Woman
16 How handsome you are, my love.(HA)
How delightful!
Our bed is verdant;
17 the beams of our house are cedars,
and our rafters are cypresses.[ap]
2 I am a wildflower[aq] of Sharon,
a lily[ar] of the valleys.(HB)
Man
2 Like a lily among thorns,
so is my darling among the young women.
Woman
3 Like an apricot[as] tree among the trees of the forest,
so is my love among the young men.
I delight to sit in his shade,
and his fruit is sweet to my taste.
4 He brought me to the banquet hall,[at](HC)
and he looked on me with love.[au](HD)
5 Sustain me with raisins;
refresh me with apricots,[av]
for I am lovesick.(HE)
6 May his left hand be under my head,
and his right arm embrace me.(HF)
7 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.[aw](HG)
8 Listen! My love is approaching.
Look! Here he comes,
leaping over the mountains,(HH)
bounding over the hills.
9 My love is like a gazelle
or a young stag.(HI)
See, he is standing behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
peering through the lattice.
10 My love calls to me:
Man
Arise,(HJ) my darling.
Come away, my beautiful one.
11 For now the winter is past;
the rain has ended and gone away.
12 The blossoms appear in the countryside.
The time of singing[ax] has come,
and the turtledove’s cooing is heard in our land.(HK)
13 The fig tree ripens its figs;(HL)
the blossoming vines give off their fragrance.(HM)
Arise, my darling.
Come away, my beautiful one.
14 My dove,(HN) in the clefts of the rock,(HO)
in the crevices of the cliff,
let me see your face,[ay]
let me hear your voice;(HP)
for your voice is sweet,
and your face is lovely.(HQ)
Woman
15 [az]Catch the foxes for us(HR)—
the little foxes that ruin the vineyards—
for our vineyards are in bloom.(HS)
Woman
16 My love is mine and I am his;(HT)
he feeds among the lilies.
17 Until the day breaks[ba]
and the shadows flee,
turn around, my love, and be like a gazelle
or a young stag(HU) on the divided mountains.[bb](HV)
3 In my bed at night[bc]
I sought the one I love;(HW)
I sought him, but did not find him.[bd](HX)
2 I will arise now and go about the city,
through the streets and the plazas.(HY)
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.(HZ)
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(IA)—
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.[be](IB)
Narrator
6 Who is this(IC) coming up from the wilderness
like columns of smoke,
scented with myrrh and frankincense(ID)
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(IE)
to guard against the terror of the night.(IF)
9 King Solomon made a carriage for himself
with wood from Lebanon.
10 He made its posts of silver,
its back[bf] of gold,
and its seat of purple.
Its interior is inlaid with love[bg]
by the young women of Jerusalem.(IG)
11 Go out, young women of Zion,(IH)
and gaze at King Solomon,
wearing the crown his mother placed on him
on the day of his wedding(II)—
the day of his heart’s rejoicing.
Man
4 How beautiful you are, my darling.
How very beautiful!
Behind your veil,
your eyes are doves.(IJ)
Your hair is like a flock of goats
streaming down Mount Gilead.(IK)
2 Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn sheep
coming up from washing,
each one bearing twins,
and none has lost its young.[bh](IL)
3 Your lips are like a scarlet cord,(IM)
and your mouth[bi] is lovely.
Behind your veil,
your brow[bj] is like a slice of pomegranate.(IN)
4 Your neck is like the tower of David,(IO)
constructed in layers.
A thousand shields are hung on it—
all of them shields of warriors.
5 Your breasts are like two fawns,
twins of a gazelle,(IP) that feed among the lilies.
6 Until the day breaks[bk]
and the shadows flee,(IQ)
I will make my way to the mountain of myrrh
and the hill of frankincense.(IR)
7 You are absolutely beautiful,(IS) my darling;
there is no imperfection in you.
8 Come with me from Lebanon,[bl](IT) my bride;(IU)
come with me from Lebanon!
Descend from the peak of Amana,
from the summit of Senir and Hermon,(IV)
from the dens of the lions,
from the mountains of the leopards.
9 You have captured my heart,(IW) my sister,(IX) my bride.
You have captured my heart with one glance of your eyes,
with one jewel of your necklace.
10 How delightful your caresses are, my sister, my bride.
Your caresses are much better than wine,(IY)
and the fragrance of your perfume than any balsam.
11 Your lips drip sweetness like the honeycomb, my bride.(IZ)
Honey and milk(JA) are under your tongue.
The fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.
12 My sister, my bride, you are a locked garden—
a locked garden[bm] and a sealed spring.(JB)
13 Your branches are a paradise[bn] of pomegranates
with choicest fruits;(JC)
henna with nard,
14 nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon,(JD)
with all the trees of frankincense,(JE)
myrrh and aloes,(JF)
with all the best spices.
15 You are a garden spring,
a well of flowing water(JG)
streaming from Lebanon.
Woman
16 Awaken,(JH) north wind;
come, south wind.
Blow on my garden,
and spread the fragrance of its spices.
Let my love come to his garden
and eat its choicest fruits.(JI)
Man
5 I have come to my garden—my sister, my bride.
I gather[bo] my myrrh with my spices.
I eat my honeycomb with my honey.
I drink my wine with my milk.
Narrator
Woman
2 I was sleeping, but my heart was awake.
A sound! My love was knocking!(JK)
Man
Open to me, my sister, my darling,
my dove, my perfect one.
For my head is drenched with dew,
my hair with droplets of the night.
Woman
3 I have taken off my clothing.(JL)
How can I put it back on?
I have washed my feet.
How can I get them dirty?
4 My love thrust his hand through the opening,
and my feelings were stirred for him.
5 I rose to open for my love.
My hands dripped with myrrh,(JM)
my fingers with flowing myrrh
on the handles of the bolt.
6 I opened to my love,
but my love had turned and gone away.
My heart sank[bq] because he had left.[br]
I sought him, but did not find him.(JN)
I called him, but he did not answer.
7 The guards who go about the city found me.(JO)
They beat and wounded me;
they took my cloak[bs] from me—
the guardians of the walls.(JP)
8 Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you,(JQ)
if you find my love,
tell him that I am lovesick.(JR)
Young Women
9 What makes the one you love better than another,
most beautiful of women?(JS)
What makes him better than another,
that you would give us this charge?
Woman
11 His head is purest gold.
His hair is wavy[bu](JV)
and black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves(JW)
beside flowing streams,
washed in milk
and set like jewels.[bv]
13 His cheeks(JX) are like beds of spice,
mounds of[bw] perfume.
His lips are lilies,
dripping with flowing myrrh.(JY)
14 His arms[bx] are rods of gold
set[by] with beryl.(JZ)
His body[bz] is an ivory panel
covered with lapis lazuli.(KA)
15 His legs are alabaster pillars
set on pedestals of pure gold.
His presence is like Lebanon,(KB)
as majestic as the cedars.(KC)
16 His mouth is sweetness.
He is absolutely desirable.(KD)
This is my love, and this is my friend,
young women of Jerusalem.
Young Women
6 Where has your love gone,
most beautiful of women?
Which way has he[ca] turned?
We will seek him with you.
Woman
2 My love has gone down to his garden,(KE)
to beds of spice,(KF)
to feed in the gardens(KG)
and gather lilies.(KH)
3 I am my love’s and my love is mine;(KI)
he feeds among the lilies.
Man
4 You are as beautiful as Tirzah, my darling,
lovely as Jerusalem,
awe-inspiring as an army with banners.(KJ)
5 Turn your eyes away from me,
for they captivate me.(KK)
Your hair is like a flock of goats
streaming down from Gilead.(KL)
6 Your teeth are like a flock of ewes
coming up from washing,
each one having a twin,
and not one missing.[cb](KM)
7 Behind your veil,(KN)
your brow[cc] is like a slice of pomegranate.
8 There are sixty queens
and eighty concubines(KO)
and young women[cd] without number.
9 But my dove,(KP) my virtuous one, is unique;(KQ)
she is the favorite of her mother,
perfect to the one who gave her birth.
Women see her and declare her fortunate;(KR)
queens and concubines also, and they sing her praises:
10 Who is this(KS) who shines like the dawn,
as beautiful as the moon,
bright as the sun,
awe-inspiring as an army with banners?(KT)
Woman
11 I came down to the walnut grove
to see the blossoms of the valley,
to see if the vines were budding(KU)
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.[ce]
Young Women
13 Come back, come back, Shulammite![cf]
Come back, come back, that we may look at you!
Man
7 How beautiful are your sandaled feet, princess
The curves of your thighs are like jewelry,
the handiwork of a master.
2 Your navel is a rounded bowl;
it never lacks mixed wine.
Your belly is a mound of wheat
surrounded by lilies.
3 Your breasts are like two fawns,
twins of a gazelle.(KY)
4 Your neck is like a tower of ivory,(KZ)
your eyes like pools in Heshbon
by Bath-rabbim’s gate.
Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon
looking toward Damascus.
5 Your head crowns you[ci] like Mount Carmel,
the hair of your head like purple cloth—
a king could be held captive(LA) in your tresses.
6 How beautiful you are and how pleasant,(LB)
my love, with such delights!
7 Your stature is like a palm tree;
your breasts are clusters of fruit.
8 I said, “I will climb the palm tree
and take hold of its fruit.”(LC)
May your breasts be like clusters of grapes,
and the fragrance of your breath like apricots.(LD)
9 Your mouth[cj] is like fine wine(LE)—
Woman
flowing smoothly for my love,
gliding past my lips and teeth![ck]
10 I am my love’s,
and his desire(LF) is for me.(LG)
11 Come, my love,
let’s go to the field;
let’s spend the night among the henna blossoms.[cl]
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.(LH)
There I will give you my caresses.
13 The mandrakes(LI) give off a fragrance,
and at our doors is every delicacy,
both new and old.
I have treasured them up for you, my love.
8 If only I could treat you like my brother,[cm]
one who nursed at my mother’s breasts,
I would find you in public and kiss you,
and no one would scorn me.
2 I would lead you, I would take you,
to the house of my mother(LJ) who taught me.[cn]
I would give you spiced wine to drink
from the juice of my pomegranate.
3 May his left hand be under my head,
and his right arm embrace me.(LK)
4 Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you,
do not stir up or awaken love
until the appropriate time.(LL)
Young Women
5 Who is this(LM) coming up from the wilderness,
leaning on the one she loves?
Woman
I awakened you under the apricot tree.(LN)
There your mother conceived you;
there she conceived and gave you birth.
6 Set me as a seal on your heart,
as a seal on your arm.(LO)
For love is as strong as death;(LP)
jealousy is as unrelenting as Sheol.
Love’s flames are fiery flames(LQ)—
an almighty flame![co]
7 A huge torrent cannot extinguish love;
rivers cannot sweep it away.
If a man were to give all his wealth[cp] for love,(LR)
it would be utterly scorned.
Brothers
8 Our sister is young;
she has no breasts.(LS)
What will we do for our sister
on the day she is spoken for?
9 If she is a wall,
we will build a silver barricade on her.
If she is a door,
we will enclose her with cedar planks.(LT)
Woman
10 I am[cq] a wall
and my breasts like towers.
So to him I have become
like one who finds[cr] peace.[cs]
11 Solomon owned a vineyard in Baal-hamon.(LU)
He leased the vineyard to tenants.(LV)
Each was to bring for his fruit
one thousand pieces of silver.(LW)
12 I have my own vineyard.[ct](LX)
The one thousand are for you, Solomon,
but two hundred for those who take care of its fruits.
Man
13 You[cu] who dwell in the gardens,
companions(LY) are listening for your voice;
let me hear you!(LZ)
Woman
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.