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Love

1 This is Solomon's most beautiful song.

The young woman:

2 Please kiss me with your lips!
Your love makes me happier than wine does.
3 You have put perfume on your body.
It has a lovely smell.
The sound of your name causes pleasure everywhere,
like sweet perfume.
All the young women love you!
4 Take me away with you. Come quickly.
I want the king to take me into his rooms. [ a ]

The woman's friends: [ b ]

We are very happy!
You make us happy.
We praise your love,
because it is better than wine.

The young woman:

I agree! The young women are right to praise you like that.

5 Young women of Jerusalem, my skin is dark but I am beautiful. [ c ]
My skin is dark, like the tents of Kedar.
It is beautiful, like the curtains of King Solomon's tent.
6 The sun has caused my skin to become dark.
Please do not look at me as if I am strange.
My brothers were angry with me.
They caused me to work outside in the sun.
I took care of the vineyards,
and I could not take care of my own vineyard, my body.

7 I love you, my dear one. [ d ]
Tell me where you take your sheep to eat grass.
Where will you take them to rest at midday?
I do not want to look for you everywhere
among the sheep of your friends.
They might not understand what I am doing.

The man and the woman praise each other

The young man:

8 You are the most beautiful woman of all.
If you do not know where to find me,
follow the marks from the feet of my sheep.
Take your young goats to eat grass
among the tents of the shepherds.
9 My dear friend, you are very beautiful.
You seem to me like a beautiful horse that pulls one of Pharaoh's chariots.
10 Your face is beautiful with jewels.
A necklace makes your neck beautiful too.
11 We will use gold to make ear rings for you,
and we will add pieces of silver.

The young woman: [ e ]

12 While the king was eating a meal,
the sweet smell of my perfume was in the air.
13 My lover is like a bag of myrrh
that lies between my breasts.
14 He is like a group of henna flowers
that grow in the vineyards at En Gedi. [ f ]

The young man:

15 My dear friend, I see that you are very beautiful!
Yes, you are beautiful
and your eyes are like doves.

The young woman:

16 My lover, I see that you are very handsome!
Yes, you are lovely!
This field of fresh, green grass is our comfortable bed.
17 The cedar trees above us are the beams of our bedroom. [ g ]
The pine trees cover us like a roof.

Footnotes

  1. 1:4 The man may be a king. Or, for the woman, he may be like a king, because she gives him honour.
  2. 1:4 The woman is with some friends. The women friends are speaking about the man, not about the woman.
  3. 1:5 The writer calls her friends the ‘Daughters of Jerusalem’. Jerusalem was the capital city where Solomon was king.
  4. 1:7 The woman now speaks to the man that she loves.
  5. 1:12 The woman talks to her friends about her time with the man.
  6. 1:14 Henna is a plant that has a lovely smell. En Gedi is the name of a pool of water in a desert.
  7. 1:17 Beams are big pieces of wood that the roof is fixed to.

1 Solomon’s Most Wonderful Song.

The Woman to the Man She Loves

2 Cover me with kisses,
for your love is better than wine.
3 Your perfume smells wonderful,
but your name [ a ] is sweeter than the best perfume.
That is why the young women love you.
4 Take me with you.
Let’s run away.

The king took me into his room.

The Women of Jerusalem to the Man

We will rejoice and be happy for you.
Remember, your love is better than wine.
With good reason, the young women love you.

She Speaks to the Women

5 Daughters of Jerusalem,
I am dark and beautiful,
as black as the tents of Kedar and Salma. [ b ]

6 Don’t look at how dark I am,
at how dark the sun has made me.
My brothers were angry with me.
They forced me to take care of their vineyards,
so I could not take care of myself. [ c ]

She Speaks to Him

7 I love you with all my soul!
Tell me, where do you feed your sheep?
Where do you lay them down at noon?
I should come to be with you
or I will be like a hired woman [ d ] caring for the sheep of your friends.

He Speaks to Her

8 You are such a beautiful woman.
Surely you know what to do.
Go, follow the sheep.
Feed your young goats near the shepherds’ tents.

9 My darling, you are more exciting to me
than any mare among the stallions [ e ] pulling Pharaoh’s chariots. [ f ]
10 Your cheeks are so beautiful
with those ornaments hanging beside them.
Your neck is so lovely
under that beautiful string of jewels.
11 Let’s make you some more gold jewelry
and decorate it with silver.

She Speaks

12 The smell of my perfume reaches out
to the king lying on his couch.
13 My lover is like the small bag of myrrh around my neck ,
lying all night between my breasts.
14 My lover is like a bunch of henna flowers
near the vineyards of En Gedi.

He Speaks

15 My darling, you are so beautiful!
Oh, you are beautiful!
Your eyes are like doves.

She Speaks

16 You are so handsome, my lover!
Yes, and so charming!
Our bed is so fresh and pleasant. [ g ]
17 The beams of our house are cedar.
The rafters are fir.

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 1:3 name In Hebrew this word sounds like the word “perfume.”
  2. Song of Solomon 1:5 Kedar and Salma Arabian tribes. For “Salma” the standard Hebrew text has “Solomon,” but compare “Salma, Salmon” in Ruth 4:20-21.
  3. Song of Solomon 1:6 myself Literally, “my own vineyard.”
  4. Song of Solomon 1:7 hired woman Or “a woman wearing a veil.” This might mean a prostitute.
  5. Song of Solomon 1:9 mare … stallions Female and male horses. Only male horses were used to pull chariots.
  6. Song of Solomon 1:9 Literally, “To a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots I compare you, my darling.”
  7. Song of Solomon 1:16 fresh and pleasant Or “lush and green” like a fresh field of grass.

1 The song of songs, which is Solomon's.

2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.

3 Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.

4 Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee.

5 I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.

6 Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.

7 Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?

8 If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents.

9 I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots.

10 Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold.

11 We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver.

12 While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof.

13 A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts.

14 My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi.

15 Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes.

16 Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green.

17 The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir.

The Young Shulammite Bride and Jerusalem’s Daughters

1 The [ a ] Song of ( A ) Songs, which is Solomon’s.

[ b ] The Bride

2 “May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your ( B ) love is [ c ] sweeter than wine.
3 Your ( C ) oils have a pleasing fragrance,
Your ( D ) name is like [ d ] purified oil;
Therefore the [ e ] ( E ) young women love you.
4 Draw me after you and let’s run together !
The ( F ) king has brought me into his chambers.”

The Chorus

“We will rejoice in you and be joyful;
We will praise your ( G ) love more than wine.
Rightly do they love you.”

The Bride

5 “I am black and ( H ) beautiful,
You ( I ) daughters of Jerusalem,
Like the ( J ) tents of ( K ) Kedar,
Like the curtains of Solomon.
6 Do not stare at me because I am [ f ] dark,
For the sun has tanned me.
My ( L ) mother’s sons were angry with me;
They made me ( M ) caretaker of the vineyards,
But I have not taken care of my own vineyard.
7 Tell me, you ( N ) whom my soul loves,
Where do you ( O ) pasture your flock ,
Where do you have it ( P ) lie down at noon?
For why should I be like one who [ g ] veils herself
Beside the flocks of your ( Q ) companions?”

Solomon, the Lover, Speaks

8 “If you yourself do not know,
( R ) Most beautiful among women,
Go out on the trail of the flock,
And pasture your young goats
By the tents of the shepherds.

9 [ h ] To me, ( S ) my darling, you are like
My ( T ) mare among the chariots of Pharaoh.
10 Your ( U ) cheeks are delightful with jewelry,
Your neck with strings of ( V ) beads.”

The Chorus

11 “We will make for you jewelry of gold
With beads of silver.”

The Bride

12 “While the king was at his table,
My [ i ] ( W ) perfume gave forth its fragrance.
13 My beloved is to me a pouch of ( X ) myrrh
Which lies all night between my breasts.
14 My beloved is to me a cluster of ( Y ) henna blossoms
In the vineyards of ( Z ) Engedi.”

The Groom

15 [ j ] ( AA ) How beautiful you are, my darling,
[ k ] How beautiful you are!
Your ( AB ) eyes are like doves.”

The Bride

16 [ l ] How handsome you are, ( AC ) my beloved,
And so delightful!
Indeed, our bed is luxuriant!
17 The beams of our house are ( AD ) cedars,
Our rafters, ( AE ) junipers.

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 1:1 Or Best of the Songs
  2. Song of Solomon 1:2 The speaker identifications are not from the Hebrew text nor the Septuagint, but reflect an ancient tradition which appears in some manuscripts.
  3. Song of Solomon 1:2 Lit more pleasant
  4. Song of Solomon 1:3 Lit oil poured from one vessel to another
  5. Song of Solomon 1:3 Or virgins
  6. Song of Solomon 1:6 Or swarthy, blackish
  7. Song of Solomon 1:7 Some ancient versions wanders
  8. Song of Solomon 1:9 Lit I have compared you to
  9. Song of Solomon 1:12 Lit nard
  10. Song of Solomon 1:15 Lit Behold
  11. Song of Solomon 1:15 Lit Behold
  12. Song of Solomon 1:16 Lit Behold

1 Solomon’s Song of Songs. ( A )

She [ a ]

2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—
for your love ( B ) is more delightful than wine. ( C )
3 Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes; ( D )
your name ( E ) is like perfume poured out.
No wonder the young women ( F ) love you!
4 Take me away with you—let us hurry!
Let the king bring me into his chambers. ( G )

Friends

We rejoice and delight ( H ) in you [ b ] ;
we will praise your love ( I ) more than wine.

She

How right they are to adore you!

5 Dark am I, yet lovely, ( J )
daughters of Jerusalem, ( K )
dark like the tents of Kedar, ( L )
like the tent curtains of Solomon. [ c ]
6 Do not stare at me because I am dark,
because I am darkened by the sun.
My mother’s sons were angry with me
and made me take care of the vineyards; ( M )
my own vineyard I had to neglect.
7 Tell me, you whom I love,
where you graze your flock
and where you rest your sheep ( N ) at midday.
Why should I be like a veiled ( O ) woman
beside the flocks of your friends?

Friends

8 If you do not know, most beautiful of women, ( P )
follow the tracks of the sheep
and graze your young goats
by the tents of the shepherds.

He

9 I liken you, my darling, to a mare
among Pharaoh’s chariot horses. ( Q )
10 Your cheeks ( R ) are beautiful with earrings,
your neck with strings of jewels. ( S )
11 We will make you earrings of gold,
studded with silver.

She

12 While the king was at his table,
my perfume spread its fragrance. ( T )
13 My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh ( U )
resting between my breasts.
14 My beloved ( V ) is to me a cluster of henna ( W ) blossoms
from the vineyards of En Gedi. ( X )

He

15 How beautiful ( Y ) you are, my darling!
Oh, how beautiful!
Your eyes are doves. ( Z )

She

16 How handsome you are, my beloved! ( AA )
Oh, how charming!
And our bed is verdant.

He

17 The beams of our house are cedars; ( AB )
our rafters are firs.

Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 1:2 The main male and female speakers (identified primarily on the basis of the gender of the relevant Hebrew forms) are indicated by the captions He and She respectively. The words of others are marked Friends . In some instances the divisions and their captions are debatable.
  2. Song of Songs 1:4 The Hebrew is masculine singular.
  3. Song of Songs 1:5 Or Salma