Song of Songs 1:1-17, Song of Songs 2:1-17, Song of Songs 3:1-11, Song of Songs 4:1-16 NIRV
Song of Songs 1:1-17
This is the greatest song Solomon ever wrote.
A Shulammite woman says to King Solomon
“I long for your lips to kiss me!
Your love makes me happier than wine does.
The lotion you have on pleases me.
Your name is like perfume that is poured out.
No wonder the young women love you!
Take me away with you. Let us hurry!
King Solomon, bring me into your palace.”
The other women say
“King Solomon, you fill us with joy. You make us happy.
We praise your love more than we praise wine.”
The woman says to the king
“It is right for them to love you!
“Women of Jerusalem,
my skin is dark but lovely.
It is dark like the tents in Kedar.
It’s like the curtains of Solomon’s tent.
Don’t stare at me because I’m dark.
The sun has made my skin look like this.
My brothers were angry with me.
They made me take care of the vineyards.
I haven’t even taken care of my own vineyard.
“King Solomon, I love you.
So tell me where you take care of your flock.
Tell me where you rest your sheep at noon.
Why should I have to act like a prostitute
near the flocks of your friends?”
The other women say
“You are the most beautiful woman of all.
Don’t you know where to find the king?
Follow the tracks the sheep make.
Take care of your young goats
near the tents of the shepherds.”
King Solomon says to the Shulammite woman
“You are my love.
You are like a mare among Pharaoh’s chariot horses.
Your earrings make your cheeks even more beautiful.
Your strings of jewels make your neck even more lovely.
We will make gold earrings for you.
We’ll decorate them with silver.”
The woman says
“The king was at his table.
My perfume gave off a sweet smell.
The one who loves me is like a small bag of myrrh
resting between my breasts.
He is like henna flowers
from the vineyards of En Gedi.”
The king says
“You are so beautiful, my love!
So beautiful!
Your eyes are like doves.”
The woman says
“You are so handsome, my love!
So charming!
The green field is our bed.”
The king says
“Cedar trees above us are the beams of our house.
Fir trees overhead are its rafters.”
Song of Songs 2:1-17
The woman says
“I am like a rose on the coast of Sharon.
I’m like a lily in the valleys.”
The king says
“My love, among the young women
you are like a lily among thorns.”
The woman says
“My love, among the young men
you are like an apple tree among the trees of the forest.
I’m happy to sit in your shade.
Your fruit tastes so sweet to me.
Lead me to the dinner hall.
Let your banner of love be lifted high above me.
Give me some raisins to make me strong.
Give me some apples to make me feel like new again.
Our love has made me weak.
Your left arm is under my head.
Your right arm is around me.
Women of Jerusalem, make me a promise.
Let the antelopes and the does serve as witnesses.
Don’t stir up love.
Don’t wake it up until it’s ready.
“Listen! I hear my love!
Look! Here he comes!
He’s leaping across the mountains.
He’s coming over the hills.
The one who loves me is like an antelope or a young deer.
Look! There he stands behind our wall.
He’s gazing through the window.
He’s peering through the screen.
He said to me, ‘Rise up, my love.
Come with me, my beautiful one.
Look! The winter is past.
The rains are over and gone.
Flowers are appearing on the earth.
The season for singing has come.
The cooing of doves
is heard in our land.
The fig trees are producing their early fruit.
The flowers on the vines are giving off their sweet smell.
Rise up and come, my love.
Come with me, my beautiful one.’ ”
The king says
“You are like a dove in an opening in the rocks.
You are like a dove in a hiding place on a mountainside.
Show me your face.
Let me hear your voice.
Your voice is so sweet.
Your face is so lovely.
Catch the foxes for us.
Catch the little foxes.
They destroy our vineyards.
The vineyards are in bloom.”
The woman says
“My love belongs to me, and I belong to him.
Like an antelope, he eats among the lilies.
Until the day begins
and the shadows fade away,
turn to me, my love.
Be like an antelope
or like a young deer
on the rocky hills.
Song of Songs 3:1-11
“All night long on my bed
I searched for the one my heart loves.
I looked for him but didn’t find him.
I will get up and go around in the city.
I’ll look through all of its streets.
I’ll search for the one my heart loves.
So I looked for him but didn’t find him.
Those on guard duty found me
as they were walking around in the city.
‘Have you seen the one my heart loves?’ I asked.
As soon as I had passed by them
I found the one my heart loves.
I threw my arms around him and didn’t let him go
until I had brought him to my mother’s house.
I took him to my mother’s room.
Women of Jerusalem, make me a promise.
Let the antelopes and the does serve as witnesses.
Don’t stir up love.
Don’t wake it up until it’s ready.
“Who is this man coming up from the desert
like a column of smoke?
He smells like myrrh and incense
made from all the spices of the trader.
Look! There’s Solomon’s movable throne.
Sixty soldiers accompany it.
They have been chosen from the best warriors in Israel.
All of them are wearing swords.
They have fought many battles.
Each one has his sword at his side.
Each is prepared for the terrors of the night.
King Solomon made the movable throne for himself.
He made it out of wood from Lebanon.
He formed its posts out of silver.
He made its base out of gold.
Its seat was covered with purple cloth.
It was decorated inside with love.
Women of Jerusalem, come out.
“Look, you women of Zion.
Look at King Solomon wearing his crown.
His mother placed it on him.
She did it on his wedding day.
His heart was full of joy.”
Song of Songs 4:1-16
The king says to the Shulammite woman
“You are so beautiful, my love!
So beautiful!
Your eyes behind your veil are like doves.
Your hair flows like a flock of black goats
coming down from the hills of Gilead.
Your teeth are as clean as a flock of sheep.
Their wool has just been clipped.
They have just come up from being washed.
Each of your teeth has its twin.
Not one of them is alone.
Your lips are like a bright red ribbon.
Your mouth is so lovely.
Your cheeks behind your veil
are like the halves of a pomegranate.
Your neck is strong and beautiful like the tower of David.
That tower is built with rows of stones.
A thousand shields are hanging on it.
All of them belong to mighty soldiers.
Your breasts are lovely.
They are like two young antelopes
that eat among the lilies.
I will go to the mountain of myrrh.
I’ll go to the hill of incense.
I’ll stay there until the day begins
and the shadows fade away.
Every part of you is so beautiful, my love.
There is no flaw in you.
“Come with me from Lebanon, my bride.
Come with me from Lebanon.
Come down from the top of Mount Amana.
Come down from the top of Senir.
Come to me from the peak of Mount Hermon.
Leave the dens where the lions live.
Leave the places in the mountains where the leopards stay.
My bride, you have stolen my heart
with one glance of your eyes.
My sister, you have stolen my heart
with one jewel in your necklace.
My bride, your love is so delightful.
My sister, your love makes me happier than wine does.
Your perfume smells better than any spice.
Your lips are as sweet as honey, my bride.
Milk and honey are under your tongue.
Your clothes smell like the cedar trees in Lebanon.
My bride, you are like a garden that is locked up.
My sister, you are like a spring of water that has a fence around it.
You are like a fountain that is sealed up.
You are like trees whose branches are loaded
with pomegranates, fine fruits, henna and nard,
with nard and saffron, cane and cinnamon.
You are like every kind of incense tree.
You have myrrh, aloes
and all the finest spices.
You are like a fountain in a garden.
You are like a well of flowing water
streaming down from Lebanon.”
The woman says
“Wake up, north wind!
Come, south wind!
Blow on my garden.
Then its sweet smell will spread everywhere.
Let my love come into his garden.
Let him taste its fine fruits.”
