The king says
1“My bride, I have come into my garden.
My sister, I’ve gathered my myrrh and my spice.
I’ve eaten my honeycomb and my honey.
I’ve drunk my wine and my milk.”
The other women say to the Shulammite woman and to Solomon
“Friends, eat and drink.
Drink up all the love you want.”
The woman says
2“I slept, but my heart was awake.
Listen! The one who loves me is knocking.
He says, ‘My sister, I love you.
Open up so I can come in.
You are my dove.
You are perfect in every way.
My head is soaked with dew.
The night air has made my hair wet.’
3“But I’ve taken off my robe.
Must I put it on again?
I’ve washed my feet.
Must I get them dirty again?
4My love put his hand through the opening.
My heart began to pound for him.
5I got up to open the door for my love.
My hands dripped with myrrh.
It flowed from my fingers
onto the handles of the lock.
6I opened the door for my love.
But he had left and was gone.
My heart sank because he had left.
I looked for him but didn’t find him.
I called out to him, but he didn’t answer.
7Those on guard duty found me
as they were walking around in the city.
They beat me. They hurt me.
Those on guard duty at the walls
took my coat away from me.
8Women of Jerusalem, make me a promise.
If you find the one who loves me,
tell him our love has made me weak.”
The other women say
9“You are the most beautiful woman of all.
How is the one you love better than others?
How is he better than anyone else?
Why do you ask us to make you this promise?”
The woman says
10“The one who loves me is tanned and handsome.
He’s the finest man among 10,000.
11His head is like the purest gold.
His hair is wavy and as black as a raven.
12His eyes are like doves
by streams of water.
They look as if they’ve been washed in milk.
They are set like jewels in his head.
13His cheeks are like beds of spice
giving off perfume.
His lips are like lilies
dripping with myrrh.
14His arms are like rods of gold
set with topaz.
His body is like polished ivory
decorated with lapis lazuli.
15His legs are like pillars of marble
set on bases of pure gold.
He looks like the finest cedar tree
in the mountains of Lebanon.
16His mouth is very sweet.
Everything about him is delightful.
That’s what the one who loves me is like.
That’s what my friend is like, women of Jerusalem.”
1I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.5.1 yea…: or, and be drunken with loves
2¶ I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. 3I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? 4My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.5.4 for him: or, (as some read) in me 5I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.5.5 sweet…: Heb. passing, or, running about 6I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. 7The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me. 8I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.5.8 that ye: Heb. what, etc
9¶ What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us? 10My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.5.10 the chiefest: Heb. a standard-bearer 11His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.5.11 bushy: or, curled 12His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.5.12 fitly…: Heb. sitting in fulness, that is, fitly placed, and set as a precious stone in the foil of a ring 13His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.5.13 sweet flowers: or, towers of perfumes 14His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires. 15His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. 16His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.5.16 mouth: Heb. palate
