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Song of Songs 1

A love song, the finest of them all. She longs for him; the daughters of Jerusalem look on; the two lovers begin to speak.

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She

Solomon's Song of Songs. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth — for your love is more delightful than wine. Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes; your name is like perfume poured out. No wonder the young women love you. Take me away with you — let us hurry. Let the king bring me into his chambers. We rejoice and delight in you; we will praise your love more than wine. How right they are to adore you.

1

Solomon's Song of Songs.

King James Version, 1611

The song of songs, which is Solomon’s.

2

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth —
for your love is more delightful than wine.

King James Version, 1611

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

3

Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes;
your name is like perfume poured out.
No wonder the young women love you.

King James Version, 1611

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

4

Take me away with you — let us hurry.
Let the king bring me into his chambers.
We rejoice and delight in you;
we will praise your love more than wine.
How right they are to adore you.

King James Version, 1611

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.

She, to the daughters of Jerusalem

Dark am I, yet lovely, daughters of Jerusalem, dark like the tents of Kedar, like the tent curtains of Solomon. 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; my own vineyard I had to neglect. Tell me, you whom I love, where you graze your flock and where you rest your sheep at midday. Why should I be like a veiled woman beside the flocks of your friends?

5

Dark am I, yet lovely,
daughters of Jerusalem,
dark like the tents of Kedar,
like the tent curtains of Solomon.

King James Version, 1611

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

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;
my own vineyard I had to neglect.

King James Version, 1611

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, you whom I love, where you graze your flock
and where you rest your sheep at midday.
Why should I be like a veiled woman
beside the flocks of your friends?

King James Version, 1611

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?

He

If you do not know, most beautiful of women, follow the tracks of the sheep and graze your young goats by the tents of the shepherds. I liken you, my darling, to a mare among Pharaoh's chariot horses. Your cheeks are beautiful with earrings, your neck with strings of jewels. We will make you earrings of gold, studded with silver.

8

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

King James Version, 1611

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 liken you, my darling, to a mare
among Pharaoh's chariot horses.

King James Version, 1611

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

10

Your cheeks are beautiful with earrings,
your neck with strings of jewels.

King James Version, 1611

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

11

We will make you earrings of gold,
studded with silver.

King James Version, 1611

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

She and He

While the king was at his table, my perfume spread its fragrance. My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh resting between my breasts. My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms from the vineyards of En Gedi. How beautiful you are, my darling. Oh, how beautiful. Your eyes are doves. How handsome you are, my beloved. Oh, how charming. And our bed is verdant. The beams of our house are cedars; our rafters are firs.

12

While the king was at his table,
my perfume spread its fragrance.

King James Version, 1611

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

13

My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh
resting between my breasts.

King James Version, 1611

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

14

My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms
from the vineyards of En Gedi.

King James Version, 1611

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

15

How beautiful you are, my darling.
Oh, how beautiful.
Your eyes are doves.

King James Version, 1611

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

16

How handsome you are, my beloved.
Oh, how charming.
And our bed is verdant.

King James Version, 1611

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

17

The beams of our house are cedars;
our rafters are firs.

King James Version, 1611

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