SOLOMON
Song of Songs

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 -
6 - 7 - 8

TOC
Maps

The Song of Songs, which is Solomon's. 2 Let him
kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine, 3 your
anointing oils are fragrant, your name is perfume poured out; therefore the
maidens love you. 4 Draw me after you, let us make haste. The king has brought
me into his chambers. We will exult and rejoice in you; we will extol your love
more than wine; rightly do they love you. 5 I am black and beautiful, O
daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon. 6
Do not gaze at me because I am dark, because the sun has gazed on me. My
mother's sons were angry with me; they made me keeper of the vineyards, but my
own vineyard I have not kept! 7 Tell me, you whom my soul loves, where you
pasture your flock, where you make it lie down at noon; for why should I be like
one who is veiled beside the flocks of your companions? 8 If you do not know, O
fairest among women, follow the tracks of the flock, and pasture your kids
beside the shepherds' tents. 9 I compare you, my love, to a mare among Pharaoh's
chariots. 10 Your cheeks are comely with ornaments, your neck with strings of
jewels. 11 We will make you ornaments of gold, studded with silver. 12 While the
king was on his couch, my nard gave forth its fragrance. 13 My beloved is to me
a bag of myrrh that lies between my breasts. 14 My beloved is to me a cluster of
henna blossoms in the vineyards of En-gedi. 15 Ah, you are beautiful, my love;
ah, you are beautiful; your eyes are doves. 16 Ah, you are beautiful, my
beloved, truly lovely. Our couch is green; 17 the beams of our house are cedar,
our rafters are pine.
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I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys. 2 As a lily
among brambles, so is my love among maidens. 3 As an apple tree among the trees
of the wood, so is my beloved among young men. With great delight I sat in his
shadow, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. 4 He brought me to the banqueting
house, and his intention toward me was love. 5 Sustain me with raisins, refresh
me with apples; for I am faint with love. 6 O that his left hand were under my
head, and that his right hand embraced me! 7 I adjure you, O daughters of
Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the wild does: do not stir up or awaken love until
it is ready! 8 The voice of my beloved! Look, he comes, leaping upon the
mountains, bounding over the hills. 9 My beloved is like a gazelle or a young
stag. Look, there he stands behind our wall, gazing in at the windows, looking
through the lattice. 10 My beloved speaks and says to me: "Arise, my love, my
fair one, and come away; 11 for now the winter is past, the rain is over and
gone. 12 The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the
voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. 13 The fig tree puts forth its
figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love,
my fair one, and come away. 14 O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the
covert of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your
voice is sweet, and your face is lovely. 15 Catch us the foxes, the little
foxes, that ruin the vineyards-- for our vineyards are in blossom." 16 My
beloved is mine and I am his; he pastures his flock among the lilies. 17 Until
the day breathes and the shadows flee, turn, my beloved, be like a gazelle or a
young stag on the cleft mountains.
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Upon my bed at night I sought him whom my soul loves; I
sought him, but found him not; I called him, but he gave no answer. 2 "I will
rise now and go about the city, in the streets and in the squares; I will seek
him whom my soul loves." I sought him, but found him not. 3 The sentinels found
me, as they went about in the city. "Have you seen him whom my soul loves?" 4
Scarcely had I passed them, when I found him whom my soul loves. I held him, and
would not let him go until I brought him into my mother's house, and into the
chamber of her that conceived me. 5 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by
the gazelles or the wild does: do not stir up or awaken love until it is ready!
6 What is that coming up from the wilderness, like a column of smoke, perfumed
with myrrh and frankincense, with all the fragrant powders of the merchant? 7
Look, it is the litter of Solomon! Around it are sixty mighty men of the mighty
men of Israel, 8 all equipped with swords and expert in war, each with his sword
at his thigh because of alarms by night. 9 King Solomon made himself a palanquin
from the wood of Lebanon. 10 He made its posts of silver, its back of gold, its
seat of purple; its interior was inlaid with love. Daughters of Jerusalem, 11
come out. Look, O daughters of Zion, at King Solomon, at the crown with which
his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, on the day of the gladness of
his heart.
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How beautiful you are, my love, how very beautiful! Your
eyes are doves behind your veil. Your hair is like a flock of goats, moving down
the slopes of Gilead. 2 Your teeth are like a flock of shorn ewes that have come
up from the washing, all of which bear twins, and not one among them is
bereaved. 3 Your lips are like a crimson thread, and your mouth is lovely. Your
cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate behind your veil. 4 Your neck is like
the tower of David, built in courses; on it hang a thousand bucklers, all of
them shields of warriors. 5 Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a
gazelle, that feed among the lilies. 6 Until the day breathes and the shadows
flee, I will hasten to the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense. 7 You
are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you. 8 Come with me from
Lebanon, my bride; come with me from Lebanon. Depart from the peak of Amana,
from the peak of Senir and Hermon, from the dens of lions, from the mountains of
leopards. 9 You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride, you have ravished
my heart with a glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. 10 How
sweet is your love, my sister, my bride! how much better is your love than wine,
and the fragrance of your oils than any spice! 11 Your lips distill nectar, my
bride; honey and milk are under your tongue; the scent of your garments is like
the scent of Lebanon. 12 A garden locked is my sister, my bride, a garden
locked, a fountain sealed. 13 Your channel is an orchard of pomegranates with
all choicest fruits, henna with nard, 14 nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon,
with all trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes, with all chief spices-- 15 a
garden fountain, a well of living water, and flowing streams from Lebanon. 16
Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind! Blow upon my garden that its
fragrance may be wafted abroad. Let my beloved come to his garden, and eat its
choicest fruits.
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I come to my garden, my sister, my bride; I gather my myrrh
with my spice, I eat my honeycomb with my honey, I drink my wine with my milk.
Eat, friends, drink, and be drunk with love. 2 I slept, but my heart was awake.
Listen! my beloved is knocking. "Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my
perfect one; for my head is wet with dew, my locks with the drops of the night."
3 I had put off my garment; how could I put it on again? I had bathed my feet;
how could I soil them? 4 My beloved thrust his hand into the opening, and my
inmost being yearned for him. 5 I arose to open to my beloved, and my hands
dripped with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh, upon the handles of the bolt.
6 I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had turned and was gone. My soul failed
me when he spoke. I sought him, but did not find him; I called him, but he gave
no answer. 7 Making their rounds in the city the sentinels found me; they beat
me, they wounded me, they took away my mantle, those sentinels of the walls. 8 I
adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, tell him this: I
am faint with love. 9 What is your beloved more than another beloved, O fairest
among women? What is your beloved more than another beloved, that you thus
adjure us? 10 My beloved is all radiant and ruddy, distinguished among ten
thousand. 11 His head is the finest gold; his locks are wavy, black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves beside springs of water, bathed in milk, fitly set.
13 His cheeks are like beds of spices, yielding fragrance. His lips are lilies,
distilling liquid myrrh. 14 His arms are rounded gold, set with jewels. His body
is ivory work, encrusted with sapphires. 15 His legs are alabaster columns, set
upon bases of gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, choice as the cedars. 16 His
speech is most sweet, and he is altogether desirable. This is my beloved and
this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
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Where has your beloved gone, O fairest among women? Which
way has your beloved turned, that we may seek him with you? 2 My beloved has
gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to pasture his flock in the
gardens, and to gather lilies. 3 I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine; he
pastures his flock among the lilies. 4 You are beautiful as Tirzah, my love,
comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners. 5 Turn away your eyes
from me, for they overwhelm me! Your hair is like a flock of goats, moving down
the slopes of Gilead. 6 Your teeth are like a flock of ewes, that have come up
from the washing; all of them bear twins, and not one among them is bereaved. 7
Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate behind your veil. 8 There are sixty
queens and eighty concubines, and maidens without number. 9 My dove, my perfect
one, is the only one, the darling of her mother, flawless to her that bore her.
The maidens saw her and called her happy; the queens and concubines also, and
they praised her. 10 "Who is this that looks forth like the dawn, fair as the
moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army with banners?" 11 I went down to
the nut orchard, to look at the blossoms of the valley, to see whether the vines
had budded, whether the pomegranates were in bloom. 12 Before I was aware, my
fancy set me in a chariot beside my prince. 13 Return, return, O Shulammite!
Return, return, that we may look upon you. Why should you look upon the
Shulammite, as upon a dance before two armies?
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How graceful are your feet in sandals, O queenly maiden!
Your rounded thighs are like jewels, the work of a master hand. 2 Your navel is
a rounded bowl that never lacks mixed wine. Your belly is a heap of wheat,
encircled with lilies. 3 Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a
gazelle. 4 Your neck is like an ivory tower. Your eyes are pools in Heshbon, by
the gate of Bath-rabbim. Your nose is like a tower of Lebanon, overlooking
Damascus. 5 Your head crowns you like Carmel, and your flowing locks are like
purple; a king is held captive in the tresses. 6 How fair and pleasant you are,
O loved one, delectable maiden! 7 You are stately as a palm tree, and your
breasts are like its clusters. 8 I say I will climb the palm tree and lay hold
of its branches. Oh, may your breasts be like clusters of the vine, and the
scent of your breath like apples, 9 and your kisses like the best wine that goes
down smoothly, gliding over lips and teeth. 10 I am my beloved's, and his desire
is for me. 11 Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the fields, and lodge in
the villages; 12 let us go out early to the vineyards, and see whether the vines
have budded, whether the grape blossoms have opened and the pomegranates are in
bloom. There I will give you my love. 13 The mandrakes give forth fragrance, and
over our doors are all choice fruits, new as well as old, which I have laid up
for you, O my beloved.
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O that you were like a brother to me, who nursed at my
mother's breast! If I met you outside, I would kiss you, and no one would
despise me. 2 I would lead you and bring you into the house of my mother, and
into the chamber of the one who bore me. I would give you spiced wine to drink,
the juice of my pomegranates. 3 O that his left hand were under my head, and
that his right hand embraced me! 4 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, do
not stir up or awaken love until it is ready! 5 Who is that coming up from the
wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? Under the apple tree I awakened you. There
your mother was in labor with you; there she who bore you was in labor. 6 Set me
as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death,
passion fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame. 7
Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If one offered for
love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly scorned. 8 We have a
little sister, and she has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister, on the
day when she is spoken for? 9 If she is a wall, we will build upon her a
battlement of silver; but if she is a door, we will enclose her with boards of
cedar. 10 I was a wall, and my breasts were like towers; then I was in his eyes
as one who brings peace. 11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; he entrusted
the vineyard to keepers; each one was to bring for its fruit a thousand pieces
of silver. 12 My vineyard, my very own, is for myself; you, O Solomon, may have
the thousand, and the keepers of the fruit two hundred! 13 O you who dwell in
the gardens, my companions are listening for your voice; let me hear it. 14 Make
haste, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag upon the mountains of
spices!
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