The Bride Confesses Her Love

(Ephesians 5:22-33; 1 Peter 3:1-7)

1Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth: for thy breasts are better than wine,

2Smelling sweet of the best ointments. Thy name is as oil poured out: therefore young maidens have loved thee.

3Draw me: we will run after thee to the odour of thy ointments. The king hath brought me into his storerooms: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, remembering thy breasts more than wine: the rightous love thee.

The Friends

4I am black but beautiful, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Cedar, as the curtains of Solomon.

The Bride

5Do not consider me that I am brown, because the sun hath altered my colour: the sons of my mother have fought against me, they have made me the keeper in the vineyards: my vineyard I have not kept.

6Shew me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou liest in the midday, lest I begin to wander after the flocks of thy companions.

7If thou know not thyself, O fairest among women, go forth, and follow after the steps of the flocks, and feed thy kids beside the tents of the shepherds.

Solomon Speaks

8To my company of horsemen, in Pharao's chariots, have I likened thee, O my love.

9Thy cheeks are beautiful as the turtledove's, thy neck as jewels.

10We will make thee chains of gold, inlaid with silver.

The Friends

11While the king was at his repose, my spikenard sent forth the odour thereof.

The Bride

12A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me, he shall abide between my breasts.

13A cluster of cypress my love is to me, in the vineyards of Engaddi.

14Behold thou are fair, O my love, behold thou are fair, thy eyes are as those of doves.

Solomon

15Behold thou art fair, my beloved, and comely. Our bed is flourishing.

The Bride

16The beams of our houses are of cedar, our rafters of cypress trees.

Solomon

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