Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
1I have come to my garden--my sister, my bride. I gather my myrrh with my spices. I eat my honeycomb with my honey. I drink my wine with my milk. Narrator Eat, friends! Drink, be intoxicated with caresses! | 1I've come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I've gathered my myrrh with my spices. I've eaten my honeycomb with my honey. I've drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, friends! Drink and become drunk with love. |
2I was sleeping, but my heart was awake. A sound! My love was knocking! Man Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my perfect one. For my head is drenched with dew, my hair with droplets of the night. | 2I was asleep, but my heart was awake. There's a sound! My beloved is knocking. "Open up for me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my perfect one. For my head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night." |
3I have taken off my clothing. How can I put it back on? I have washed my feet. How can I get them dirty? | 3"I've taken off my clothes — am I supposed to put them on again? I've washed my feet— am I supposed to get them dirty again?" |
4My love thrust his hand through the opening, and my feelings were stirred for him. | 4My beloved reached out his hand for the latch. My feelings for him were aroused. |
5I rose to open for my love. My hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with flowing myrrh on the handles of the bolt. | 5I got up to open the door, and my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh, on the handle of the lock. |
6I opened to my love, but my love had turned and gone away. My heart sank because he had left. I sought him, but did not find him. I called him, but he did not answer. | 6I opened the door for my beloved, but my beloved had turned away; he was gone! My very life went out when he departed. I searched for him, but couldn't find him. I called out to him, but he didn't answer. |
7The guards who go about the city found me. They beat and wounded me; they took my cloak from me--the guardians of the walls. | 7The watchmen making their rounds through the city found me. They beat me, they bruised me. Those guarding the walls took my cloak from me. |
8Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you, if you find my love, tell him that I am lovesick. | 8I charge you, young women of Jerusalem, "If you find my beloved, what are you to tell him? Tell him that I'm weak with love." |
9What makes the one you love better than another, most beautiful of women? What makes him better than another, that you would give us this charge? | 9What is so special about your beloved, most beautiful of women? What is so special about your beloved, that you charge us like this? |
10My love is fit and strong, notable among ten thousand. | 10My beloved is dazzling, with a dark and healthy complexion, outstanding among ten thousand. |
11His head is purest gold. His hair is wavy and black as a raven. | 11His head is pure gold, his hair is wavy, black like a raven. |
12His eyes are like doves beside flowing streams, washed in milk and set like jewels. | 12His eyes are like doves by streams of water, bathed in milk, mounted like jewels. |
13His cheeks are like beds of spice, mounds of perfume. His lips are lilies, dripping with flowing myrrh. | 13His cheeks are like beds of spices, like towers of perfume. His lips are lilies, dripping with liquid myrrh. |
14His arms are rods of gold set with beryl. His body is an ivory panel covered with lapis lazuli. | 14His hands are rods of gold, set with beryl. His stomach is carved ivory, inlaid with sapphires. |
15His legs are alabaster pillars set on pedestals of pure gold. His presence is like Lebanon, as majestic as the cedars. | 15His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of pure gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, choice like its cedars. |
16His mouth is sweetness. He is absolutely desirable. This is my love, and this is my friend, young women of Jerusalem. | 16His mouth is sweetness, and all of him is desirable. This is my beloved, this is my friend, young women of Jerusalem! |
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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