| Christian Standard Bible | New International 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 have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice. I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey; I have drunk my wine and my milk. Friends Eat, friends, and drink; drink your fill of 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 slept but my heart was awake. Listen! My beloved is knocking: "Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my flawless one. 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? | 3I have taken off my robe-- must I put it on again? I have washed my feet-- must I soil them again? |
| 4My love thrust his hand through the opening, and my feelings were stirred for him. | 4My beloved thrust his hand through the latch-opening; my heart began to pound for him. |
| 5I rose to open for my love. My hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with flowing myrrh on the handles of the bolt. | 5I arose to open for my beloved, and my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with flowing myrrh, on the handles of the bolt. |
| 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 for my beloved, but my beloved had left; he was gone. My heart sank at his departure. I looked for him but did not find him. I called him but he did not 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 found me as they made their rounds in the city. They beat me, they bruised me; they took away my cloak, those watchmen of the walls! |
| 8Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you, if you find my love, tell him that I am lovesick. | 8Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you-- if you find my beloved, what will you tell him? Tell him I am faint 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? | 9How is your beloved better than others, most beautiful of women? How is your beloved better than others, that you so charge us? |
| 10My love is fit and strong, notable among ten thousand. | 10My beloved is radiant and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand. |
| 11His head is purest gold. His hair is wavy and black as a raven. | 11His head is purest gold; his hair is wavy and black as a raven. |
| 12His eyes are like doves beside flowing streams, washed in milk and set like jewels. | 12His eyes are like doves by the water streams, washed 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 spice yielding perfume. His lips are like lilies dripping with myrrh. |
| 14His arms are rods of gold set with beryl. His body is an ivory panel covered with lapis lazuli. | 14His arms are rods of gold set with topaz. His body is like polished ivory decorated with lapis lazuli. |
| 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 as 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 itself; he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, this is my friend, daughters of Jerusalem. |
| The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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