| English Standard Version | New Living Translation |
| 1I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys. | 1I am the spring crocus blooming on the Sharon Plain, the lily of the valley. Young Man |
| 2As a lily among brambles, so is my love among the young women. | 2Like a lily among thistles is my darling among young women. Young Woman |
| 3As an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men. With great delight I sat in his shadow, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. | 3Like the finest apple tree in the orchard is my lover among other young men. I sit in his delightful shade and taste his delicious fruit. |
| 4He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. | 4He escorts me to the banquet hall; it’s obvious how much he loves me. |
| 5Sustain me with raisins; refresh me with apples, for I am sick with love. | 5Strengthen me with raisin cakes, refresh me with apples, for I am weak with love. |
| 6His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me! | 6His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me. |
| 7I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the does of the field, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases. | 7Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, by the gazelles and wild deer, not to awaken love until the time is right. |
| 8The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes, leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills. | 8Ah, I hear my lover coming! He is leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills. |
| 9My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, there he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, looking through the lattice. | 9My lover is like a swift gazelle or a young stag. Look, there he is behind the wall, looking through the window, peering into the room. |
| 10My beloved speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away, | 10My lover said to me, “Rise up, my darling! Come away with me, my fair one! |
| 11for behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. | 11Look, the winter is past, and the rains are over and gone. |
| 12The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. | 12The flowers are springing up, the season of singing birds has come, and the cooing of turtledoves fills the air. |
| 13The fig tree ripens its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away. | 13The fig trees are forming young fruit, and the fragrant grapevines are blossoming. Rise up, my darling! Come away with me, my fair one!” Young Man |
| 14O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the crannies of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely. | 14My dove is hiding behind the rocks, behind an outcrop on the cliff. Let me see your face; let me hear your voice. For your voice is pleasant, and your face is lovely. Young Women of Jerusalem |
| 15Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.” | 15Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin the vineyard of love, for the grapevines are blossoming! Young Woman |
| 16My beloved is mine, and I am his; he grazes among the lilies. | 16My lover is mine, and I am his. He browses among the lilies. |
| 17Until the day breathes and the shadows flee, turn, my beloved, be like a gazelle or a young stag on cleft mountains. | 17Before the dawn breezes blow and the night shadows flee, return to me, my love, like a gazelle or a young stag on the rugged mountains. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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