| King James Bible | NET Bible |
| 1I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved. | 1I have gathered my myrrh with my balsam spice. I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey; I have drunk my wine and my milk! The Poet to the Couple: Eat, friends, and drink! Drink freely, O lovers! |
| 2I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. | 2I was asleep, but my mind was dreaming. Listen! My lover is knocking at the door! The Lover to His Beloved: "Open for 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 put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? | 3"I have already taken off my robe--must I put it on again? I have already washed my feet--must I soil them again?" |
| 4My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. | 4My lover thrust his hand through the hole, and my feelings were stirred for him. |
| 5I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. | 5I arose to open for my beloved; my hands dripped with myrrh--my fingers flowed with myrrh on the handles of the lock. |
| 6I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. | 6I opened for my beloved, but my lover had already turned and gone away. I fell into despair when he departed. I looked for him but did not find him; I called him but he did not answer me. |
| 7The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me. | 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 on the walls! |
| 8I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love. | 8O maidens of Jerusalem, I command you--If you find my beloved, what will you tell him? Tell him that I am lovesick! |
| 9What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us? | 9Why is your beloved better than others, O most beautiful of women? Why is your beloved better than others, that you would command us in this manner? |
| 10My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. | 10My beloved is dazzling and ruddy; he stands out in comparison to all other men. |
| 11His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven. | 11His head is like the most pure gold. His hair is curly--black like a raven. |
| 12His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set. | 12His eyes are like doves by streams of water, washed in milk, mounted like jewels. |
| 13His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh. | 13His cheeks are like garden beds full of balsam trees yielding perfume. His lips are like lilies dripping with drops of myrrh. |
| 14His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires. | 14His arms are like rods of gold set with chrysolite. His abdomen is like polished ivory inlaid with sapphires. |
| 15His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. | 15His legs are like pillars of marble set on bases of pure gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, choice as its cedars. |
| 16His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. | 16His mouth is very sweet; he is totally desirable. This is my beloved! This is my companion, O maidens of Jerusalem! |
|
