| NET Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1All night long on my bed I longed for my lover. I longed for him but he never appeared. | 1 In my bed at night I sought the one I love; I sought him, but did not find him. |
| 2"I will arise and look all around throughout the town, and throughout the streets and squares; I will search for my beloved." I searched for him but I did not find him. | 2I will arise now and go about the city, through the streets and the plazas. I will seek the one I love. I sought him, but did not find him. |
| 3The night watchmen found me--the ones who guard the city walls. "Have you seen my beloved?" | 3The guards who go about the city found me. I asked them, "Have you seen the one I love?" |
| 4Scarcely had I passed them by when I found my beloved! I held onto him tightly and would not let him go until I brought him to my mother's house, to the bedroom chamber of the one who conceived me. | 4I had just passed them when I found the one I love. I held on to him and would not let him go until I brought him to my mother's house-- to the chamber of the one who conceived me. |
| 5I admonish you, O maidens of Jerusalem, by the gazelles and by the young does of the open fields: "Do not awake or arouse love until it pleases!" | 5Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and the wild does of the field: do not stir up or awaken love until the appropriate time. N |
| 6Who is this coming up from the desert like a column of smoke, like a fragrant billow of myrrh and frankincense, every kind of fragrant powder of the traveling merchants? | 6What is this coming up from the wilderness like columns of smoke, scented with myrrh and frankincense from every fragrant powder of the merchant? |
| 7Look! It is Solomon's portable couch! It is surrounded by sixty warriors, some of Israel's mightiest warriors. | 7It is Solomon's royal litter surrounded by 60 warriors from the mighty of Israel. |
| 8All of them are skilled with a sword, well-trained in the art of warfare. Each has his sword at his side, to guard against the terrors of the night. | 8All of them are skilled with swords and trained in warfare. Each has his sword at his side to guard against the terror of the night. |
| 9King Solomon made a sedan chair for himself of wood imported from Lebanon. | 9King Solomon made a sedan chair for himself with wood from Lebanon. |
| 10Its posts were made of silver; its back was made of gold. Its seat was upholstered with purple wool; its interior was inlaid with leather by the maidens of Jerusalem. | 10He made its posts of silver, its back of gold, and its seat of purple. Its interior is inlaid with love by the young women of Jerusalem. |
| 11Come out, O maidens of Zion, and gaze upon King Solomon! He is wearing the crown with which his mother crowned him on his wedding day, on the most joyous day of his life! | 11Come out, young women of Zion, and gaze at King Solomon, wearing the crown his mother placed on him the day of his wedding-- the day of his heart's rejoicing. |
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