NET Bible | New Living Translation |
1Where has your beloved gone, O most beautiful among women? Where has your beloved turned? Tell us, that we may seek him with you. | 1Where has your lover gone, O woman of rare beauty? Which way did he turn so we can help you find him? Young Woman |
2My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the flowerbeds of balsam spices, to graze in the gardens, and to gather lilies. | 2My lover has gone down to his garden, to his spice beds, to browse in the gardens and gather the lilies. |
3I am my lover's and my lover is mine; he grazes among the lilies. | 3I am my lover’s, and my lover is mine. He browses among the lilies. Young Man |
4My darling, you are as beautiful as Tirzah, as lovely as Jerusalem, as awe-inspiring as bannered armies! | 4You are beautiful, my darling, like the lovely city of Tirzah. Yes, as beautiful as Jerusalem, as majestic as an army with billowing banners. |
5Turn your eyes away from me--they overwhelm me! Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from Mount Gilead. | 5Turn your eyes away, for they overpower me. Your hair falls in waves, like a flock of goats winding down the slopes of Gilead. |
6Your teeth are like a flock of sheep coming up from the washing; each has its twin; not one of them is missing. | 6Your teeth are as white as sheep that are freshly washed. Your smile is flawless, each tooth matched with its twin. |
7Like a slice of pomegranate is your forehead behind your veil. | 7Your cheeks are like rosy pomegranates behind your veil. |
8There may be sixty queens, and eighty concubines, and young women without number. | 8Even among sixty queens and eighty concubines and countless young women, |
9But she is unique! My dove, my perfect one! She is the special daughter of her mother, she is the favorite of the one who bore her. The maidens saw her and complimented her; the queens and concubines praised her: | 9I would still choose my dove, my perfect one— the favorite of her mother, dearly loved by the one who bore her. The young women see her and praise her; even queens and royal concubines sing her praises: |
10"Who is this who appears like the dawn? Beautiful as the moon, bright as the sun, awe-inspiring as the stars in procession?" | 10“Who is this, arising like the dawn, as fair as the moon, as bright as the sun, as majestic as an army with billowing banners?” Young Woman |
11I went down to the orchard of walnut trees, to look for the blossoms of the valley, to see if the vines had budded or if the pomegranates were in bloom. | 11I went down to the grove of walnut trees and out to the valley to see the new spring growth, to see whether the grapevines had budded or the pomegranates were in bloom. |
12I was beside myself with joy! There please give me your myrrh, O daughter of my princely people. | 12Before I realized it, my strong desires had taken me to the chariot of a noble man. Young Women of Jerusalem |
13Turn, turn, O Perfect One! Turn, turn, that I may stare at you! The Beloved to Her Lover: Why do you gaze upon the Perfect One like the dance of the Mahanaim? | 13 Return, return to us, O maid of Shulam. Come back, come back, that we may see you again. Young Man Why do you stare at this young woman of Shulam, as she moves so gracefully between two lines of dancers? |
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