| New International Version | English Standard Version |
| 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. | 1I came to my garden, my sister, my bride, I gathered my myrrh with my spice, I ate my honeycomb with my honey, I drank my wine with my milk. Eat, friends, drink, and be drunk with love! |
| 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." | 2I slept, but my heart was awake. A sound! My beloved is knocking. “Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one, for my head is wet with dew, my locks with the drops of the night.” |
| 3I have taken off my robe-- must I put it on again? I have washed my feet-- must I soil them again? | 3I had put off my garment; how could I put it on? I had bathed my feet; how could I soil them? |
| 4My beloved thrust his hand through the latch-opening; my heart began to pound for him. | 4My beloved put his hand to the latch, and my heart was thrilled within me. |
| 5I arose to open for my beloved, and my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with flowing myrrh, on the handles of the bolt. | 5I arose to open to my beloved, and my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh, on the handles of the bolt. |
| 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. | 6I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had turned and gone. My soul failed me when he spoke. I sought him, but found him not; I called him, but he gave no answer. |
| 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! | 7The watchmen found me as they went about in the city; they beat me, they bruised me, they took away my veil, those watchmen of the walls. |
| 8Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you-- if you find my beloved, what will you tell him? Tell him I am faint with love. | 8I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him I am sick with love. |
| 9How is your beloved better than others, most beautiful of women? How is your beloved better than others, that you so charge us? | 9What is your beloved more than another beloved, O most beautiful among women? What is your beloved more than another beloved, that you thus adjure us? |
| 10My beloved is radiant and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand. | 10My beloved is radiant and ruddy, distinguished among ten thousand. |
| 11His head is purest gold; his hair is wavy and black as a raven. | 11His head is the finest gold; his locks are wavy, black as a raven. |
| 12His eyes are like doves by the water streams, washed in milk, mounted like jewels. | 12His eyes are like doves beside streams of water, bathed in milk, sitting beside a full pool. |
| 13His cheeks are like beds of spice yielding perfume. His lips are like lilies dripping with myrrh. | 13His cheeks are like beds of spices, mounds of sweet-smelling herbs. His lips are lilies, dripping liquid myrrh. |
| 14His arms are rods of gold set with topaz. His body is like polished ivory decorated with lapis lazuli. | 14His arms are rods of gold, set with jewels. His body is polished ivory, bedecked with sapphires. |
| 15His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of pure gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, choice as its cedars. | 15His legs are alabaster columns, set on bases of gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, choice as the cedars. |
| 16His mouth is sweetness itself; he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, this is my friend, daughters of Jerusalem. | 16His mouth is most sweet, and he is altogether desirable. This is my beloved and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. |
| 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. | 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. |
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