Song of Solomon 3

1 By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but I did not find him.

[SHE] Upon my couch, in the night-time, sought I the beloved of my soul, —I sought him, but found him not.

2 I said, I will rise now, and go around the city. In the streets and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but I did not find him.

Come! I must arise, and go about in the city, In the paths and in the broadways, I must seek the beloved of my soul, —I sought him, but found him not.

3 The watchmen who go about the city found me. I said, Did ye see him whom my soul loves?

The watchmen that go round in the city, found me, The beloved of my soul, have ye seen?

4 It was but a little that I passed from them when I found him whom my soul loves. I held him, and would not let him go until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her who conceived me.

Scarcely had I passed from them, when I found the beloved of my soul, —I caught him, and would not let him go, until that I had brought him into the house of my mother, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.

5 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, or by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake love, until it please.

[HE] I adjure you ye, daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles, or by the hinds of the field, —That ye wake not, nor arouse, the dear love until she please.

6 Who is this who comes up from the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?

[THEY] Who is this, coming up out of the wilderness, like pillars of smoke, —with perfume of myrrh, and frankincense, besides all the aromatic powder of the merchant?

7 Behold, it is the litter of Solomon. Sixty mighty men are around it, of the mighty men of Israel.

Lo! his couch,’tis Solomon’s own, Threescore heroes, around it, —of the heroes of Israel:

8 They all handle the sword, and are expert in war. Every man has his sword upon his thigh, because of fear in the night.

All of them, grasping the sword, trained for war, —every man, with his sword upon his thigh, because of dread, in the night-time.

9 King Solomon made himself a palanquin of the wood of Lebanon.

A palanquin, King Solomon made himself, of the trees of Lebanon:

10 He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the seat thereof of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, from the daughters of Jerusalem.

The supports thereof, made he of silver, the couch thereof, of gold, the seat thereof, of purple, —the midst thereof, hath an inlay of love from the daughters of Jerusalem.

11 Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown with which his mother has crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart.

Go forth and gaze, ye daughters of Zion, upon King Solomon, —wearing the crown, wherewith his mother, crowned him, in the day of his marriage, and in the day of his heart gladness.