Song of Solomon 3

1 By night on my bed I was looking for him who is the love of my soul: I was looking for him, but I did not see him.

By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loves: I sought him, but found him not; I called him, but he listened not to me.

2 I will get up now and go about the town, in the streets and in the wide ways I will go after him who is the love of my soul: I went after him, but I did not see him.

I will rise now, and go about in the city, in the marketplaces, and in the streets, and I will seek him whom my soul loves: I sought him, but I found him not.

3 The watchmen who go about the town came by me; to them I said, Have you seen him who is my heart's desire?

The watchmen who go their rounds in the city found me. [I said], Have you seen him whom my soul loves?

4 I was but a little way from them, when I came face to face with him who is the love of my soul. I took him by the hands, and did not let him go, till I had taken him into my mother's house, and into the room of her who gave me birth.

[It was] as a little [while] after I parted from them, that I found him whom my soul loves: I held him, and did not let him go, until I brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.

5 I say to you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes of the field, let not love be moved till it is ready.

I have charged you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the powers and by the virtues of the field, that you rouse not nor awake [my] love, until he please.

6 Who is this coming out of the waste places like pillars of smoke, perfumed with sweet spices, with all the spices of the trader?

Who is this that comes up from the wilderness as pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the perfumer?

7 See, it is the bed of Solomon; sixty men of war are about it, of the army of Israel,

Behold Solomon's bed; sixty mighty men of the mighty ones of Israel are round about it.

8 All of them armed with swords, trained in war; every man has his sword at his side, because of fear in the night.

They all hold a sword, being expert in war: every man [has] his sword upon his thigh because of fear by night.

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

King Solomon made himself a litter of woods of Lebanon.

10 He made its pillars of silver, its base of gold, its seat of purple, the middle of it of ebony.

He made the pillars of it silver, the bottom of it gold, the covering of it scarlet, in the midst of it a pavement of love, for the daughters of Jerusalem.

11 Go out, O daughters of Jerusalem, and see King Solomon, with the crown which his mother put on his head on the day when he was married, and on the day of the joy of his heart.

Go forth, you daughters of Sion, and behold king Solomon, with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him, in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart.