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.

On my couch during the nights I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.

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.

Oh, I must rise now, and go about in the city in the streets, and in the open places; I will seek him whom my soul loveth: 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?

Then found me the watchmen that walked about the city. “Have ye seen him whom my soul loveth?”

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.

Scarcely had I passed away from them, when I found him whom my soul loveth: I laid fast hold of him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that had born 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 adjure you, ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye awaken not, nor excite my love, till it please [to come of itself].—

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 cometh up from the wilderness, like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all spicy powders of the merchant?

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

Behold, it is the bed, which is Solomon's, sixty valiant men are round about it, of the valiant ones of Israel.

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

All of them are girded with the sword, are expert in war; every one hath his sword upon his thigh, because of the terror in the nights.

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

A palanquin did king Solomon make for himself out of the wood of Lebanon.

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

The pillars thereof he made of silver, its coverlid of gold, its seat of purple: its inner part is arranged lovely, by 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, and look, O ye daughters of Zion, on king Solomon, with the crown wherewith his mother hath crowned him on the day of his espousals, and on the day of the joy in his heart.