Song of Solomon 1
1 The Song of songs, which is Solomon’s.
2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.
Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth: for thy breasts are better than wine,
3 Thine ointments have a goodly fragrance; thy name is [as] ointment poured forth; therefore do the virgins love thee.
Smelling sweet of the best ointments. Thy name is as oil poured out: therefore young maidens have loved thee.
4 Draw me; we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will make mention of thy love more than of wine: rightly do they love thee.
Draw me: we will run after thee to the odour of thy ointments. The king hath brought me into his storerooms: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, remembering thy breasts more than wine: the righteous love thee.
5 I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
I am black but beautiful, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Cedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
6 Look not upon me, because I am swarthy, because the sun hath scorched me. My mother’s sons were incensed against me, they made me keeper of the vineyards; [but] mine own vineyard have I not kept.
Do not consider me that I am brown, because the sun hath altered my colour: the sons of my mother have fought against me, they have made me the keeper in the vineyards: my vineyard I have not kept.
7 Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest [thy flock], where thou makest [it] to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that is veiled beside the flocks of thy companions?
Shew me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou liest in the midday, lest I begin to wander after the flocks of thy companions.
8 If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds’ tents.
If thou know not thyself, O fairest among women, go forth, and follow after the steps of the flocks, and feed thy kids beside the tents of the shepherds.
9 I have compared thee, O my love, to a steed in Pharaoh’s chariots.
To my company of horsemen, in Pharao’s chariots, have I likened thee, O my love.
10 Thy cheeks are comely with plaits [of hair], thy neck with strings of jewels
Thy cheeks are beautiful as the turtledove’s, thy neck as jewels.
11 We will make thee plaits of gold with studs of silver.
We will make thee chains of gold, inlaid with silver.
12 While the king sat at his table, my spikenard sent forth its fragrance.
While the king was at his repose, my spikenard sent forth the odour thereof.
13 My beloved is unto me [as] a bundle of myrrh, that lieth betwixt my breasts.
A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me, he shall abide between my breasts.
14 My beloved is unto me [as] a cluster of henna-flowers in the vineyards of En-gedi.
A cluster of cypress my love is to me, in the vineyards of Engaddi.
15 Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thine eyes are [as] doves.
Behold thou art fair, O my love, behold thou art fair, thy eyes are as those of doves.
16 Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our couch is green.
Behold thou art fair, my beloved, and comely. Our bed is flourishing.
17 The beams of our house are cedars, [and] our rafters are firs.
The beams of our houses are of cedar, our rafters of cypress trees.
