Song of Solomon 2:3-17

English Standard Version

³ As an apple tree among the trees of the forest,
    so is my ^(A)beloved among the young men.
With great delight I sat ^(B)in his shadow,
    and his ^(C)fruit was sweet to my taste.
⁴ He ^(D)brought me to the banqueting house,^[a]
    and his ^(E)banner over me was love.
⁵ Sustain me with ^(F)raisins;
    refresh me with apples,
    ^(G)for I am sick with love.
⁶ His ^(H)left hand is under my head,
    and his right hand ^(I)embraces me!
⁷ I ^(J)adjure you,^[b] O ^(K)daughters of Jerusalem,
    by ^(L)the gazelles or the does of the field,
that you not stir up or awaken love
    until it pleases.

⁸ The voice of my beloved!
    Behold, he comes,
leaping ^(M)over the mountains,
    bounding over the hills.
⁹ My beloved is like ^(N)a gazelle
    or a young stag.
Behold, there he stands
    behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
    looking through the lattice.
¹⁰ My beloved speaks and says to me:
^(O)“Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
    and come away,
¹¹ for behold, the winter is past;
    ^(P)the rain is over and gone.
^12 (Q)The flowers appear on the earth,
    the time of singing^[c] has come,
and the voice of ^(R)the turtledove
    is heard in our land.
^13 (S)The fig tree ripens its figs,
    and ^(T)the vines are in blossom;
    they give forth fragrance.
^(U)Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
    and come away.
¹⁴ O my ^(V)dove, in the ^(W)clefts of the rock,
    in the crannies of the cliff,
let me see your face,
    let me ^(X)hear your voice,
for your voice is sweet,
    and your face is ^(Y)lovely.
¹⁵ Catch ^(Z)the foxes^[d] for us,
    the little foxes
that spoil the vineyards,
    ^(AA)for our vineyards are in blossom.”