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Groom’s Praise of His Bride

Oh my![a] You are beautiful, my beloved!
    Oh my![b] You are beautiful!
Your eyes are doves
    from behind your veil.
Your hair is like a flock of goats
    that move down from the mountains of Gilead.
Your teeth are like a flock of shorn ewes
    that came up from the washing,
all of them bearing twins,
    and there is none bereaved among them.
Your lips are like a thread of crimson,
    and your mouth is lovely.
Your temple is like pomegranate
    from behind your veil.
Your neck is like the tower of David,
    built in courses;
a thousand ornaments[c] are hung on it,
    all the shields of the warriors.
Your two breasts are like two fawns,
    twins of a gazelle that feed among the lilies.
Until the day breathes and the shadows flee,
    I will go to the mountain of the myrrh,
        to the hill of the frankincense.
You are completely beautiful, my beloved!
    You are flawless![d]

The Mountains and Fragrance of Lebanon

Come[e] with me from Lebanon, my bride!
    Come with me[f] from Lebanon!
Look from the top of Amana,
    from the top of Senir and Hermon,
from the dwelling places of the lions,
    from the mountains of leopard.
You have stolen (my) heart, my sister bride!
    You have stolen my heart with one glance from your eyes,
        with one ornament from your necklaces.
10 How beautiful is your love, my sister bride!
    How better is your love than wine,
        and the fragrance of your oils than any spice!
11 Your lips drip nectar, my bride;
    honey and milk are under your lips;
        the scent of your garments is like the scent of Lebanon.

The Locked Garden of Delights Is Unlocked

12 A garden locked is my sister bride,
    a spring enclosed,[g] a fountain sealed.
13 Your shoots[h] are an orchard of pomegranates with choice fruit,[i]
    henna with nard;
14 nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon spice with all trees of frankincense,
    myrrh and aloes with all chief spices.
15 A garden fountain, a well of living water,
    flowing (streams) from Lebanon.
16 Awake, O north wind! Come, O south wind!
    Blow upon my garden! Let its fragrances[j] waft forth![k]
Let my beloved come to his garden,
    let him eat his choice fruit!

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 4:1 Literally “Behold!” Or “Look!”
  2. Song of Solomon 4:1 Literally “Behold!” Or “Look!”
  3. Song of Solomon 4:4 Literally “shields”
  4. Song of Solomon 4:7 Literally “There is no flaw in you!”
  5. Song of Solomon 4:8 Or “You must come”
  6. Song of Solomon 4:8 Or “With me”
  7. Song of Solomon 4:12 Or “a source locked”
  8. Song of Solomon 4:13 Or “your channel”
  9. Song of Solomon 4:13 Literally “fruit of choice things”
  10. Song of Solomon 4:16 Or “perfumes”
  11. Song of Solomon 4:16 Or “His perfumes can waft down”

The Bridegroom Praises the Bride

The Beloved

Behold, (A)you are fair, my love!
Behold, you are fair!
You have dove’s eyes behind your veil.
Your hair is like a (B)flock of goats,
Going down from Mount Gilead.
(C)Your teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep
Which have come up from the washing,
Every one of which bears twins,
And none is [a]barren among them.
Your lips are like a strand of scarlet,
And your mouth is lovely.
(D)Your temples behind your veil
Are like a piece of pomegranate.
(E)Your neck is like the tower of David,
Built (F)for an armory,
On which hang a thousand [b]bucklers,
All shields of mighty men.
(G)Your two breasts are like two fawns,
Twins of a gazelle,
Which feed among the lilies.

(H)Until the day breaks
And the shadows flee away,
I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh
And to the hill of frankincense.

(I)You are all fair, my love,
And there is no spot in you.
Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse,
With me from Lebanon.
Look from the top of Amana,
From the top of Senir (J)and Hermon,
From the lions’ dens,
From the mountains of the leopards.

You have ravished my heart,
My sister, my spouse;
You have ravished my heart
With one look of your eyes,
With one link of your necklace.
10 How fair is your love,
My sister, my spouse!
(K)How much better than wine is your love,
And the [c]scent of your perfumes
Than all spices!
11 Your lips, O my spouse,
Drip as the honeycomb;
(L)Honey and milk are under your tongue;
And the fragrance of your garments
Is (M)like the fragrance of Lebanon.

12 A garden [d]enclosed
Is my sister, my spouse,
A spring shut up,
A fountain sealed.
13 Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates
With pleasant fruits,
Fragrant henna with spikenard,
14 Spikenard and saffron,
Calamus and cinnamon,
With all trees of frankincense,
Myrrh and aloes,
With all the chief spices—
15 A fountain of gardens,
A well of (N)living waters,
And streams from Lebanon.

The Shulamite

16 Awake, O north wind,
And come, O south!
Blow upon my garden,
That its spices may flow out.
(O)Let my beloved come to his garden
And eat its pleasant (P)fruits.

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 4:2 bereaved
  2. Song of Solomon 4:4 Small shields
  3. Song of Solomon 4:10 fragrance
  4. Song of Solomon 4:12 locked or barred

Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead.

Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them.

Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks.

Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.

Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.

Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.

Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.

Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards.

Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.

10 How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices!

11 Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.

12 A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.

13 Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard,

14 Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices:

15 A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.

16 Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.