Old/New Testament
4 My friendess, thou art full fair, thou art full fair; thine eyes be (like) of culvers, without that, that is hid within; thine hairs be as the flocks of goats, that went up from the hill(s) of Gilead. (My friendess, thou art so beautiful, thou art so beautiful; thine eyes be like doves, behind thy veil; thy hair is like the flocks of goats, that went up from Mount Gilead.)
2 Thy teeth be as the flocks of shorn sheep, that went up from [the] washing; all be with double lambs, and no barren is among those. (Thy teeth be like the flocks of shorn sheep, that went up from the washing; all of them have double lambs, or twins, and there is no barren among them.)
3 Thy lips be as a red lace, and thy speech is sweet; as the remnant of an apple of Punic, so be thy cheeks, without that, that is hid within. (Thy lips be like a red lace, and thy voice is sweet; thy cheeks be like a piece of an apple of Punic/thy cheeks be like a piece of a pomegranate, behind thy veil.)
4 Thy neck is as the tower of David, which is builded with strongholds made before for defence; a thousand shields hang on it, all [the] armour of strong men. (Thy neck is like the tower of David, which is built with strongholds, or with bulwarks, made ahead of time for defence; a thousand shields hang on it, all the armour of the strong.)
5 Thy two teats be as two kids, twins of a capret, that be fed among (the) lilies, (Thy two breasts be like two kids, or like two fawns, yea, like the twins of a gazelle, that be fed among the lilies.)
6 till the day spring, and [the] shadows be bowed down. I shall go to the mountain of myrrh, and to the little hill of incense. (And when the day shall spring forth, and the shadows shall be bowed down, then I shall go to the mountain of myrrh, and to the little hill of incense.)
7 My love, thou art all-fair, and no wem is in thee. (My love, thou art so very beautiful, and there is no blemish on thee/and there is no fault in thee.)
8 My spousess, come thou from the Lebanon; come thou from the Lebanon, come thou; beholding from the head of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the dens of lions, from the hills of leopards. (My spousess, come thou from Lebanon; come thou from Lebanon, come thou; come thou down from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir, and the top of Hermon, from the dens of the lions, and from the hills of the leopards.)
9 My sister spousess, thou hast wounded mine heart; thou hast wounded mine heart, in one of thine eyes, and in one hair of thy neck. (My dear spousess, thou hast stolen my heart; yea, thou hast stolen my heart, with one look from thine eyes, and with one jewel of thy necklace.)
10 My sister spousess, thy loves be full fair; thy loves be fairer than wine, and the odour of thy clothes is above all sweet smelling ointments. (My dear spousess, thy love is so beautiful; thy love is more beautiful than wine, and the aroma of thy clothes smelleth more sweet than any perfume.)
11 Spousess, thy lips be (as) an honeycomb dropping; honey and milk be under thy tongue, and the odour of thy clothes is as the odour of incense. (Spousess, thy lips be like a dripping honeycomb; honey and milk be upon thy tongue, and the aroma of thy clothes is like the aroma of Lebanon.)
12 My sister spousess, a garden closed (al)together; a garden closed (al)together, a well asealed. (My dear spousess is a garden altogether enclosed, yea, a secret garden; a garden altogether enclosed, and a sealed well.)
13 Thy sendings-out be (a) paradise of (the) apples of Punic, with the fruits of apples, cypress trees, with nard; (Thy out-sendings, or thy shoots, be like a garden of the apple trees of Punic, with its fruits of apples, and cypress trees, with spikenard;/Thy cheeks be like an orchard of pomegranate trees, with its fruits, and cypress trees, with spikenard;)
14 nard and saffron, an herb called fistula, and canel, with all [the] trees of the Lebanon, myrrh, and aloes, with all the best, either (the) first, ointments. (spikenard and saffron, henna, and cinnamon, with all the trees of incense, myrrh, and aloes, with all the best spices, or the choicest of perfumes.)
15 A well of (the) gardens, a well of welling, either quick, waters, that flow with fierceness from the Lebanon. (The well in the garden is a fresh water well, that floweth with fierceness from Lebanon.)
16 Rise thou (up), north wind, and come thou, south wind; blow thou through my garden, and the sweet smelling ointments thereof shall flow (blow thou through my garden, and its sweet smelling perfumes shall flow forth). My darling, come he into his garden, to eat the fruit of his apples.
5 My sister spousess, come thou into my garden. I have reaped my myrrh, with my sweet smelling spices; I have eaten an honeycomb, with mine honey; I have drunk my wine, with my milk. Friends, eat ye, and drink; and most dear friends, be ye filled greatly. (My dear spousess, come thou into my garden. I have gathered my myrrh, and my sweet smelling spices; I have eaten a honeycomb, and my honey; I have drunk my wine, and my milk. Friends, eat ye, and drink; yea, my most dear friends, be ye greatly filled.)
2 I sleep, and mine heart waketh. The voice of my darling knocking; my sister, my love, my culver, my spousess unwemmed, open thou to me; for mine head is full of dew, and mine hairs be full of [the] drops of nights. (I sleep, and then my heart awakeneth. My darling is knocking, and saying, My dear, my love, my dove, my unblemished spousess, open thou the door to me; for my head is drenched with dew, yea, my hair is full of the drops, or the mist, of the night.)
3 I have unclothed me of my coat; how shall I be clothed therein? I have washed my feet; how shall I defoul them? (I have taken off my coat; shall I now put it on again? I have washed my feet; shall I now defile them again?)
4 My darling put his hand by an hole (of the door); and my womb trembled at the touching thereof.
5 I rose, for to open to my darling; mine hands dropped myrrh, and my fingers were full of myrrh most proved. (I rose, to open the door for my darling; my hands dripped with myrrh, yea, my fingers were covered with the best myrrh.)
6 I opened the wicket of my door to my darling; and he had bowed away, and had passed forth. My soul was melted, as the darling spake; I sought, and I found not him; I called, and he answered not to me. (And I opened my door for my darling; but he had turned away, yea, he had gone forth. My soul had melted, as my darling had spoken; and now I sought him, but I could not find him; I called to him, but he did not answer me.)
7 The keepers that compassed the city found me; they smote me, and wounded me; the keepers of [the] walls took away my mantle. (But the guards, who went around the city, found me; and they struck me, and wounded me; yea, the guards on the walls took away my cloak.)
8 Ye daughters of Jerusalem, I beseech you by an holy thing, (that) if ye have found my darling, that ye tell to him, that I am sick for love. (Ye daughters of Jerusalem, I plead with you by a thing most holy, that if ye find my darling, that ye tell him, that I am weak, or that I faint, because of love.)
9 A! thou fairest of women, of what manner condition is thy darling of the beloved? of what manner condition is thy darling of a darling? for thou hast so besought us by an holy thing. (O! thou most beautiful of women, of what manner condition is thy darling more than any other beloved? of what manner condition is thy darling more than any other darling? for thou hast so besought us by such a holy thing.)
10 My darling is white and ruddy; chosen of thousands.
11 His head is best gold; his hairs be as the boughs of palm trees, and be black as a crow. (His face is smooth and bronzed; his hair is like the boughs of the palm trees, and it is as black as a crow.)
12 His eyes be as culvers on the strands of waters, that be washed in milk, and sit beside [the] fullest rivers. (His eyes be like the doves by the streams of water, that be washed with milk, and sit beside the fullest rivers.)
13 His cheeks be as gardens of sweet smelling spices, set of ointment makers; his lips be (as) lilies, dropping down the best myrrh. (His cheeks be like the gardens of sweet smelling spices, ready to be mixed by perfume makers; his lips be like lilies, dripping down the best myrrh.)
14 His hands be able to turn about, golden, and full of jacinths; his womb is of ivory (his belly is like ivory), adorned with sapphires.
15 His hips be pillars of marble, that be founded on foundaments of gold; his shapeliness is as the Lebanon, he is chosen as cedars. (His hips be like pillars of marble, that be founded on gold foundations; he is shapely like Lebanon/he is majestic, like the mountains of Lebanon, he is chosen, or favoured, like the cedars.)
16 His throat is most sweet, and he is all desirable. Ye daughters of Jerusalem, such is my darling, and this is my friend. (His voice is very sweet, and he is truly desirable. Ye daughters of Jerusalem, such is my darling, yea, this is my friend.)
3 O! unwitty Galatians, before whose eyes Jesus Christ is exiled, and is crucified in you, who hath deceived you, that ye obey not to truth?[a]
2 This only I desire to learn of you, whether ye have received the Spirit of the works of the law, or of hearing of belief?[b]
3 So ye be fools, that when ye have begun in Spirit, ye be ended in flesh [now ye be ended by flesh].
4 So great things ye have suffered without cause [Ye have suffered so many things without cause], if it be without cause.
5 [Therefore] He that giveth to you [the] Spirit, and worketh works of power in you, whether of [the] works of the law, or of hearing of belief [or of hearing of faith]?
6 As it is written, Abraham believed to God, and it was reckoned to him to rightwiseness.
7 And therefore know ye, that these that be of belief, be the sons of Abraham.[c]
8 And the scripture seeing afar, that God justifieth the heathen of belief, told before to Abraham, That in thee all the heathen shall be blessed [for God justifieth of faith heathen men, told before to Abraham, For in thee all folks, or heathen men, shall be blessed].
9 And therefore these that be of belief [Therefore they that be of faith], shall be blessed with faithful Abraham.
10 For all that be of the works of the law, be under curse; for it is written, Each man is cursed, that abideth not in all things that be written in the book of the law, to do those things.[d]
11 And that no man is justified in the law before God, it is open, for a rightful man liveth of belief. [Forsooth for no man is justified in the law with God, it is known, for a rightful man liveth by faith.]
12 But the law is not of belief, but he that doeth those things of the law [but he that doeth those things], shall live in them.
13 But Christ again-bought us from the curse of the law, and was made accursed for us; for it is written, Each man is cursed that hangeth in the tree;[e]
14 that among the heathen the blessing of Abraham were made in Jesus Christ, that we receive the promise of Spirit through belief. [that the blessing of Abraham in heathen men should be made in Christ Jesus, that we take the promise of Spirit by faith.]
15 Brethren, I say after man, no man despiseth the testament of a man that is confirmed, or ordaineth above [or above-ordaineth other thing].
16 The promises were said to Abraham and to his seed; he saith not, In [the] seeds, as in many, but as in one, And to thy seed, that is, Christ.
17 But I say, this testament is confirmed of God; the law that was made after four hundred and thirty years, maketh not the testament vain to void away the promise.[f]
18 For if [the] heritage were of the law, it were not now of promise. But God granted to Abraham through promise [Forsooth God gave to Abraham by again-promise].
19 What then the law [What therefore profiteth the law]? It was set for trespassing, till the seed came, to whom he had made the promise. Which law was ordained by angels, in the hand of a mediator.
20 But a mediator is not of one. But God is one.
21 Is then the law against the promises of God? God forbid [Far be it]. For if the law were given, that might quicken, verily were rightwiseness of law [For if there were a law given, which might quicken, verily rightwiseness were of law].
22 But the scripture hath concluded all things under sin, that the promise of the faith [of faith] of Jesus Christ were given to them that believe.
23 And before that belief came, they were kept under the law, enclosed into that belief that was to be showed. [Forsooth before that the faith came, we were kept under the law, shut together into that faith that was to be showed.]
24 And so the law was our under-master in Christ, that we be justified of belief.[g]
25 But after that belief came [But after that the faith came], we be not now under the under-master.
26 For all ye be the children of God through the belief of Jesus Christ. [For all ye be the sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus.]
27 For all ye that be baptized, be clothed with Christ. [Forsooth whoever ye be baptized in Christ, ye have clothed in Christ.]
28 There is no Jew, nor Greek, no bondman, nor free man, no male, nor female [There is not Jew, neither Greek; there is not servant, neither free man; there is not male, neither female]; for all ye be one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if ye be one in Jesus Christ, then ye be the seed of Abraham, and heirs by promise. [Forsooth if ye be of Christ, therefore ye be seed of Abraham, after the promise ye be heirs.]
2001 by Terence P. Noble