Song of Solomon 1

1The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.[#1 Kgs. 4:32]

The Bride Confesses Her Love

2Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!

For your love is better than wine;

3your anointing oils are fragrant;[#Luke 7:46; John 12:3]

your name is oil poured out;

therefore virgins love you.

4Draw me after you; let us run.[#Hos. 11:4; John 6:44; 12:32; #Ps. 119:32; Phil. 3:12-14]

The king has brought me into his chambers.

We will exult and rejoice in you;

we will extol your love more than wine;

rightly do they love you.

5I am very dark, but lovely,[#2:14; 4:3; 6:4]

O daughters of Jerusalem,

like the tents of Kedar,

like the curtains of Solomon.

6Do not gaze at me because I am dark,

because the sun has looked upon me.

My mother’s sons were angry with me;

they made me keeper of the vineyards,

but my own vineyard I have not kept!

7Tell me, you whom my soul loves,[#3:1-4]

where you pasture your flock,

where you make it lie down at noon;

for why should I be like one who veils herself

beside the flocks of your companions?

Solomon and His Bride Delight in Each Other

8If you do not know,

O most beautiful among women,

follow in the tracks of the flock,

and pasture your young goats

beside the shepherds’ tents.

9I compare you, my love,[#15]

to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots.

10Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,[#5:13]

your neck with strings of jewels.

11We will make for you ornaments of gold,[#1:11 The Hebrew for is feminine singular]

studded with silver.

12While the king was on his couch,[#4]

my nard gave forth its fragrance.

13My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh[#Ps. 45:8; John 19:39]

that lies between my breasts.

14My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms[#4:13]

in the vineyards of Engedi.

15Behold, you are beautiful, my love;[#4:1; #Ezek. 16:13; #9; 2:2, 10, 13; 4:1, 7; 5:2; 6:4]

behold, you are beautiful;

your eyes are doves.

16Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, truly delightful.[#2:3; #2 Sam. 1:23, 26]

Our couch is green;

17the beams of our house are cedar;[#Isa. 37:24; 60:13; Ezek. 31:8]

our rafters are pine.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Published by: Crossway / Good News Publishers