Song of Solomon 2

The Bride’s Admiration

¹“I am the rose of Sharon,[#2:1 Lit asphodel]

The lily of the valleys.”

²¶“Like a lily among the thorns,

So is my darling among the young women.”

³¶“Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest,

So is my beloved among the young men.

In his shade I took great delight and sat down,

And his fruit was sweet to my taste.

⁴“He has brought me to his banquet hall,[#2:4 Lit house of wine]

And his banner over me is love.

⁵“Refresh me with raisin cakes,

Sustain me with apples,

Because I am lovesick.

⁶“His left hand is under my head,

And his right hand embraces me.”

⁷¶“Swear to me, you daughters of Jerusalem,

By the gazelles or by the does of the field,

That you will not disturb or awaken my love

Until she pleases.”

⁸¶“Listen! My beloved!

Behold, he is coming,

Leaping on the mountains,

Jumping on the hills!

⁹“My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.[#2:9 Lit of the stags]

Behold, he is standing behind our wall,

He is looking through the windows,

He is peering through the lattice.

¹⁰¶“My beloved responded and said to me,

‘Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,

And come along.

¹¹‘For behold, the winter is past,

The rain is over and gone.

¹²‘The blossoms have already appeared in the land;

The time has arrived for pruning the vines,

And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land.

¹³‘The fig tree has ripened its fruit,

And the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance.

Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,

And come along!’ ”

¹⁴¶“My dove, in the clefts of the rock,[#2:14 Or crag]

In the hiding place of the mountain pathway,

Let me see how you look,

Let me hear your voice;

For your voice is pleasant,

And you look delightful.”

¹⁵¶“Catch the foxes for us,[#2:15 Or jackals]

The little foxes that are ruining the vineyards,

While our vineyards are in blossom.”

¹⁶¶“My beloved is mine, and I am his;

He pastures his flock among the lilies.

¹⁷“Until the cool of the day, when the shadows flee,

Turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle

Or a young stag on the mountains of Bether.”