Song of Songs 5:9-8:14

9How is your beloved better than others, most beautiful of women? How is your beloved better than others, that you so charge us? She

10My beloved is radiant and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand.

11His head is purest gold; his hair is wavy and black as a raven.

12His eyes are like doves by the water streams, washed in milk, mounted like jewels.

13His cheeks are like beds of spice yielding perfume. His lips are like lilies dripping with myrrh.

14His arms are rods of gold set with topaz. His body is like polished ivory decorated with lapis lazuli.

15His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of pure gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, choice as its cedars. 16His mouth is sweetness itself; he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, this is my friend, daughters of Jerusalem.

1Friends Where has your beloved gone, most beautiful of women? Which way did your beloved turn, that we may look for him with you? She

2My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to browse in the gardens and to gather lilies.

3I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine; he browses among the lilies. He

4You are as beautiful as Tirzah, my darling, as lovely as Jerusalem, as majestic as troops with banners.

5Turn your eyes from me; they overwhelm me. Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from Gilead.

6Your teeth are like a flock of sheep coming up from the washing. Each has its twin, not one of them is missing.

7Your temples behind your veil are like the halves of a pomegranate.

8Sixty queens there may be, and eighty concubines, and virgins beyond number;

9but my dove, my perfect one, is unique, the only daughter of her mother, the favorite of the one who bore her. The young women saw her and called her blessed; the queens and concubines praised her. Friends

10Who is this that appears like the dawn, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, majestic as the stars in procession? He

11I went down to the grove of nut trees to look at the new growth in the valley, to see if the vines had budded or the pomegranates were in bloom.

12Before I realized it, my desire set me among the royal chariots of my people. Or among the chariots of Amminadab; or among the chariots of the people of the prince Friends 13Come back, come back, O Shulammite; come back, come back, that we may gaze on you! He Why would you gaze on the Shulammite as on the dance of Mahanaim? In Hebrew texts this verse (6:13) is numbered 7:1.

1In Hebrew texts 7:1-13 is numbered 7:2-14. How beautiful your sandaled feet, O prince’s daughter! Your graceful legs are like jewels, the work of an artist’s hands.

2Your navel is a rounded goblet that never lacks blended wine. Your waist is a mound of wheat encircled by lilies.

3Your breasts are like two fawns, like twin fawns of a gazelle.

4Your neck is like an ivory tower. Your eyes are the pools of Heshbon by the gate of Bath Rabbim. Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon looking toward Damascus.

5Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel. Your hair is like royal tapestry; the king is held captive by its tresses.

6How beautiful you are and how pleasing, my love, with your delights!

7Your stature is like that of the palm, and your breasts like clusters of fruit.

8I said, “I will climb the palm tree; I will take hold of its fruit.” May your breasts be like clusters of grapes on the vine, the fragrance of your breath like apples,

9and your mouth like the best wine. She May the wine go straight to my beloved, flowing gently over lips and teeth. Septuagint, Aquila, Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew lips of sleepers

10I belong to my beloved, and his desire is for me.

11Come, my beloved, let us go to the countryside, let us spend the night in the villages. Or the henna bushes

12Let us go early to the vineyards to see if the vines have budded, if their blossoms have opened, and if the pomegranates are in bloom— there I will give you my love. 13The mandrakes send out their fragrance, and at our door is every delicacy, both new and old, that I have stored up for you, my beloved.

1If only you were to me like a brother, who was nursed at my mother’s breasts! Then, if I found you outside, I would kiss you, and no one would despise me.

2I would lead you and bring you to my mother’s house— she who has taught me. I would give you spiced wine to drink, the nectar of my pomegranates.

3His left arm is under my head and his right arm embraces me.

4Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires. Friends

5Who is this coming up from the wilderness leaning on her beloved? She Under the apple tree I roused you; there your mother conceived you, there she who was in labor gave you birth.

6Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy Or ardor unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Or fire, / like the very flame of the Lord

7Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If one were to give all the wealth of one’s house for love, it Or he would be utterly scorned. Friends

8We have a little sister, and her breasts are not yet grown. What shall we do for our sister on the day she is spoken for?

9If she is a wall, we will build towers of silver on her. If she is a door, we will enclose her with panels of cedar. She

10I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers. Thus I have become in his eyes like one bringing contentment.

11Solomon had a vineyard in Baal Hamon; he let out his vineyard to tenants. Each was to bring for its fruit a thousand shekels That is, about 25 pounds or about 12 kilograms; also in verse 12 of silver.

12But my own vineyard is mine to give; the thousand shekels are for you, Solomon, and two hundred That is, about 5 pounds or about 2.3 kilograms are for those who tend its fruit. He

13You who dwell in the gardens with friends in attendance, let me hear your voice! She 14Come away, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or like a young stag on the spice-laden mountains.