Title

1 The song of songs, which is Solomon's.

1 The (a)Song of (A)Songs, which is Solomon’s.

1 Solomon’s Finest Song.(a)(A)

1 The Most Beautiful Song by Solomon.

1 The (a)Song of Songs [the best of songs], which is Solomon’s.(A)

Maiden's Soliloquy

2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.

2 (b)May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!For your (B)love is better than wine.

2 W(b) Oh, that he would kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!For your(c) love is(d) more delightful than wine.(B)

2 Let him kiss me over and over again! Your love is better than wine.

2 (b)(The Shulammite Bride)“May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!” [Solomon arrives, she turns to him, saying,]“For your love is better than wine.

3 Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.

3 “Your (C)oils have a pleasing fragrance,Your (D)name is like (c)purified oil;Therefore the (d)(E)maidens love you.

3 The fragrance of your perfume is intoxicating;(C)your name is perfume poured out.(D)No wonder young women(e) adore you.

3 The fragrance of your perfumed oil is wonderful. Your name is perfume poured out. Therefore the young women love you.

3 “The aroma of your oils is fragrant and pleasing;Your name is perfume poured out;Therefore the maidens love you.

4 Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee.

4 “Draw me after you and let us run together!The (F)king has brought me into his chambers.” (e)We will rejoice in you and be glad;We will (f)extol your (G)love more than wine.Rightly do they love you.”

4 Take me with you(E)—let us hurry.Oh, that the king would bring(f) me to his chambers.Y We will rejoice and be glad for you;we will praise your love more than wine.W It is only right that they adore you.

4 Take me with you! Let's run away! Let the king bring me into his private chambers. The daughters of Jerusalem will rejoice and be happy for you. We will value your love more than wine. They love you appropriately.

4 “Draw me away with you and let us run together!Let the king bring me into his chambers.”

Maiden's Self-Description

5 I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.

5 (g)I am black but (H)lovely,O (I)daughters of Jerusalem,Like the (J)tents of (K)Kedar,Like the curtains of Solomon.

5 Daughters of Jerusalem,(F)I am dark like the tents of Kedar,(G)yet lovely(H) like the curtains of Solomon.

5 The daughters of Jerusalem, I'm dark and lovely like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.

5 (c)(The Chorus)“We will rejoice and be glad in you;We will remember and extol your love more [sweet and fragrant] than wine.Rightly do they love you.”(The Shulammite Bride)“I am deeply tanned but lovely,O daughters of Jerusalem,[I am dark] like the tents of [the Bedouins of] Kedar,Like the [beautiful] curtains of Solomon.

6 Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.

6 “Do not stare at me because I am (h)swarthy,For the sun has burned me.My (L)mother’s sons were angry with me;They made me (M)caretaker of the vineyards,But I have not taken care of my own vineyard.

6 Do not stare at me because I am dark,for the sun has gazed on me.My mother’s sons were angry with me;(I)they made me a keeper of the vineyards.(J)I have not kept my own vineyard.(g)

6 Don't stare at me because I'm dark; the sun has tanned me. My mother's sons were angry with me. They made me the caretaker of the vineyards, but I didn't take care of my own vineyard.

6 “Do not gaze at me because I am deeply tanned,[I have worked in] the sun; it has left its mark on me.My mother’s sons were angry with me;They made me keeper of the vineyards,But my own vineyard (my complexion) I have not kept.”

Dialogue Between Shepherdess And Shepherd

7 Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?

7 “Tell me, O you (N)whom my soul loves,Where do you (O)pasture your flock,Where do you make it (P)lie down at noon?For why should I be like one who (i)veils herselfBeside the flocks of your (Q)companions?”

7 Tell me, you, the one I love:(K)Where do you pasture your sheep?(L)Where do you let them rest at noon?(M)Why should I be like one who veils herself(h)(i)beside the flocks of your companions?(N)

7 Tell me, you whom I love, where do you graze your flock? Where do you make your flock lie down at noon? Why should I be considered a veiled woman beside the flocks of your companions?

7 “Tell me, O you whom my soul loves,Where do you pasture your flock,Where do you make it lie down at noon?For why should I be like one who is veiledBeside the flocks of your companions?”(B)

The Man Speaks To The Woman

8 If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents.

8 (j)If you yourself do not know,(R)Most beautiful among women,Go forth on the trail of the flockAnd pasture your young goatsBy the tents of the shepherds.

8 M(j) If you do not know,most beautiful of women,(O)follow(k) the tracks of the flock,and pasture your young goatsnear the shepherds’ tents.

8 If you don't know, most beautiful of women, go out after the flock and graze your young goats beside the shepherd's tents.

8 (The Bridegroom)“If you do not know [where your lover is],O you fairest among women,Run along, follow the tracks of the flock,And pasture your young goatsBy the tents of the shepherds.

Man's Poetic Praise Of His Beloved

9 I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots.

9 (k)To me, (S)my darling, you are likeMy (T)mare among the chariots of Pharaoh.

9 I compare you, my darling,(P)to a(l) mare among Pharaoh’s chariots.(m)(Q)

9 My darling, I compare you to a mare among Pharaoh's chariots.

9 “To me, my love, you are likeMy [favorite] mare among the chariots of Pharaoh.

10 Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold.

10 “Your (U)cheeks are lovely with ornaments,Your neck with strings of (V)beads.”

10 Your cheeks are beautiful with jewelry,(R)your neck with its necklace.

10 Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, your neck with strings of jewels.

10 “Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,Your neck with strings of jewels.”

11 We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver.

11 (l)We will make for you ornaments of goldWith beads of silver.”

11 We will make gold jewelry for you,accented with silver.

11 We will make ornaments of gold for you, accented with silver.

11 (The Chorus)“We will make for you chains and ornaments of gold,[Studded] with beads of silver.”

Maiden's Poetic Praise Of Her Beloved

12 While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof.

12 (m)While the king was at his (n)table,My (o)(W)perfume gave forth its fragrance.

12 W While the king is on his couch,(n)my perfume(o) releases its fragrance.(S)

12 While the king was sitting at his table, my perfume sent forth its fragrance.

12 (The Shulammite Bride)“While the king was at his table,My perfume (Solomon) sent forth [his] fragrance [surrounding me].

13 A bundle of myrrh is my wellbeloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts.

13 “My beloved is to me a pouch of (X)myrrhWhich lies all night between my breasts.

13 My love is a sachet of myrrh to me,(T)spending the night between my breasts.

13 My beloved is to me a pouch of myrrh that lies between my breasts all night.

13 “My beloved is to me like a pouch of myrrhWhich lies all night between my breasts.

14 My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi.

14 “My beloved is to me a cluster of (Y)henna blossomsIn the vineyards of (Z)Engedi.”

14 My love is a cluster of henna blossoms to me,(U)in the vineyards of En-gedi.(p)(V)

14 My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms in the vineyards of En-gedi.

14 “My beloved is to me a cluster of henna flowersIn the [fragrant] vineyards of (d)Engedi.”

Mutual Admiration

15 Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes.

15 (p)(q)(AA)How beautiful you are, my darling,(r)How beautiful you are!Your (AB)eyes are like doves.”

15 M How beautiful you are, my darling.How very beautiful!Your eyes are doves.(W)

15 Look at you! You are beautiful, my darling. Look at you! You are so beautiful. Your eyes are doves.

15 (The Bridegroom)“Behold, how beautiful you are, my darling,Behold, how beautiful you are!Your eyes are dove’s eyes.”

The Woman Answers The Man

16 Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green.

16 (s)(t)How handsome you are, (AC)my beloved,And so pleasant!Indeed, our couch is luxuriant!

16 W How handsome you are, my love.(X)How delightful!Our bed is lush with foliage;

16 Look at you! You are handsome, my beloved, truly lovely. How lush is our couch.

16 (The Shulammite Bride)“Behold, how fair and handsome you are, my beloved;And so delightful!Our arbor is green and luxuriant.

17 The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir.

17 “The beams of our houses are (AD)cedars,Our rafters, (u)(AE)cypresses.

17 the beams of our house are cedars,and our rafters are cypresses.(q) >

17 The beams of our house are cedar, our rafters are pine.

17 “The beams of our houses are cedars,Our rafters and panels are cypresses.

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