SONG OF SOLOMON
CHAPTER 5

Lover
¹ I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride;
I have gathered my myrrh with my spice.
I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey;
I have drunk my wine and my milk.

Friends
Eat, O friends, and drink;
drink your fill, O lovers.

Beloved
² I slept but my heart was awake.
Listen! My lover is knocking:
"Open to me, my sister, my darling,
my dove, my flawless one.
My head is drenched with dew,
my hair with the dampness of the night."
³ I have taken off my robe-
must I put it on again?
I have washed my feet-
must I soil them again?
⁴ My lover thrust his hand through the latch-opening;
my heart began to pound for him.
⁵ I arose to open for my lover,
and my hands dripped with myrrh,
my fingers with flowing myrrh,
on the handles of the lock.
⁶ I opened for my lover,
but my lover had left; he was gone.
My heart sank at his departure. ^[1]
I looked for him but did not find him.
I called him but he did not answer.
⁷ The watchmen found me
as they made their rounds in the city.
They beat me, they bruised me;
they took away my cloak,
those watchmen of the walls!
⁸ O daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you-
if you find my lover,
what will you tell him?
Tell him I am faint with love.

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

Beloved
¹⁰ My lover is radiant and ruddy,
outstanding among ten thousand.
¹¹ His head is purest gold;
his hair is wavy
and black as a raven.
¹² His eyes are like doves
by the water streams,
washed in milk,
mounted like jewels.
¹³ His cheeks are like beds of spice
yielding perfume.
His lips are like lilies
dripping with myrrh.
¹⁴ His arms are rods of gold
set with chrysolite.
His body is like polished ivory
decorated with sapphires. ^[2]
15 His legs are pillars of marble
set on bases of pure gold.
His appearance is like Lebanon,
choice as its cedars.
¹⁶ His mouth is sweetness itself;
he is altogether lovely.
This is my lover, this my friend,
O daughters of Jerusalem.

Footnotes

1. 5:6 Or heart had gone out to him when he spoke
2. 5:14 Or lapis lazuli

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Bible text from Gospelcom.net.  Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

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