Song of Solomon 5 | New International Reader’s Version

New International Reader’s Version

1 The king says, ‘My bride, I have come into my garden. My sister, I’ve gathered my myrrh and my spice. I’ve eaten my honeycomb and my honey. I’ve drunk my wine and my milk.’ The other women say to the Shulammite woman and to Solomon, ‘Friends, eat and drink. Drink up all the love you want.’ The woman says, 2 ‘I slept, but my heart was awake. Listen! The one who loves me is knocking. He says, “My sister, I love you. Open up so I can come in. You are my dove. You are perfect in every way. My head is soaked with dew. The night air has made my hair wet.” 3 ‘But I’ve taken off my robe. Must I put it on again? I’ve washed my feet. Must I get them dirty again? 4 My love put his hand through the opening. My heart began to pound for him. 5 I got up to open the door for my love. My hands dripped with myrrh. It flowed from my fingers onto the handles of the lock. 6 I opened the door for my love. But he had left and was gone. My heart sank because he had left. I looked for him but didn’t find him. I called out to him, but he didn’t answer. 7 Those on guard duty found me as they were walking around in the city. They beat me. They hurt me. Those on guard duty at the walls took my coat away from me. 8 Women of Jerusalem, make me a promise. If you find the one who loves me, tell him our love has made me weak.’ The other women say, 9 ‘You are the most beautiful woman of all. How is the one you love better than others? How is he better than anyone else? Why do you ask us to make you this promise?’ The woman says, 10 ‘The one who loves me is tanned and handsome. He’s the finest man among 10,000. 11 His head is like the purest gold. His hair is wavy and as black as a raven. 12 His eyes are like doves by streams of water. They look as if they’ve been washed in milk. They are set like jewels in his head. 13 His cheeks are like beds of spice giving off perfume. His lips are like lilies dripping with myrrh. 14 His arms are like rods of gold set with topaz. His body is like polished ivory decorated with lapis lazuli. 15 His legs are like pillars of marble set on bases of pure gold. He looks like the finest cedar tree in the mountains of Lebanon. 16 His mouth is very sweet. Everything about him is delightful. That’s what the one who loves me is like. That’s what my friend is like, women of Jerusalem.’

English Standard Version

1 He: I came to my garden, my sister, my bride, I gathered my myrrh with my spice, I ate my honeycomb with my honey, I drank my wine with my milk. Others: Eat, friends, drink, and be drunk with love! (Pr 9:5; So 4:9; So 4:11; So 4:12; So 4:14; So 4:16; So 5:5; So 5:13; So 6:2; Joh 15:14)

Pr 9:5So 4:9So 4:11So 4:12So 4:14So 4:16So 5:5So 5:13So 6:2Joh 15:14

The Bride Searches for Her Beloved

2 She: I slept, but my heart was awake. A sound! My beloved is knocking. “Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one, for my head is wet with dew, my locks with the drops of the night.” (So 1:15; So 2:14; So 4:7; So 4:9; So 4:12; So 5:11; So 6:9; Re 3:20)

So 1:15So 2:14So 4:7So 4:9So 4:12So 5:11So 6:9Re 3:20

3 I had put off my garment; how could I put it on? I had bathed my feet; how could I soil them? (Ge 18:4; Lu 11:7) 4 My beloved put his hand to the latch, and my heart was thrilled within me. 5 I arose to open to my beloved, and my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh, on the handles of the bolt. (So 5:13) 6 I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had turned and gone. My soul failed me when he spoke. I sought him, but found him not; I called him, but he gave no answer. (Pr 1:28; So 3:1; So 5:2) 7 The watchmen found me as they went about in the city; they beat me, they bruised me, they took away my veil, those watchmen of the walls. (So 3:3) 8 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him I am sick with love. (So 1:5; So 2:5; So 2:7)

So 1:5So 2:5So 2:7

9 Others: What is your beloved more than another beloved, O most beautiful among women? What is your beloved more than another beloved, that you thus adjure us? (So 1:8; So 5:8; So 6:1)

So 1:8So 5:8So 6:1

The Bride Praises Her Beloved

10 She: My beloved is radiant and ruddy, distinguished among ten thousand. (1Sa 16:12; Ps 45:2) 11 His head is the finest gold; his locks are wavy, black as a raven. (So 5:2) 12 His eyes are like doves beside streams of water, bathed in milk, sitting beside a full pool.^[1] (So 1:15; So 4:1) 13 His cheeks are like beds of spices, mounds of sweet-smelling herbs. His lips are lilies, dripping liquid myrrh. (So 1:10; So 2:1; So 5:5; So 6:2)

So 1:10So 2:1So 5:5So 6:2

14 His arms are rods of gold, set with jewels. His body is polished ivory,^[2] bedecked with sapphires.^[3] (Ex 24:10; Ex 28:20; Ex 39:13; Eze 1:16; Eze 1:26; Eze 10:1)

Ex 24:10Ex 28:20Ex 39:13Eze 1:16Eze 1:26Eze 10:1

15 His legs are alabaster columns, set on bases of gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, choice as the cedars. (1Ki 4:33) 16 His mouth^[4] is most sweet, and he is altogether desirable. This is my beloved and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. (So 5:8; So 7:9)