Song of Solomon 1
New King James Version
Solomon’s Love for a Shulamite Girl
1 The (A)song of songs, which is Solomon’s.
The Banquet
The [a]Shulamite
2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—
(B)For [b]your love is better than wine.
3 Because of the fragrance of your good ointments,
Your name is ointment poured forth;
Therefore the virgins love you.
4 (C)Draw me away!
The Daughters of Jerusalem
The Shulamite
The king (E)has brought me into his chambers.
The Daughters of Jerusalem
We will be glad and rejoice in [d]you.
We will remember your love more than wine.
The Shulamite
Rightly do they love you.
5 I am dark, but lovely,
O daughters of Jerusalem,
Like the tents of Kedar,
Like the curtains of Solomon.
6 Do not look upon me, because I am dark,
Because the sun has [e]tanned me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me;
They made me the keeper of the vineyards,
But my own (F)vineyard I have not kept.
(To Her Beloved)
7 Tell me, O you whom I love,
Where you feed your flock,
Where you make it rest at noon.
For why should I be as one who [f]veils herself
By the flocks of your companions?
The Beloved
8 If you do not know, (G)O fairest among women,
[g]Follow in the footsteps of the flock,
And feed your little goats
Beside the shepherds’ tents.
9 I have compared you, (H)my love,
(I)To my filly among Pharaoh’s chariots.
10 (J)Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,
Your neck with chains of gold.
The Daughters of Jerusalem
11 We will make [h]you ornaments of gold
With studs of silver.
The Shulamite
12 While the king is at his table,
My [i]spikenard sends forth its fragrance.
13 A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me,
That lies all night between my breasts.
14 My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blooms
In the vineyards of En Gedi.
The Beloved
The Shulamite
16 Behold, you are (L)handsome, my beloved!
Yes, pleasant!
Also our [k]bed is green.
17 The beams of our houses are cedar,
And our rafters of fir.
Footnotes
- Song of Solomon 1:2 A young woman from the town of Shulam or Shunem, Song 6:13. The speaker and audience are identified according to the number, gender, and person of the Hebrew words. Occasionally the identity is not certain.
- Song of Solomon 1:2 Masc. sing.: the Beloved
- Song of Solomon 1:4 Masc. sing.: the Beloved
- Song of Solomon 1:4 Fem. sing.: the Shulamite
- Song of Solomon 1:6 Lit. looked upon me
- Song of Solomon 1:7 LXX, Syr., Vg. wanders
- Song of Solomon 1:8 Lit. Go out
- Song of Solomon 1:11 Fem. sing.: the Shulamite
- Song of Solomon 1:12 perfume
- Song of Solomon 1:15 my companion, friend
- Song of Solomon 1:16 couch
Song of Solomon 1
Amplified Bible
The Young Shulammite Bride and Jerusalem’s Daughters
1 The [a]Song of Songs [the best of songs], which is Solomon’s.(A)
[b](The Shulammite Bride)
2
“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
“The aroma of your oils is fragrant and pleasing;
Your name is perfume poured out;
Therefore the maidens love you.
4
“Draw me away with you and let us run together!
Let the king bring me into his chambers.”
[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)
5
“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
“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.”
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 veiled
Beside the flocks of your companions?”(B)
Solomon, the Lover, Speaks
(The Bridegroom)
8
“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 goats
By the tents of the shepherds.
9
“To me, my love, you are like
My [favorite] mare among the chariots of Pharaoh.
10
“Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,
Your neck with strings of jewels.”
(The Chorus)
11
“We will make for you chains and ornaments of gold,
[Studded] with beads of silver.”
(The Shulammite Bride)
12
“While the king was at his table,
My perfume (Solomon) sent forth [his] fragrance [surrounding me].
13
“My beloved is to me like a pouch of myrrh
Which lies all night between my breasts.
14
“My beloved is to me a cluster of henna flowers
In the [fragrant] vineyards of [d]Engedi.”
(The Bridegroom)
15
“Behold, how beautiful you are, my darling,
Behold, how beautiful you are!
Your eyes are dove’s eyes.”
(The Shulammite Bride)
16
“Behold, how fair and handsome you are, my beloved;
And so delightful!
Our arbor is green and luxuriant.
17
“The beams of our houses are cedars,
Our rafters and panels are cypresses.
Footnotes
- Song of Solomon 1:1 Some theologians believe the Song of Solomon to be a collection of songs, but it is more generally understood to be a sort of drama or lyric poem celebrating the wholesomeness of a growing love that leads to maturity in marriage. The ancient rabbis understood it as an allegory of the relationship between God and Israel, and viewed the details as symbolic.
- Song of Solomon 1:2 The parenthetical headings indicate that the speakers are not from the Hebrew text nor the Septuagint, but reflect an ancient tradition which appears in some manuscripts.
- Song of Solomon 1:5 The purpose of the chorus is to echo and expand the sentiments of the bride and her bridegroom. The members of the chorus are not always known, but have been variously identified as “daughters of Jerusalem,” “daughters of Zion,” “ladies in waiting,” “friends” or “relatives” of the bride.
- Song of Solomon 1:14 An oasis on the western side of the Dead Sea.
Song of Songs 1
Tree of Life Version
1 The song of songs[a] of Solomon
A Bride Sings of Her Lover
2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your love is better than wine.
3 Your ointments have a pleasing fragrance.
Your name is poured out like perfume.
No wonder maidens love you!
4 Draw me after you, let us run!
The king has brought me into his chambers.
Chorus: Daughters of Zion
Let us rejoice and be glad in you;
let us extol your love more than wine.
Rightly do they love you!
The Bride
5 I am black, but beautiful,
O daughters of Jerusalem,
like the tents of Kedar,
like the curtains of Solomon.
6 Do not gaze at me because I am dark,
because the sun has looked on me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me
and made me keeper of the vineyards;
my very own vineyard I have not kept.
7 Tell me, the one my soul loves,
where you graze your flock,
where you make it lie down at noon?
Why should I be as one veiled
beside the flocks of your companions?
The Lover and Bride Express Affection
8 If you yourself do not know,
O most beautiful among women,
go out yourself in the footsteps of the flock
and graze your kids by the shepherds’ tents.
9 I compare you, my darling,
to my mare among Pharaoh’s chariots.
10 Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,
your neck with strings of beads.
11 Ornaments of gold we will make for you
with spangles of silver.
12 While the king is on his couch,
my nard spreads its fragrance.[b]
13 My lover is my pouch of myrrh,
passing the night between my breasts.
14 My love is to me a spray of henna blooms
in the vineyards of En-gedi.
15 How lovely you are, my darling, how lovely!
Your eyes are doves.
16 How handsome you are, my lover!
Oh, so delightful!
Yes, our couch is luxuriant.
17 The beams of our houses are cedar trees,
our panels are cypress trees.
Footnotes
- Song of Songs 1:1 Or, the best song.
- Song of Songs 1:12 cf. Mark 14:3; John 12:3.
Song of Solomon 1
New Living Translation
1 This is Solomon’s song of songs, more wonderful than any other.
Young Woman[a]
2 Kiss me and kiss me again,
for your love is sweeter than wine.
3 How pleasing is your fragrance;
your name is like the spreading fragrance of scented oils.
No wonder all the young women love you!
4 Take me with you; come, let’s run!
The king has brought me into his bedroom.
Young Women of Jerusalem
How happy we are for you, O king.
We praise your love even more than wine.
Young Woman
How right they are to adore you.
5 I am dark but beautiful,
O women of Jerusalem—
dark as the tents of Kedar,
dark as the curtains of Solomon’s tents.
6 Don’t stare at me because I am dark—
the sun has darkened my skin.
My brothers were angry with me;
they forced me to care for their vineyards,
so I couldn’t care for myself—my own vineyard.
7 Tell me, my love, where are you leading your flock today?
Where will you rest your sheep at noon?
For why should I wander like a prostitute[b]
among your friends and their flocks?
Young Man
8 If you don’t know, O most beautiful woman,
follow the trail of my flock,
and graze your young goats by the shepherds’ tents.
9 You are as exciting, my darling,
as a mare among Pharaoh’s stallions.
10 How lovely are your cheeks;
your earrings set them afire!
How lovely is your neck,
enhanced by a string of jewels.
11 We will make for you earrings of gold
and beads of silver.
Young Woman
12 The king is lying on his couch,
enchanted by the fragrance of my perfume.
13 My lover is like a sachet of myrrh
lying between my breasts.
14 He is like a bouquet of sweet henna blossoms
from the vineyards of En-gedi.
Young Man
15 How beautiful you are, my darling,
how beautiful!
Your eyes are like doves.
Young Woman
16 You are so handsome, my love,
pleasing beyond words!
The soft grass is our bed;
17 fragrant cedar branches are the beams of our house,
and pleasant smelling firs are the rafters.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
