The Bride’s Troubled Dream

“On my bed night after night I sought him
(A)Whom my soul loves;
I (B)sought him but did not find him.
[a]I must arise now and [b]go around in the city;
In the (C)streets and in the public squares
[c]I must seek him whom my soul loves.’
I sought him but did not find him.
(D)The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me,
And I said, ‘Have you seen him whom my soul loves?’
(E)Hardly had I [d]left them
When I found him whom my soul loves;
I (F)held on to him and would not let him go
Until I had (G)brought him to my mother’s house,
And into the room of her who conceived me.”

The Groom

(H)Swear to me, you daughters of Jerusalem,
By the (I)gazelles or by the does of the field,
That you will not disturb or awaken my love
Until she pleases.”

Solomon’s Wedding Day

The Bride

[e](J)What is this coming up from the wilderness
Like (K)columns of smoke,
Perfumed with (L)myrrh and (M)frankincense,
With all the scented powders of the merchant?

The Chorus

Behold, it is [f]the traveling couch of Solomon;
Sixty warriors around it,
Of the warriors of Israel.
All of them are wielders of the sword,
(N)Expert in war;
Each man has his (O)sword at his side,
Guarding against the [g](P)terrors of the night.
King Solomon has made for himself a [h]sedan chair
From the timber of Lebanon.
10 He made its posts of silver,
Its [i]back of gold
And its seat of purple fabric,
With its interior lovingly inlaid
By the (Q)daughters of Jerusalem.
11 Go out, you (R)daughters of Zion,
And look at King Solomon with the [j]crown
With which his mother has crowned him
On the (S)day of his wedding,
And on the day of the joy of his heart.”

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 3:2 Or Let me arise
  2. Song of Solomon 3:2 Or Let me go about
  3. Song of Solomon 3:2 Or Let me seek
  4. Song of Solomon 3:4 Lit passed
  5. Song of Solomon 3:6 Lit Who
  6. Song of Solomon 3:7 I.e., an elegant couch designed to be carried with poles by servants
  7. Song of Solomon 3:8 Lit terror in the nights
  8. Song of Solomon 3:9 I.e., an elegant throne with poles, carried by servants
  9. Song of Solomon 3:10 Or support
  10. Song of Solomon 3:11 Or wreath

All night long on my bed
    I looked(A) for the one my heart loves;
    I looked for him but did not find him.
I will get up now and go about the city,
    through its streets and squares;
I will search for the one my heart loves.
    So I looked for him but did not find him.
The watchmen found me
    as they made their rounds in the city.(B)
    “Have you seen the one my heart loves?”
Scarcely had I passed them
    when I found the one my heart loves.
I held him and would not let him go
    till I had brought him to my mother’s house,(C)
    to the room of the one who conceived me.(D)
Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you(E)
    by the gazelles and by the does of the field:
Do not arouse or awaken love
    until it so desires.(F)

Who is this coming up from the wilderness(G)
    like a column of smoke,
perfumed with myrrh(H) and incense
    made from all the spices(I) of the merchant?
Look! It is Solomon’s carriage,
    escorted by sixty warriors,(J)
    the noblest of Israel,
all of them wearing the sword,
    all experienced in battle,
each with his sword at his side,
    prepared for the terrors of the night.(K)
King Solomon made for himself the carriage;
    he made it of wood from Lebanon.
10 Its posts he made of silver,
    its base of gold.
Its seat was upholstered with purple,
    its interior inlaid with love.
Daughters of Jerusalem, 11 come out,
    and look, you daughters of Zion.(L)
Look[a] on King Solomon wearing a crown,
    the crown with which his mother crowned him
on the day of his wedding,
    the day his heart rejoiced.(M)

Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 3:11 Or interior lovingly inlaid / by the daughters of Jerusalem. / 11 Come out, you daughters of Zion, / and look