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Solomon Praises the Beauty of His Bride

[a]Behold, you are beautiful, (A)my darling,
Behold, you are beautiful!
Your (B)eyes are like doves (C)behind your veil;
Your (D)hair is like a flock of goats
That have leapt down from Mount (E)Gilead.
Your (F)teeth are like a flock of newly shorn ewes
Which have come up from their washing,
All of which bear twins,
And not one among them has [b]lost her young.
Your lips are like a (G)scarlet thread,
And your (H)mouth is lovely.
Your (I)temples are like a slice of a pomegranate
Behind your veil.
Your (J)neck is like the tower of David,
Built [c]with rows of stones
On which are (K)hung one thousand shields,
All the small (L)shields of the mighty men.
Your (M)two breasts are like two fawns,
Twins of a gazelle
Which [d](N)feed among the lilies.
(O)Until the day breathes
And the shadows flee,
I will go my way to the mountain of (P)myrrh
And to the hill of (Q)frankincense.

(R)You are altogether beautiful, my darling,
And there is no blemish in you.
Come with me from (S)Lebanon, my (T)bride,
May you come with me from Lebanon.
[e]Journey down from the top of (U)Amana,
From the top of (V)Senir and Hermon,
From the dens of lions,
From the mountains of leopards.
You have made my heart beat faster, (W)my sister, my bride;
You have made my heart beat faster with a single glance of your eyes,
With a single strand of your (X)necklace.
10 (Y)How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride!
How much (Z)better is your love than wine,
And the (AA)fragrance of your oils
Than all kinds of [f]spices!
11 Your lips, my bride, (AB)drip (AC)honey from the comb;
Honey and milk are under your tongue,
And the fragrance of your garments is like the (AD)fragrance of Lebanon.
12 A garden locked is my sister, my bride,
A [g]rock garden locked, a (AE)spring (AF)sealed up.
13 Your shoots are [h]an (AG)orchard of (AH)pomegranates
With (AI)choice fruits, (AJ)henna with nard plants,
14 (AK)Nard and saffron, calamus and (AL)cinnamon,
With all the trees of (AM)frankincense,
(AN)Myrrh and aloes, along with all the finest [i]spices.
15 You are a garden spring,
A well of [j](AO)fresh water,
And streams flowing from Lebanon.”

16 [k]Awake, O north wind,
And come, wind of the south;
Make my (AP)garden breathe out fragrance,
Let its [l]spices flow forth.
May (AQ)my beloved come into his garden
And eat its (AR)choice fruits!”

Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 4:1 BRIDEGROOM
  2. Song of Songs 4:2 Or miscarried
  3. Song of Songs 4:4 Or for an arsenal
  4. Song of Songs 4:5 Lit shepherd, cf. Song 1:7, 8; 2:16; 6:2
  5. Song of Songs 4:8 Or Look
  6. Song of Songs 4:10 Or balsam odors
  7. Song of Songs 4:12 Lit stone heap
  8. Song of Songs 4:13 Or a park, a paradise
  9. Song of Songs 4:14 Or balsam odors
  10. Song of Songs 4:15 Lit living
  11. Song of Songs 4:16 BRIDE
  12. Song of Songs 4:16 Or balsam odors