New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 The Song of Songs, which is Solomon's.
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The song of Songs, which is Solomon's.
2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine,
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Let him give me the kisses of his mouth: for his love is better than wine.
3 your anointing oils are fragrant, your name is perfume poured out; therefore the maidens love you.
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Sweet is the smell of your perfumes; your name is as perfume running out; so the young girls give you their love.
4 Draw me after you, let us make haste. The king has brought me into his chambers. We will exult and rejoice in you; we will extol your love more than wine; rightly do they love you.
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Take me to you, and we will go after you: the king has taken me into his house. We will be glad and full of joy in you, we will give more thought to your love than to wine: rightly are they your lovers.
5 I am black and beautiful, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.
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I am dark, but fair of form, O daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
6 Do not gaze at me because I am dark, because the sun has gazed on me. My mother's sons were angry with me; they made me keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept!
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Let not your eyes be turned on me, because I am dark, because I was looked on by the sun; my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vine-gardens; but my vine-garden I have not kept.
7 Tell me, you whom my soul loves, where you pasture your flock, where you make it lie down at noon; for why should I be like one who is veiled beside the flocks of your companions?
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Say, O love of my soul, where you give food to your flock, and where you make them take their rest in the heat of the day; why have I to be as one wandering by the flocks of your friends?
8 If you do not know, O fairest among women, follow the tracks of the flock, and pasture your kids beside the shepherds' tents.
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If you have not knowledge, O most beautiful among women, go on your way in the footsteps of the flock, and give your young goats food by the tents of the keepers.
9 I compare you, my love, to a mare among Pharaoh's chariots.
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I have made a comparison of you, O my love, to a horse in Pharaoh's carriages.
10 Your cheeks are comely with ornaments, your neck with strings of jewels.
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Your face is a delight with rings of hair, your neck with chains of jewels.
11 We will make you ornaments of gold, studded with silver.
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We will make you chains of gold with ornaments of silver.
12 While the king was on his couch, my nard gave forth its fragrance.
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While the king is seated at his table, my spices send out their perfume.
13 My beloved is to me a bag of myrrh that lies between my breasts.
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As a bag of myrrh is my well-loved one to me, when he is at rest all night between my breasts.
14 My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms in the vineyards of En-gedi.
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My love is to me as a branch of the cypress-tree in the vine-gardens of En-gedi.
15 Ah, you are beautiful, my love; ah, you are beautiful; your eyes are doves.
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See, you are fair, my love, you are fair; you have the eyes of a dove.
16 Ah, you are beautiful, my beloved, truly lovely. Our couch is green;
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See, you are fair, my loved one, and a pleasure; our bed is green.
17 the beams of our house are cedar, our rafters are pine.
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Cedar-trees are the pillars of our house; and our boards are made of fir-trees.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.