The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 I am but a rose from the Sharon, just a lily in the valleys.
1
I am a rose of Sharon, a flower of the valleys.
2 [He] Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the other women.
2
As the lily-flower among the thorns of the waste, so is my love among the daughters.
3 [She] Like an apple tree among the other trees in the forest is my darling among the other men. I love to sit in his shadow; his fruit is sweet to my taste.
3
As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, so is my loved one among the sons. I took my rest under his shade with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
4 He brings me to the banquet hall; his banner over me is love.
4
He took me to the house of wine, and his flag over me was love.
5 Sustain me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am sick with love.
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Make me strong with wine-cakes, let me be comforted with apples; I am overcome with love.
6 [I wish] his left arm [were] under my head, and his right arm around me.
6
His left hand is under my head, and his right hand is round about me.
7 I warn you, daughters of Yerushalayim, by the gazelles and deer in the wilds, not to awaken or stir up love until it wants to arise!
7
I say to you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes of the field, do not let love be moved till it is ready.
8 The voice of the man I love! Here he comes, bounding over the mountains, skipping over the hills!
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The voice of my loved one! See, he comes dancing on the mountains, stepping quickly on the hills.
9 My darling is like a gazelle or young stag. There he is, standing outside our wall, looking in through the windows, peering in through the lattice.
9
My loved one is like a roe; see, he is on the other side of our wall, he is looking in at the windows, letting himself be seen through the spaces.
10 My darling speaks; he is saying to me, "Get up, my love! My beauty! Come away!
10
My loved one said to me, Get up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
11 For you see that the winter has passed, the rain is finished and gone,
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For, see, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
12 the flowers are appearing in the countryside, the time has come for [the birds] to sing, and the cooing of doves can be heard in the land.
12
The flowers are come on the earth; the time of cutting the vines is come, and the voice of the dove is sounding in our land;
13 The fig trees are forming their unripe figs, and the grapevines in bloom give out their perfume. Get up, my love, my beauty! Come away!"
13
The fig-tree puts out her green fruit and the vines with their young fruit give a good smell. Get up from your bed, my beautiful one, and come away.
14 [He] My dove, hiding in holes in the rock, in the secret recesses of the cliff, let me see your face and hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.
14
O my dove, you are in the holes of the mountain sides, in the cracks of the high hills; let me see your face, let your voice come to my ears; for sweet is your voice, and your face is fair.
15 [She] "Catch the foxes for us, yes, the little foxes! They are ruining the vineyards when our vineyards are in bloom!"
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Take for us the foxes, the little foxes, which do damage to the vines; our vines have young grapes.
16 My darling is mine, and I am his, as he pastures his flock among the lilies.
16
My loved one is mine, and I am his: he takes his food among the flowers.
17 Before the daytime breeze rises and the shadows flee, return, my love, like a stag or gazelle on the hills of Beter.
17
Till the evening comes, and the sky slowly becomes dark, come, my loved one, and be like a roe on the mountains of Bether.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.