New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 I come to my garden, my sister, my bride; I gather my myrrh with my spice, I eat my honeycomb with my honey, I drink my wine with my milk. Eat, friends, drink, and be drunk with love.
1
I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; to take my myrrh with my spice; my wax with my honey; my wine with my milk. Take meat, O friends; take wine, yes, be overcome with love.
2 I slept, but my heart was awake. Listen! my beloved is knocking. "Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one; for my head is wet with dew, my locks with the drops of the night."
2
I am sleeping, but my heart is awake; it is the sound of my loved one at the door, saying, Be open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my very beautiful one; my head is wet with dew, and my hair with the drops of the night.
3 I had put off my garment; how could I put it on again? I had bathed my feet; how could I soil them?
3
I have put off my coat; how may I put it on? My feet are washed; how may I make them unclean?
4 My beloved thrust his hand into the opening, and my inmost being yearned for him.
4
My loved one put his hand on the door, and my heart was moved for him.
5 I arose to open to my beloved, and my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh, upon the handles of the bolt.
5
I got up to let my loved one in; and my hands were dropping with myrrh, and my fingers with liquid myrrh, on the lock of the door.
6 I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had turned and was gone. My soul failed me when he spoke. I sought him, but did not find him; I called him, but he gave no answer.
6
I made the door open to my loved one; but my loved one had taken himself away, and was gone, my soul was feeble when his back was turned on me; I went after him, but I did not come near him; I said his name, but he gave me no answer.
7 Making their rounds in the city the sentinels found me; they beat me, they wounded me, they took away my mantle, those sentinels of the walls.
7
The keepers who go about the town overtook me; they gave me blows and wounds; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.
8 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, tell him this: I am faint with love.
8
I say to you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you see my loved one, what will you say to him? That I am overcome with love.
9 What is your beloved more than another beloved, O fairest among women? What is your beloved more than another beloved, that you thus adjure us?
9
What is your loved one more than another, O fairest among women? What is your loved one more than another, that you say this to us?
10 My beloved is all radiant and ruddy, distinguished among ten thousand.
10
My loved one is white and red, the chief among ten thousand.
11 His head is the finest gold; his locks are wavy, black as a raven.
11
His head is as the most delicate gold; his hair is thick, and black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves beside springs of water, bathed in milk, fitly set.
12
His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the water streams, washed with milk, and rightly placed.
13 His cheeks are like beds of spices, yielding fragrance. His lips are lilies, distilling liquid myrrh.
13
His face is as beds of spices, giving out perfumes of every sort; his lips like lilies, dropping liquid myrrh.
14 His arms are rounded gold, set with jewels. His body is ivory work, encrusted with sapphires.
14
His hands are as rings of gold ornamented with beryl-stones; his body is as a smooth plate of ivory covered with sapphires.
15 His legs are alabaster columns, set upon bases of gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, choice as the cedars.
15
His legs are as pillars of stone on a base of delicate gold; his looks are as Lebanon, beautiful as the cedar-tree.
16 His speech is most sweet, and he is altogether desirable. This is my beloved and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
16
His mouth is most sweet; yes, he is all beautiful. This is my loved one, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
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.