American Standard Version ASV
New International Version NIV
1 Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? Whither hath thy beloved turned him, That we may seek him with thee?
1
Where has your beloved gone, most beautiful of women? Which way did your beloved turn, that we may look for him with you?
2 My beloved is gone down to his garden, To the beds of spices, To feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.
2
My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to browse in the gardens and to gather lilies.
3 I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine; He feedeth [his flock] among the lilies,
3
I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine; he browses among the lilies.
4 Thou art fair, O my love, as Tirzah, Comely as Jerusalem, Terrible as an army with banners.
4
You are as beautiful as Tirzah, my darling, as lovely as Jerusalem, as majestic as troops with banners.
5 Turn away thine eyes from me, For they have overcome me. Thy hair is as a flock of goats, That lie along the side of Gilead.
5
Turn your eyes from me; they overwhelm me. Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from Gilead.
6 Thy teeth are like a flock of ewes, Which are come up from the washing; Whereof every one hath twins, And none is bereaved among them.
6
Your teeth are like a flock of sheep coming up from the washing. Each has its twin, not one of them is missing.
7 Thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate Behind thy veil.
7
Your temples behind your veil are like the halves of a pomegranate.
8 There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, And virgins without number.
8
Sixty queens there may be, and eighty concubines, and virgins beyond number;
9 My dove, my undefiled, is [but] one; She is the only one of her mother; She is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and called her blessed; [Yea], the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.
9
but my dove, my perfect one, is unique, the only daughter of her mother, the favorite of the one who bore her. The young women saw her and called her blessed; the queens and concubines praised her.
10 Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, Fair as the moon, Clear as the sun, Terrible as an army with banners?
10
Who is this that appears like the dawn, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, majestic as the stars in procession?
11 I went down into the garden of nuts, To see the green plants of the valley, To see whether the vine budded, [And] the pomegranates were in flower.
11
I went down to the grove of nut trees to look at the new growth in the valley, to see if the vines had budded or the pomegranates were in bloom.
12 Before I was aware, my soul set me [Among] the chariots of my princely people.
12
Before I realized it, my desire set me among the royal chariots of my people.
13 Return, return, O Shulammite; Return, return, that we may look upon thee. Why will ye look upon the Shulammite, As upon the dance of Mahanaim?
13
Come back, come back, O Shulammite; come back, come back, that we may gaze on you! Why would you gaze on the Shulammite as on the dance of Mahanaim?
The American Standard Version is in the public domain.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.