Revised Standard Version RSV
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 Whither has your beloved gone, O fairest among women? Whither has your beloved turned, that we may seek him with you?
1
Where did your beloved go, most beautiful of women? Where did your beloved turn? We will look for him with you.
2 My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to pasture his flock in the gardens, and to gather lilies.
2
My beloved went to his garden, to the beds of spices, to graze his flock in the gardens and gather lilies.
3 I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine; he pastures his flock among the lilies.
3
I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine. He is the one who grazes his flock among the lilies.
4 You are beautiful as Tirzah, my love, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners.
4
You are beautiful, my true love, like Tirzah, lovely like Jerusalem, awe-inspiring like those great cities.
5 Turn away your eyes from me, for they disturb me--Your hair is like a flock of goats, moving down the slopes of Gilead.
5
Turn your eyes away from me. They enchant me! Your hair is like a flock of goats moving down from Gilead.
6 Your teeth are like a flock of ewes, that have come up from the washing, all of them bear twins, not one among them is bereaved.
6
Your teeth are like a flock of sheep, sheep that come up from the washing. All of them bear twins, and not one has lost its young.
7 Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate behind your veil.
7
Your temples behind your veil are like slices of pomegranate.
8 There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, and maidens without number.
8
There are 60 queens, 80 concubines, and countless virgins,
9 My dove, my perfect one, is only one, the darling of her mother, flawless to her that bore her. The maidens saw her and called her happy; the queens and concubines also, and they praised her.
9
but she is unique, my dove, my perfect one. Her mother thinks she is unique. She is pure to the one who gave birth to her. Her sisters saw her and blessed her. Queens and concubines saw her and praised her.
10 "Who is this that looks forth like the dawn, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army with banners?"
10
Who is this young woman? She looks like the dawn. She is beautiful like the moon, pure like the sun, awe-inspiring like those heavenly bodies.
11 I went down to the nut orchard, to look at the blossoms of the valley, to see whether the vines had budded, whether the pomegranates were in bloom.
11
I went to the walnut grove to look at the blossoms in the valley, to see if the grapevine had budded and if the pomegranates were in bloom.
12 Before I was aware, my fancy set me in a chariot beside my prince.
12
I did not know that I had become like the chariots of my noble people.
13 Return, return, O Shu'lammite, return, return, that we may look upon you. Why should you look upon the Shu'lammite, as upon a dance before two armies?
13
Come back! Come back, young woman from Shulam! Come back! Come back so that we may look at you! Why do you look at me, the young woman from Shulam, as you look at the dance of Mahanaim?
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the 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.
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.