New International Version NIV
World English Bible WEB
1 Where has your beloved gone, most beautiful of women? Which way did your beloved turn, that we may look for him with you?
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Where has your beloved gone, you fairest among women? Where has your beloved turned, that we may seek him with you? Beloved
2 My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to browse in the gardens and to gather lilies.
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My beloved has gone down to his garden, To the beds of spices, To feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.
3 I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine; he browses among the lilies.
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I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine. He browses among the lilies,
4 You are as beautiful as Tirzah, my darling, as lovely as Jerusalem, as majestic as troops with banners.
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You are beautiful, my love, as Tirzah, Lovely as Jerusalem, Awesome as an army with banners.
5 Turn your eyes from me; they overwhelm me. Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from Gilead.
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Turn away your eyes from me, For they have overcome me. Your hair is like a flock of goats, That lie along the side of Gilead.
6 Your teeth are like a flock of sheep coming up from the washing. Each has its twin, not one of them is missing.
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Your teeth are like a flock of ewes, Which have come up from the washing; Of which every one has twins; None is bereaved among them.
7 Your temples behind your veil are like the halves of a pomegranate.
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Your temples are like a piece of a pomegranate behind your veil.
8 Sixty queens there may be, and eighty concubines, and virgins beyond number;
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There are sixty queens, eighty concubines, And virgins without number.
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.
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My dove, my perfect one, is unique. She is her mother's only daughter. She is the favorite one of her who bore her. The daughters saw her, and called her blessed, The queens and the concubines, and they praised her.
10 Who is this that appears like the dawn, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, majestic as the stars in procession?
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Who is she who looks forth as the morning, Beautiful as the moon, Clear as the sun, Awesome as an army with banners?
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.
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I went down into the nut tree grove, To see the green plants of the valley, To see whether the vine budded, And the pomegranates were in flower.
12 Before I realized it, my desire set me among the royal chariots of my people.
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Without realizing it, My desire set me with my royal people's chariots. Friends
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?
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Return, return, Shulammite! Return, return, that we may gaze at you. Lover Why do you desire to gaze at the Shulammite, As at the dance of Mahanaim?
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.
The World English Bible is in the public domain.