Song of Solomon 1; Song of Solomon 2; Song of Solomon 3

1 This is the greatest song Solomon ever wrote. A Shulammite woman says to King Solomon,

2 "I long for your lips to kiss me! Your love makes me happier than wine does.

3 The lotion you have on pleases me. Your name is like perfume that is poured out. No wonder the young women love you!

4 Take me away with you. Let us hurry! King Solomon, bring me into your palace." The other women say, "King Solomon, you fill us with joy. You make us happy. We praise your love more than we praise wine." The woman says to the king, "It is right for them to love you!

5 "Women of Jerusalem, my skin is dark but lovely. It is dark like the tents in Kedar. It's like the curtains of Solomon's tent.

6 Don't stare at me because I'm dark. The sun has made my skin look like this. My brothers burned with anger against me. They made me take care of the vineyards. I haven't even taken care of my own vineyard.

7 "King Solomon, I love you. So tell me where you take care of your flock. Tell me where you rest your sheep at noon. Why should I have to act like a prostitute near the flocks of your friends?" The other women say,

8 "You are the most beautiful woman of all. Don't you know where to find the king? Follow the tracks the sheep make. Take care of your young goats near the tents of the shepherds." King Solomon says to the Shulammite woman,

9 "You are my love. You are like a mare that pulls one of Pharaoh's chariots.

10 Your earrings make your cheeks even more beautiful. Your strings of jewels make your neck even more lovely." The other women say to her,

11 "We will make gold earrings for you. We'll decorate them with silver." The woman says,

12 "The king was at his table. My perfume gave off a sweet smell.

13 The one who loves me is like a small bag of myrrh resting between my breasts.

14 He is like henna flowers from the vineyards of En Gedi." The king says,

15 "You are so beautiful, my love! So beautiful! Your eyes are like doves." The woman says,

16 "You are so handsome, my love! So charming! The green field is our bed.

17 Cedar trees above us are the beams of our house. Fir trees overhead are its rafters.

1 "I am like a rose on the coast of Sharon. I'm like a lily in the valleys." The king says,

2 "My love, among the young women you are like a lily among thorns." The woman says,

3 "My love, among the young men you are like an apple tree among the trees of the forest. I'm happy to sit in your shade. Your fruit tastes so sweet to me.

4 You have taken me to the dinner hall. Your banner of love is lifted high above me.

5 Give me some raisins to make me strong. Give me some apples to make me feel like new again. Our love has made me weak.

6 Your left arm is under my head. Your right arm is around me.

7 Women of Jerusalem, take an oath and make me a promise. Let the antelopes and the does serve as witnesses. Don't stir up love. Don't wake it up until it's ready.

8 "Listen! I hear my love! Look! Here he comes! He's leaping across the mountains. He's coming over the hills.

9 The one who loves me is like an antelope or a young deer. Look! There he stands behind our wall. He's gazing through the window. He's peering through the screen.

10 He said to me, 'Rise up, my love. Come with me, my beautiful one.

11 Look! The winter is past. The rains are over and gone.

12 Flowers are appearing on the earth. The season for singing has come. The cooing of doves is heard in our land.

13 The fig trees are producing their early fruit. The flowers on the vines are giving off their sweet smell. Rise up and come, my love. Come with me, my beautiful one.' " The king says,

14 "You are like a dove in an opening in the rocks. You are like a dove in a hiding place on a mountainside. Show me your face. Let me hear your voice. Your voice is so sweet. Your face is so lovely.

15 Catch the foxes for us. Catch the little foxes. They destroy our vineyards. The vineyards are in bloom." The woman says,

16 "My love belongs to me, and I belong to him. Like an antelope, he eats among the lilies.

17 Until the day begins and the shadows fade away, turn to me, my love. Be like an antelope or like a young deer on the rocky hills.

1 "All night long on my bed I searched for the one my heart loves. I looked for him but didn't find him.

2 I will get up. I'll go around in the city. I'll look through all of its streets. I'll search for the one my heart loves. So I looked for him but didn't find him.

3 Those on guard duty found me as they were walking around in the city. 'Have you seen the one my heart loves?' I asked.

4 As soon as I had passed by them I found the one my heart loves. I threw my arms around him. I didn't let him go until I had brought him to my mother's house. I took him to my mother's room.

5 Women of Jerusalem, take an oath and make me a promise. Let the antelopes and the does serve as witnesses. Don't stir up love. Don't wake it up until it's ready." The other women say,

6 "Who is this man coming up from the desert like a column of smoke? He smells like myrrh and incense made from all of the spices of the trader.

7 Look! There's Solomon's movable throne. Sixty soldiers accompany it. They have been chosen from the best warriors in Israel.

8 All of them are wearing swords. They have fought many battles. Each one has his sword at his side. Each is prepared for the terrors of the night.

9 King Solomon made the movable throne for himself. He made it out of wood from Lebanon.

10 He formed its posts out of silver. He made its base out of gold. Its seat was covered with purple cloth. It was decorated inside with loving care by the women of Jerusalem.

11 Women of Zion, come out. Look at King Solomon wearing his crown. His mother placed it on him. She did it on his wedding day. His heart was full of joy."