‏ Song of Solomon 5

1M : I have come to my garden – my sister, my bride.

I gather
Lit pluck
my myrrh with my spices.
I eat my honeycomb with my honey.
I drink my wine with my milk.

N : Eat, friends!
Drink, be intoxicated with love!
Or Drink your fill, lovers
,
c

2 W : I sleep, but my heart is awake.
A sound! My love is knocking! d

M : Open to me, my sister, my darling,
my dove, my perfect one.
For my head is drenched with dew,
my hair with droplets of the night.

3 W : I have taken off my clothing. e
How can I put it back on?
I have washed my feet.
How can I get them dirty?
4 My love thrust his hand through the opening,
and my feelings were stirred for him.
5 I rose to open for my love.
My hands dripped with myrrh, f
my fingers with flowing myrrh
on the handles of the bolt.
6 I opened to my love,
but my love had turned and gone away.
I was crushed
Lit My soul went out
that he had left.
Or spoken

I sought him, but did not find him. i
I called him, but he did not answer.
7 The guards who go about the city found me. j
They beat and wounded me;
they took my cloak
Or veil, or shawl
from me –
the guardians of the walls. l
8 Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you: m
if you find my love,
tell him that I am lovesick. n

9 Y : What makes the one you love better than another,
most beautiful of women? o
What makes him better than another,
that you would give us this charge?

10 W : My love is fit and strong,
Or is radiant and ruddy
,
q
notable among ten thousand. r
11 His head is purest gold.
His hair is wavy
Or is [like] palm leaves; Hb obscure
,
t
and black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves u
beside streams of water,
washed in milk
and set like jewels.
Lit milk sitting in fullness

13 His cheeks w are like beds of spice,
towers of
LXX, Vg read spice, yielding
perfume.
His lips are lilies,
dripping with flowing myrrh. y
14 His arms
Lit hands
are rods of gold
set
Lit filled; Sg 5:2,12
with topaz.
Probably yellow topaz
,
ac
His body
Lit abdomen
is an ivory panel
covered with sapphires. ae
15 His legs are alabaster pillars
set on pedestals of pure gold.
His presence is like Lebanon, af
as majestic as the cedars. ag
16 His mouth is sweetness.
He is absolutely desirable. ah
This is my love, and this is my friend,
young women of Jerusalem.
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