Psa 45:9-17, Song, Isa 54:5, 62:4-5, Joh 3:29, 2Cor 11:2 | ESV | STEP | daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor ; at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir .

9 daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor;
^aat your right hand stands the queen in ^bgold of Ophir.
10 Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear:
forget your people and your father’s house,
11 and the king will desire your beauty.
Since he is your ^clord, ^dbow to him.
12 The people ^{▼▼Hebrew daughter} of Tyre will ^fseek your favor with ^ggifts,
^hthe richest of the people. ^{▼▼Or The daughter of Tyre is here with gifts, the richest of people seek your favor}
13 All glorious is ^jthe princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold.
14 ^kIn many-colored robes ^lshe is led to the king,
with her virgin companions following behind her.
15 With joy and gladness they are led along
as they enter the palace of the king.
16 In place of your fathers shall be your sons;
you will make them ^mprinces in all the earth.
17 ⁿI will cause your name to be remembered in all generations;
therefore nations will praise you forever and ever.

According to the most common interpretation, the Song of Solomon is a collection of love poems between a man and a woman, celebrating the sexual relationship God intended for marriage. God established marriage, including the physical union of a husband and wife (Gen. 2:18-25), and Israelite wisdom literature treasures this aspect of marriage as the appropriate expression of human sexuality (Prov. 5:15-20). The Song of Solomon has also been understood as an illustration of the mutual love of Christ and his church. It is possible that Solomon (tenth century b.c.) is the author (1:1). However, this verse could mean that the Song was dedicated to Solomon or was written about him, and therefore many scholars regard the book as anonymous.

Song of Solomon 1

1 The Song of ^oSongs, which is Solomon’s.

The Bride Confesses Her Love

She ^{▼▼The translators have added speaker identifications based on the gender and number of the Hebrew words}

2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your ^qlove is better than wine;
3 your ^ranointing oils are fragrant;
your ^sname is oil poured out;
therefore virgins love you.
4 ^tDraw me after you; ^ulet us run.
^vThe king has brought me into his chambers.

Others

We will ^wexult and rejoice in you;
we will extol ^xyour love more than wine;
rightly do they love you.

She

5 I am very dark, but ^ylovely,
O ^zdaughters of Jerusalem,
like ^aathe tents of ^abKedar,
like the curtains of Solomon.
6 Do not gaze at me because I am dark,
because the sun has looked upon me.
My ^acmother’s sons were angry with me;
they made me ^adkeeper of ^aethe vineyards,
but ^afmy own vineyard I have not kept!
7 Tell me, you ^agwhom my soul loves,
where you ^ahpasture your flock,
where you make it ^ailie down at noon;
for why should I be like one who veils herself
beside the flocks of your ^ajcompanions?

Solomon and His Bride Delight in Each Other

He

8 If you do not know,
O ^akmost beautiful among women,
follow in the tracks of the flock,
and pasture your young goats
beside the shepherds’ tents.
9 I compare you, ^almy love,
to ^ama mare among Pharaoh’s chariots.
10 ^anYour cheeks are lovely with ornaments,
your neck with strings of jewels.

Others

11 We will make for you ^{▼▼The Hebrew for you is feminine singular} ornaments of gold,
studded with silver.

She

12 While ^apthe king was on his couch,
my ^aqnard gave forth its fragrance.
13 My beloved is to me a sachet of ^armyrrh
that lies between my breasts.
14 My beloved is to me a cluster of ^ashenna blossoms
in the vineyards of ^atEngedi.

He

15 ^auBehold, ^avyou are beautiful, ^awmy love;
behold, you are beautiful;
your ^axeyes are doves.

She

16 Behold, you are beautiful, ^aymy beloved, truly ^azdelightful.
Our couch is green;
17 the beams of our house are ^bacedar;
our rafters are ^bbpine.

Song of Solomon 2

1 I am a rose ^{▼▼Probably a bulb, such as a crocus, asphodel, or narcissus} of Sharon,
^bda lily of the valleys.

He

2 As a lily among brambles,
so is ^bemy love among the young women.

She

3 As an apple tree among the trees of the forest,
so is my ^bfbeloved among the young men.
With great delight I sat ^bgin his shadow,
and his ^bhfruit was sweet to my taste.
4 He ^bibrought me to the banqueting house, ^{▼▼Hebrew the house of wine}
and his ^bkbanner over me was love.
5 Sustain me with ^blraisins;
refresh me with apples,
^bmfor I am sick with love.
6 His ^bnleft hand is under my head,
and his right hand ^boembraces me!
7 I ^bpadjure you, ^{▼▼That is, I put you on oath; so throughout the Song} O ^brdaughters of Jerusalem,
by ^bsthe gazelles or the does of the field,
that you not stir up or awaken love
until it pleases.

The Bride Adores Her Beloved

8 The voice of my beloved!
Behold, he comes,
leaping ^btover the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
9 My beloved is like ^bua gazelle
or a young stag.
Behold, there he stands
behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
looking through the lattice.
10 My beloved speaks and says to me:
^bv“Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away,
11 for behold, the winter is past;
^bwthe rain is over and gone.
12 ^bxThe flowers appear on the earth,
the time of singing ^{▼▼Or pruning} has come,
and the voice of ^bzthe turtledove
is heard in our land.
13 ^caThe fig tree ripens its figs,
and ^cbthe vines are in blossom;
they give forth fragrance.
^ccArise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away.
14 O my ^cddove, in the ^ceclefts of the rock,
in the crannies of the cliff,
let me see your face,
let me ^cfhear your voice,
for your voice is sweet,
and your face is ^cglovely.
15 Catch ^chthe foxes ^{▼▼Or jackals} for us,
the little foxes
that spoil the vineyards,
^cjfor our vineyards are in blossom.”
16 ^ckMy beloved is mine, and I am his;
he ^clgrazes ^{▼▼Or he pastures his flock} among the lilies.
17 Until ^cnthe day breathes
and ^cothe shadows flee,
turn, my beloved, be like ^cpa gazelle
or a young stag on cleft mountains. ^{▼▼Or mountains of Bether}

Song of Solomon 3

The Bride’s Dream

1 On my bed ^crby night
I sought ^cshim whom my soul loves;
^ctI sought him, but found him not.
2 I will rise now and go about the city,
in ^cuthe streets and in the squares;
I will seek ^cvhim whom my soul loves.
I sought him, but found him not.
3 ^cwThe watchmen found me
as they went about in the city.
“Have you seen him whom my soul loves?”
4 Scarcely had I passed them
when I found ^cxhim whom my soul loves.
I ^cyheld him, and would not let him go
until I had ^czbrought him into my mother’s house,
and into the chamber of ^daher who conceived me.
5 ^dbI adjure you, ^dcO daughters of Jerusalem,
^ddby the gazelles or the does of the field,
that you not stir up or awaken love
until it pleases.

Solomon Arrives for the Wedding

6 ^deWhat is that coming up from the wilderness
like ^dfcolumns of smoke,
perfumed with ^dgmyrrh and frankincense,
with all the fragrant powders of a merchant?
7 Behold, it is the litter ^{▼▼That is, the couch on which servants carry a king} of Solomon!
Around it are ^disixty ^djmighty men,
some of the mighty men of Israel,
8 all of them wearing swords
and expert in war,
each with his ^dksword at his thigh,
against ^dlterror by night.
9 King Solomon made himself a carriage ^{▼▼Or sedan chair}
from the wood of Lebanon.
10 He made its posts of silver,
its back of gold, its seat of purple;
its interior was inlaid with love
by ^dnthe daughters of Jerusalem.
11 Go out, O ^dodaughters of Zion,
and look upon King Solomon,
with the crown with which his mother crowned him
on ^dpthe day of his wedding,
on the day of the gladness of his heart.

Song of Solomon 4

Solomon Admires His Bride’s Beauty

He

1 Behold, ^dqyou are beautiful, my love,
behold, you are beautiful!
^drYour eyes are doves
^dsbehind your veil.
^dtYour hair is like a flock of goats
leaping down ^duthe slopes of Gilead.
2 Your ^dvteeth are like a flock of shorn ewes
that have come up from the washing,
all of which bear twins,
and not one among them has lost its young.
3 Your lips are like ^dwa scarlet thread,
and your mouth is ^dxlovely.
Your ^dycheeks are like halves of a pomegranate
^dzbehind your veil.
4 Your ^eaneck is like the tower of David,
built in ^ebrows of stone; ^{▼▼The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain}
on it ^edhang a thousand shields,
all of ^eethem shields of warriors.
5 Your ^eftwo breasts are like two ^egfawns,
twins of a gazelle,
that ^ehgraze among the lilies.
6 ^eiUntil the day breathes
and the shadows flee,
I will go away to the mountain of ^ejmyrrh
and the hill of ^ekfrankincense.
7 ^elYou are altogether beautiful, my love;
there is no ^emflaw in you.
8 ^enCome with me from ^eoLebanon, my ^epbride;
come with me from ^eqLebanon.
Depart ^{▼▼Or Look} from the peak of Amana,
from the peak of ^esSenir and ^etHermon,
from the dens of lions,
from the mountains of leopards.
9 You have captivated my heart, my ^eusister, my bride;
you have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes,
with one ^evjewel of your necklace.
10 How beautiful is your love, my ^ewsister, my bride!
How much ^exbetter is your love than wine,
and ^eythe fragrance of your oils than any spice!
11 Your ^ezlips drip nectar, my bride;
^fahoney and milk are under your tongue;
the fragrance of your garments is ^fblike the fragrance of ^fcLebanon.
12 A garden locked is my ^fdsister, my bride,
a spring locked, ^fea fountain ^ffsealed.
13 Your shoots are ^fgan orchard of pomegranates
with all ^fhchoicest fruits,
^fihenna with ^fjnard,
14 nard and saffron, ^fkcalamus and ^flcinnamon,
with all trees of ^fmfrankincense,
^fnmyrrh and ^foaloes,
with all ^fpchoice spices—
15 a garden fountain, a well of ^fqliving water,
and flowing streams from ^frLebanon.
16 Awake, O north wind,
and come, O south wind!
Blow upon my ^fsgarden,
let its spices flow.

Together in the Garden of Love

She

^ftLet my beloved come to his ^fugarden,
and eat its ^fvchoicest fruits.

Song of Solomon 5

He

1 I ^fwcame to my garden, my ^fxsister, my bride,
I gathered my ^fymyrrh with my spice,
I ate my ^fzhoneycomb with my honey,
I ^gadrank my wine with my milk.

Others

Eat, ^gbfriends, drink,
and be drunk with love!

The Bride Searches for Her Beloved

She

2 I slept, but my heart was awake.
A sound! My beloved is ^gcknocking.
“Open to me, my ^gdsister, my ^gelove,
my ^gfdove, my ^ggperfect one,
for my head is wet with dew,
my ^ghlocks with the drops of the night.”
3 ^giI had put off my garment;
how could I put it on?
I had ^gjbathed my feet;
how could I soil them?
4 My beloved put his hand to the latch,
and my heart was thrilled within me.
5 I arose to open to my beloved,
and my hands dripped with myrrh,
my fingers with ^gkliquid myrrh,
on the handles of the bolt.
6 I opened to my beloved,
but my beloved had turned and gone.
My soul failed me when he ^glspoke.
^gmI sought him, but found him not;
^gnI called him, but he gave no answer.
7 ^goThe watchmen found me
as they went about in the city;
they beat me, they bruised me,
they took away my veil,
those watchmen of the walls.
8 I ^gpadjure you, O ^gqdaughters of Jerusalem,
if you find my beloved,
that you tell him
^grI am sick with love.

Others

9 What is your beloved more than another beloved,
O ^gsmost beautiful among women?
What is your beloved more than another beloved,
that you thus ^gtadjure us?

The Bride Praises Her Beloved

She

10 My beloved is radiant and ^guruddy,
^gvdistinguished among ten thousand.
11 His head is the finest gold;
^gwhis locks are wavy,
black as a raven.
12 His ^gxeyes are like doves
beside streams of water,
bathed in milk,
sitting beside a full pool. ^{▼▼The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain}
13 His ^gzcheeks are like ^habeds of spices,
mounds of sweet-smelling herbs.
His lips are ^hblilies,
dripping ^hcliquid myrrh.
14 His arms are rods of gold,
set with ^hdjewels.
His body is polished ivory, ^{▼▼The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain}
bedecked with ^hfsapphires. ^{▼▼Hebrew lapis lazuli}
15 His legs are alabaster columns,
set on bases of gold.
His appearance is like ^hhLebanon,
choice as the cedars.
16 His ^himouth ^{▼▼Hebrew palate} is most sweet,
and he is altogether desirable.
This is my beloved and this is my friend,
O ^hkdaughters of Jerusalem.

Song of Solomon 6

Others

1 Where has your beloved gone,
O ^hlmost beautiful among women?
Where has your beloved turned,
that we may seek him with you?

Together in the Garden of Love

She

2 My beloved has gone down to his ^hmgarden
to ^hnthe beds of spices,
to ^hograze ^{▼▼Or to pasture his flock; also verse 3} in the gardens
and to gather ^hqlilies.
3 ^hrI am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine;
he grazes among the lilies.

Solomon and His Bride Delight in Each Other

He

4 You are beautiful as ^hsTirzah, ^htmy love,
^hulovely as ^hvJerusalem,
^hwawesome as an army with banners.
5 Turn away your eyes from me,
for they overwhelm me—
^hxYour hair is like a flock of goats
leaping down the slopes of Gilead.
6 ^hyYour teeth are like a flock of ewes
that have come up from the washing;
all of them bear twins;
not one among them has lost its young.
7 ^hzYour cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate
behind your veil.
8 There are ^iasixty ^ibqueens and eighty ^icconcubines,
and ^idvirgins without number.
9 My ^iedove, my ^ifperfect one, is the only one,
the only one of her mother,
pure to ^igher who bore her.
^ihThe young women saw her and called her blessed;
ⁱⁱthe queens and ^ijconcubines also, and they praised her.
10 ^ik“Who is this who looks down like the dawn,
beautiful as the moon, bright as the sun,
^ilawesome as an army with banners?”

She

11 I went down to the nut orchard
to look at ^imthe blossoms of the valley,
ⁱⁿto see whether the vines had budded,
whether the pomegranates were in bloom.
12 ^ioBefore I was aware, my desire set me
among ^ipthe chariots of my kinsman, a prince. ^{▼▼Or chariots of Ammi-Nadib}

Others

13 ^{▼▼Ch 7:1 in Hebrew} Return, return, O ^isShulammite,
return, return, that we may look upon you.

He

Why should you look upon ^itthe Shulammite,
as upon ^iua dance before ^ivtwo armies? ^{▼▼Or dance of Mahanaim}

Song of Solomon 7

1 How beautiful are your feet in sandals,
O ^ixnoble daughter!
Your rounded thighs are like ^iyjewels,
the work of ^iza master hand.
2 Your navel is a rounded bowl
that never lacks mixed wine.
Your belly is a heap of wheat,
encircled with ^jalilies.
3 ^jbYour two breasts are like two fawns,
twins of a gazelle.
4 Your ^jcneck is like an ivory tower.
Your ^jdeyes are pools in ^jeHeshbon,
by the gate of Bath-rabbim.
Your nose is like a tower of ^jfLebanon,
which looks toward ^jgDamascus.
5 Your head crowns you like ^jhCarmel,
and your ^jiflowing locks are like purple;
a king is held captive in the tresses.
6 ^jjHow beautiful and ^jkpleasant you are,
O loved one, with all your delights! ^{▼▼Or among delights}
7 Your stature is like a palm tree,
and your breasts are like its clusters.
8 I say I will climb the palm tree
and lay hold of its fruit.
Oh may your breasts be like ^jmclusters of the vine,
and the scent of your breath like apples,
9 and your ^jnmouth ^{▼▼Hebrew palate} like the best wine.

She

It goes down smoothly for my beloved,
gliding over lips and teeth. ^{▼▼Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew causing the lips of sleepers to speak}
10 ^jqI am my beloved’s,
^jrand his desire is for me.

The Bride Gives Her Love

11 ^jsCome, my beloved,
let us go out into the fields
and lodge in the villages; ^{▼▼Or among the henna plants}
12 let us go out early to the vineyards
^juand see whether the vines have budded,
whether ^jvthe grape blossoms have opened
and the pomegranates are in bloom.
There I will give you my love.
13 ^jwThe mandrakes give forth fragrance,
and beside our doors are all choice fruits,
^jxnew as well as old,
which I have laid up for you, O my beloved.

Song of Solomon 8

Longing for Her Beloved

1 Oh that you were like a brother to me
who nursed at my mother’s breasts!
If I found you outside, I would kiss you,
and none would despise me.
2 I would lead you and ^jybring you
into the house of my mother—
she who used to teach me.
I would give you ^jzspiced wine to drink,
the juice of my pomegranate.
3 ^kaHis left hand is under my head,
and his right hand embraces me!
4 I ^kbadjure you, O ^kcdaughters of Jerusalem,
^kdthat you not stir up or awaken love
until it pleases.
5 ^keWho is that coming up from the wilderness,
leaning on her beloved?
Under the apple tree I awakened you.
There your mother was in labor with you;
there she who bore you was in labor.
6 Set me as a seal upon your heart,
as ^kfa seal upon your arm,
for ^kglove is strong as death,
^khjealousy ^{▼▼Or ardor} is fierce as the grave. ^{▼▼Hebrew as Sheol}
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
the very ^kkflame of the Lord.
7 Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can floods drown it.
If a man offered for love
all the wealth of his ^klhouse,
he ^{▼▼Or it} would be utterly despised.

Final Advice

Others

8 We have a little sister,
and she ^knhas no breasts.
What shall we do for our sister
on the day when she is spoken for?
9 If she is a wall,
we will build on her a battlement of silver,
but if she is a door,
we will enclose her with ^koboards of cedar.

She

10 ^kpI was a wall,
and my ^kqbreasts were like towers;
then I was in his eyes
as one who finds ^{▼▼Or brings out} peace.
11 Solomon had ^ksa vineyard at Baal-hamon;
he ^ktlet out the vineyard to ^kukeepers;
each one was to bring for its fruit ^kva thousand pieces of silver.
12 My vineyard, my very own, is before me;
you, O Solomon, may have the thousand,
and ^kwthe keepers of the fruit two hundred.

He

13 ^kxO you who dwell in the gardens,
with ^kycompanions listening for your voice;
^kzlet me hear it.

She

14 ^laMake haste, my beloved,
and be ^lblike a gazelle
or a young stag
on ^lcthe mountains of spices.

Isaiah 54:5

5 ^ldFor your Maker is your husband,
the Lord of hosts is his name;
^leand the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
^lfthe God of the whole earth he is called.

Isaiah 62:4-5

4 ^lgYou shall no more be termed ^lhForsaken, ^{▼▼Hebrew Azubah}
and your land shall no more be termed Desolate, ^{▼▼Hebrew Shemamah}
^lkbut you shall be called ^llMy Delight Is in Her, ^{▼▼Hebrew Hephzibah}
and your land Married; ^{▼▼Hebrew Beulah}
for the Lord delights in you,
and your land shall be married.
5 For as a young man marries a young woman,
so ^loshall your sons marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so ^lpshall your God rejoice over you.

John 3:29

29 ^lqThe one who has the bride is the bridegroom. ^lrThe friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, ^lsrejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.

2 Corinthians 11:2

2 For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since ^ltI betrothed you to one husband, ^luto present you ^lvas a pure virgin to Christ.

Psalms 45:9-17

Song of Solomon 1

The Bride Confesses Her Love

She ▼▼The translators have added speaker identifications based on the gender and number of the Hebrew words

Others

She

Solomon and His Bride Delight in Each Other

He

Others

She

He

She

Song of Solomon 2

He

She

The Bride Adores Her Beloved

Song of Solomon 3

The Bride’s Dream

Solomon Arrives for the Wedding

Song of Solomon 4

Solomon Admires His Bride’s Beauty

He

Together in the Garden of Love

She

Song of Solomon 5

He

Others

The Bride Searches for Her Beloved

She

Others

The Bride Praises Her Beloved

She

Song of Solomon 6

Others

Together in the Garden of Love

She

Solomon and His Bride Delight in Each Other

He

She

Others

He

Song of Solomon 7

She

The Bride Gives Her Love

Song of Solomon 8

Longing for Her Beloved

Final Advice

Others

She

He

She

Isaiah 54:5

Isaiah 62:4-5

John 3:29

2 Corinthians 11:2

She ^{▼▼The translators have added speaker identifications based on the gender and number of the Hebrew words}