Song of Songs 1-8 - Prayer Tents

Song of Songs 1

1This is Solomon’s song of songs, more wonderful than any other.H7892H7892H80102[Young Woman] Kiss me and kiss me again, for your love is sweeter than wine.H5401H5390H6310H1730H2896H31963How fragrant your cologne; your name is like its spreading fragrance. No wonder all the young women love you!H7381H2896H8081H8034H8081H7324H5959H1574Take me with you; come, let’s run! The king has brought me into his bedroom. [Young Women of Jerusalem] How happy we are for you, O king. We praise your love even more than wine. [Young Woman] How right they are to adore you.H4900H7323H310H4428H935H2315H1523H8055H2142H1730H3196H4339H1575I am dark but beautiful, O women of Jerusalem—dark as the tents of Kedar, dark as the curtains of Solomon’s tents.H7838H5000H1323H3389H168H6938H3407H80106Don’t stare at me because I am dark—the sun has darkened my skin. My brothers were angry with me; they forced me to care for their vineyards, so I couldn’t care for myself—my own vineyard.H7200H7840H8121H7805H517H1121H2787H7760H5201H3754H3754H52017Tell me, my love, where are you leading your flock today? Where will you rest your sheep at noon? For why should I wander like a prostitute among your friends and their flocks?H5046H5315H157H7462H349H7257H6672H4100H5844H5739H22708[Young Man] If you don’t know, O most beautiful woman, follow the trail of my flock, and graze your young goats by the shepherds’ tents.H3045H3303H802H3318H6119H6629H7462H1429H7462H49089You are as exciting, my darling, as a mare among Pharaoh’s stallions.H1819H7474H5484H6547H739310How lovely are your cheeks; your earrings set them afire! How lovely is your neck, enhanced by a string of jewels.H3895H4998H8447H6677H273711We will make for you earrings of gold and beads of silver.H6213H8447H2091H5351H370112[Young Woman] The king is lying on his couch, enchanted by the fragrance of my perfume.H4428H4524H5373H5414H738113My lover is like a sachet of myrrh lying between my breasts.H6872H4753H1730H3885H769914He is like a bouquet of sweet henna blossoms from the vineyards of En-gedi.H1730H811H3724H3754H587215[Young Man] How beautiful you are, my darling, how beautiful! Your eyes are like doves.H3303H7474H3303H3123H586916[Young Woman] You are so handsome, my love, pleasing beyond words! The soft grass is our bed;H3303H1730H5273H6210H748817fragrant cedar branches are the beams of our house, and pleasant smelling firs are the rafters.H6982H1004H730H7351H7351H1266

Song of Songs 2

2[Young Woman] I am the spring crocus blooming on the Sharon Plain, the lily of the valley.H2261H8289H7799H6010 2[Young Man] Like a lily among thistles is my darling among young women.H7799H2336H7474H1323 3[Young Woman] Like the finest apple tree in the orchard is my lover among other young men. I sit in his delightful shade and taste his delicious fruit.H8598H6086H3293H1730H1121H3427H6738H2530H6529H4966H2441 4He escorts me to the banquet hall; it’s obvious how much he loves me.H935H3196H1004H1714H160 5Strengthen me with raisin cakes, refresh me with apples, for I am weak with love.H5564H809H7502H8598H2470H160 6His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me.H8040H7218H3225H2263 7Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, by the gazelles and wild deer, not to awaken love until the time is right.H7650H1323H3389H6643H176H355H7704H5782H5782H160H2654 8Ah, I hear my lover coming! He is leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills.H6963H1730H935H1801H2022H7092H1389 9My lover is like a swift gazelle or a young stag. Look, there he is behind the wall, looking through the window, peering into the room.H1730H1819H6643H6082H354H5975H310H3796H7688H2474H6692H2762 10My lover said to me, “Rise up, my darling! Come away with me, my fair one!H1730H6030H559H6965H7474H3303H3212 11Look, the winter is past, and the rains are over and gone.H5638H5674H1653H2498H1980 12The flowers are springing up, the season of singing birds has come, and the cooing of turtledoves fills the air.H5339H7200H776H6256H2158H5060H6963H8449H8085H776 13The fig trees are forming young fruit, and the fragrant grapevines are blossoming. Rise up, my darling! Come away with me, my fair one!”H8384H2590H6291H1612H5563H5414H7381H6965H7474H3303H3212 14[Young Man] My dove is hiding behind the rocks, behind an outcrop on the cliff. Let me see your face; let me hear your voice. For your voice is pleasant, and your face is lovely. Young Women of JerusalemH3123H2288H5553H5643H4095H7200H4758H8085H6963H6156H6963H4758H5000 15Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin the vineyard of love, for the grapevines are blossoming!H270H7776H6996H7776H2254H3754H3754H5563 16[Young Woman] My lover is mine, and I am his. He browses among the lilies.H1730H7462H7799 17Before the dawn breezes blow and the night shadows flee, return to me, my love, like a gazelle or a young stag on the rugged mountains.H3117H6315H6752H5127H5437H1730H1819H6643H6082H354H2022H1336

Song of Songs 3

3[Young Woman] One night as I lay in bed, I yearned for my lover. I yearned for him, but he did not come.H3915H4904H1245H5315H157H1245H46722So I said to myself, “I will get up and roam the city, searching in all its streets and squares. I will search for the one I love.” So I searched everywhere but did not find him.H6965H5437H5892H7784H7339H1245H5315H157H1245H46723The watchmen stopped me as they made their rounds, and I asked, “Have you seen the one I love?”H8104H5437H5892H4672H7200H5315H1574Then scarcely had I left them when I found my love! I caught and held him tightly, then I brought him to my mother’s house, into my mother’s bed, where I had been conceived.H4592H5674H4672H5315H157H270H7503H935H517H1004H2315H20295Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, by the gazelles and wild deer, not to awaken love until the time is right.H7650H1323H3389H6643H176H355H7704H5782H5782H160H26546[Young Women of Jerusalem] Who is this sweeping in from the wilderness like a cloud of smoke? Who is it, fragrant with myrrh and frankincense and every kind of spice?H5927H4057H8490H6227H6999H4753H3828H81H74027Look, it is Solomon’s carriage, surrounded by sixty heroic men, the best of Israel’s soldiers.H4296H8010H8346H1368H5439H1368H34788They are all skilled swordsmen, experienced warriors. Each wears a sword on his thigh, ready to defend the king against an attack in the night.H270H2719H3925H4421H376H2719H3409H6343H39159King Solomon’s carriage is built of wood imported from Lebanon.H4428H8010H6213H668H6086H384410Its posts are silver, its canopy gold; its cushions are purple. It was decorated with love by the young women of Jerusalem.H6213H5982H3701H7507H2091H4817H713H8432H7528H160H1323H338911[Young Woman] Come out to see King Solomon, young women of Jerusalem. He wears the crown his mother gave him on his wedding day, his most joyous day.H3318H1323H6726H7200H4428H8010H5850H517H5849H3117H2861H3117H8057H3820

Song of Songs 4

4[Young Man] You are beautiful, my darling, beautiful beyond words. Your eyes are like doves behind your veil. Your hair falls in waves, like a flock of goats winding down the slopes of Gilead.H3303H7474H3303H3123H5869H1157H6777H8181H5739H5795H1570H2022H15682Your teeth are as white as sheep, recently shorn and freshly washed. Your smile is flawless, each tooth matched with its twin.H8127H5739H7094H5927H7367H8382H79093Your lips are like scarlet ribbon; your mouth is inviting. Your cheeks are like rosy pomegranates behind your veil.H8193H2339H8144H4057H5000H7541H6400H7416H1157H67774Your neck is as beautiful as the tower of David, jeweled with the shields of a thousand heroes.H6677H4026H1732H1129H8530H8518H505H4043H7982H13685Your breasts are like two fawns, twin fawns of a gazelle grazing among the lilies.H8147H7699H8147H6082H6646H8380H7462H77996Before the dawn breezes blow and the night shadows flee, I will hurry to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense.H3117H6315H6752H5127H3212H2022H4753H1389H38287You are altogether beautiful, my darling, beautiful in every way.H3303H7474H39718Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, come with me from Lebanon. Come down from Mount Amana, from the peaks of Senir and Hermon, where the lions have their dens and leopards live among the hills.H935H3844H3618H3844H7789H7218H549H7218H8149H2768H738H4585H2042H52469You have captured my heart, my treasure, my bride. You hold it hostage with one glance of your eyes, with a single jewel of your necklace.H3823H269H3618H3823H259H5869H259H6060H667710Your love delights me, my treasure, my bride. Your love is better than wine, your perfume more fragrant than spices.H3302H1730H269H3618H2895H1730H3196H7381H8081H131411Your lips are as sweet as nectar, my bride. Honey and milk are under your tongue. Your clothes are scented like the cedars of Lebanon.H8193H3618H5197H5317H1706H2461H3956H7381H8008H7381H384412You are my private garden, my treasure, my bride, a secluded spring, a hidden fountain.H1588H5274H269H3618H1530H5274H4599H285613Your thighs shelter a paradise of pomegranates with rare spices—henna with nard,H7973H6508H7416H4022H6529H3724H537314nard and saffron, fragrant calamus and cinnamon, with all the trees of frankincense, myrrh, and aloes, and every other lovely spice.H5373H3750H7070H7076H6086H3828H4753H174H7218H131415You are a garden fountain, a well of fresh water streaming down from Lebanon’s mountains.H4599H1588H875H2416H4325H5140H384416[Young Woman] Awake, north wind! Rise up, south wind! Blow on my garden and spread its fragrance all around. Come into your garden, my love; taste its finest fruits.H5782H6828H935H8486H6315H1588H1314H5140H1730H935H1588H398H4022H6529

Song of Songs 5

5[Young Man] I have entered my garden, my treasure, my bride! I gather myrrh with my spices and eat honeycomb with my honey. I drink wine with my milk. [Young Women of Jerusalem] Oh, lover and beloved, eat and drink! Yes, drink deeply of your love!H935H1588H269H3618H717H4753H1313H398H3293H1706H8354H3196H2461H398H7453H8354H7937H17302[Young Woman] I slept, but my heart was awake, when I heard my lover knocking and calling: “Open to me, my treasure, my darling, my dove, my perfect one. My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night.”H3463H3820H5782H6963H1730H1849H6605H269H7474H3123H8535H7218H4390H2919H6977H7447H39153But I responded, “I have taken off my robe. Should I get dressed again? I have washed my feet. Should I get them soiled?”H6584H3801H349H3847H7364H7272H349H29364My lover tried to unlatch the door, and my heart thrilled within me.H1730H7971H3027H4480H2356H4578H19935I jumped up to open the door for my love, and my hands dripped with perfume. My fingers dripped with lovely myrrh as I pulled back the bolt.H6965H6605H1730H3027H5197H4753H676H5674H4753H3709H45146I opened to my lover, but he was gone! My heart sank. I searched for him but could not find him anywhere. I called to him, but there was no reply.H6605H1730H1730H2559H5674H5315H3318H1696H1245H4672H7121H60307The night watchmen found me as they made their rounds. They beat and bruised me and stripped off my veil, those watchmen on the walls.H8104H5437H5892H4672H5221H6481H8104H2346H5375H72898Make this promise, O women of Jerusalem—If you find my lover, tell him I am weak with love.H7650H1323H3389H4672H1730H5046H2470H1609[Young Women of Jerusalem] Why is your lover better than all others, O woman of rare beauty? What makes your lover so special that we must promise this?H1730H1730H3303H802H1730H1730H3602H765010[Young Woman] My lover is dark and dazzling, better than ten thousand others!H1730H6703H122H1713H723311His head is finest gold, his wavy hair is black as a raven.H7218H3800H6337H6977H8534H7838H615812His eyes sparkle like doves beside springs of water; they are set like jewels washed in milk.H5869H3123H650H4325H7364H2461H3427H440213His cheeks are like gardens of spices giving off fragrance. His lips are like lilies, perfumed with myrrh.H3895H6170H1314H4840H4026H8193H7799H5197H5674H475314His arms are like rounded bars of gold, set with beryl. His body is like bright ivory, glowing with lapis lazuli.H3027H2091H1550H4390H8658H4578H6247H8127H5968H560115His legs are like marble pillars set in sockets of finest gold. His posture is stately, like the noble cedars of Lebanon.H7785H5982H8336H3245H134H6337H4758H3844H977H73016His mouth is sweetness itself; he is desirable in every way. Such, O women of Jerusalem, is my lover, my friend.H2441H4477H4261H1730H7453H1323H3389

Song of Songs 6

6[Young Women of Jerusalem] Where has your lover gone, O woman of rare beauty? Which way did he turn so we can help you find him?H1730H1980H3303H802H1730H6437H1245 2[Young Woman] My lover has gone down to his garden, to his spice beds, to browse in the gardens and gather the lilies.H1730H3381H1588H6170H1314H7462H1588H3950H7799 3I am my lover’s, and my lover is mine. He browses among the lilies.H1730H1730H7462H7799 4[Young Man] You are beautiful, my darling, like the lovely city of Tirzah. Yes, as beautiful as Jerusalem, as majestic as an army with billowing banners.H3303H7474H8656H5000H3389H366H1713 5Turn your eyes away, for they overpower me. Your hair falls in waves, like a flock of goats winding down the slopes of Gilead.H5437H5869H1992H7292H8181H5739H5795H1570H1568 6Your teeth are as white as sheep that are freshly washed. Your smile is flawless, each tooth matched with its twin.H8127H5739H7353H5927H7367H8382H7909 7Your cheeks are like rosy pomegranates behind your veil.H6400H7416H7541H1157H6777 8Even among sixty queens and eighty concubines and countless young women,H8346H4436H8084H6370H5959H4557 9I would still choose my dove, my perfect one—the favorite of her mother, dearly loved by the one who bore her. The young women see her and praise her; even queens and royal concubines sing her praises.H3123H8535H259H259H517H1249H3205H1323H7200H833H4436H6370H1984 10“Who is this, arising like the dawn, as fair as the moon, as bright as the sun, as majestic as an army with billowing banners?”H8259H7837H3303H3842H1249H2535H366H1713 11I went down to the grove of walnut trees and out to the valley to see the new spring growth, to see whether the grapevines had budded or the pomegranates were in bloom.H3381H1594H93H7200H3H5158H7200H1612H6524H7416H5132 12Before I realized it, I found myself in the royal chariot with my beloved.H3045H5315H7760H4818H5993 13[Young Women of Jerusalem] Return, return to us, O maid of Shulam. Come back, come back, that we may see you again. [Young Man] Why do you stare at this young woman of Shulam, as she moves so gracefully between two lines of dancers?H7725H7725H7759H7725H7725H2372H2372H7759H4246H4264

Song of Songs 7

7How beautiful are your sandaled feet, O queenly maiden. Your rounded thighs are like jewels, the work of a skilled craftsman.H3302H6471H5275H5081H1323H2542H3409H2481H4639H3027H542 2Your navel is perfectly formed like a goblet filled with mixed wine. Between your thighs lies a mound of wheat bordered with lilies.H8326H5469H101H2637H4197H990H6194H2406H5473H7799 3Your breasts are like two fawns, twin fawns of a gazelle.H8147H7699H8147H6082H6646H8380 4Your neck is as beautiful as an ivory tower. Your eyes are like the sparkling pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bath-rabbim. Your nose is as fine as the tower of Lebanon overlooking Damascus.H6677H4026H8127H5869H1295H2809H8179H1337H639H4026H3844H6822H6440H1834 5Your head is as majestic as Mount Carmel, and the sheen of your hair radiates royalty. The king is held captive by its tresses.H7218H3760H1803H7218H713H4428H631H7298 6Oh, how beautiful you are! How pleasing, my love, how full of delights!H3302H5276H160H8588 7You are slender like a palm tree, and your breasts are like its clusters of fruit.H6967H1819H8558H7699H811 8I said, “I will climb the palm tree and take hold of its fruit.” May your breasts be like grape clusters, and the fragrance of your breath like apples.H559H5927H8558H270H5577H7699H811H1612H7381H639H8598 9May your kisses be as exciting as the best wine, flowing gently over lips and teeth.H2441H2896H3196H1730H1980H4339H8193H3463H1680 10[Young Woman] I am my lover’s, and he claims me as his own.H1730H8669 11Come, my love, let us go out to the fields and spend the night among the wildflowers.H3212H1730H3318H7704H3885H3723 12Let us get up early and go to the vineyards to see if the grapevines have budded, if the blossoms have opened, and if the pomegranates have bloomed. There I will give you my love.H7925H3754H7200H1612H6524H5563H6605H7416H5132H5414H1730 13There the mandrakes give off their fragrance, and the finest fruits are at our door, new delights as well as old, which I have saved for you, my lover.H1736H5414H7381H6607H4022H2319H3465H6845H1730

Song of Songs 8

8[Young Woman] Oh, I wish you were my brother, who nursed at my mother’s breasts. Then I could kiss you no matter who was watching, and no one would criticize me.H5414H251H3243H7699H517H4672H2351H5401H9362I would bring you to my childhood home, and there you would teach me. I would give you spiced wine to drink, my sweet pomegranate wine.H5090H935H517H1004H3925H8248H7544H3196H6071H74163Your left arm would be under my head, and your right arm would embrace me.H8040H7218H3225H22634Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, not to awaken love until the time is right.H7650H1323H3389H5782H5782H160H26545[Young Women of Jerusalem] Who is this sweeping in from the desert, leaning on her lover? [Young Woman] I aroused you under the apple tree, where your mother gave you birth, where in great pain she delivered you.H5927H4057H7514H1730H5782H8598H517H2254H2254H32056Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, its jealousy as enduring as the grave. Love flashes like fire, the brightest kind of flame.H7760H2368H3820H2368H2220H160H5794H4194H7068H7186H7585H7565H7565H784H79577Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers drown it. If a man tried to buy love with all his wealth, his offer would be utterly scorned.H7227H4325H3201H3518H160H5104H7857H376H5414H1952H1004H160H936H9368[The Young Woman’s Brothers] We have a little sister too young to have breasts. What will we do for our sister if someone asks to marry her?H6996H269H7699H6213H269H3117H16969If she is a virgin, like a wall, we will protect her with a silver tower. But if she is promiscuous, like a swinging door, we will block her door with a cedar bar.H2346H1129H2918H3701H1817H6696H3871H73010[Young Woman] I was a virgin, like a wall; now my breasts are like towers. When my lover looks at me, he is delighted with what he sees.H2346H7699H4026H5869H4672H796511Solomon has a vineyard at Baal-hamon, which he leases out to tenant farmers. Each of them pays a thousand pieces of silver for harvesting its fruit.H8010H3754H1174H5414H3754H5201H376H6529H935H505H370112But my vineyard is mine to give, and Solomon need not pay a thousand pieces of silver. But I will give two hundred pieces to those who care for its vines.H3754H6440H8010H505H5201H6529H396713[Young Man] O my darling, lingering in the gardens, your companions are fortunate to hear your voice. Let me hear it, too!H3427H1588H2270H7181H6963H808514[Young Woman] Come away, my love! Be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices.H1272H1730H1819H6643H6082H354H2022H1314