The Bride Confesses Her Love
(Ephesians 5:22–33; 1 Peter 3:1–7)

1The Song of Songs that is of Solomon.†

The Bride

2Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!

For your love is better than wine.

3Your oils are good for fragrance;

your name is oil poured out;

upon thus the maidens love you.

4Draw me after you, let us run!

The king has brought me into his chambers.

The Friends

We will rejoice and will be glad in you;

we will cause your love to be remembered more than wine;

The Bride

rightly do they love you.

5Black am I, and lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem,

like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.

6Do not look at me because I am black,

for the sun has gazed upon me.

The sons of my mother were hot with me;

they set me keeping the vineyards;

my own vineyard I have not kept.

7Declare to me, O one my soul loves,

where do you pasture,

where do you let them rest at midday?

For why should I be as one veiling herself

to go alongside the flocks of your companions?

The Friends

8If you do not know it for yourself, O fairest among the women,

go forth yourself in the tracks of the flock,

and pasture your young goats

beside the tents of the shepherds.

The Bridegroom

9To a mare among the chariots of Pharaoh

I have likened you, my darling.

10Lovely are your cheeks with ornaments,

your neck with strings of jewels.

The Friends

11Ornaments of gold we will make for you,

with studs of silver.

The Bride

12While the king was at his table,

my spikenard gave forth its fragrance.

13A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me;

between my breasts it lodges.

14A cluster of henna blossoms is my beloved to me

in the vineyards of En-gedi.

The Bridegroom

15Behold, you are beautiful, my darling,

behold, you are beautiful!

Your eyes are doves.

The Bride

16Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved,

truly lovely indeed!

Our bed is green.

The Bridegroom

17The beams of our house are cedars,

our rafters are firs.