| English Standard Version | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1I came to my garden, my sister, my bride, I gathered my myrrh with my spice, I ate my honeycomb with my honey, I drank my wine with my milk. Eat, friends, drink, and be drunk with love! | 1I have come to my garden--my sister, my bride. I gather my myrrh with my spices. I eat my honeycomb with my honey. I drink my wine with my milk. Narrator Eat, friends! Drink, be intoxicated with caresses! |
| 2I slept, but my heart was awake. A sound! My beloved is knocking. “Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one, for my head is wet with dew, my locks with the drops of the night.” | 2I was sleeping, but my heart was awake. A sound! My love was knocking! Man 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. |
| 3I had put off my garment; how could I put it on? I had bathed my feet; how could I soil them? | 3I have taken off my clothing. How can I put it back on? I have washed my feet. How can I get them dirty? |
| 4My beloved put his hand to the latch, and my heart was thrilled within me. | 4My love thrust his hand through the opening, and my feelings were stirred for him. |
| 5I arose to open to my beloved, and my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh, on the handles of the bolt. | 5I rose to open for my love. My hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with flowing myrrh on the handles of the bolt. |
| 6I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had turned and gone. My soul failed me when he spoke. I sought him, but found him not; I called him, but he gave no answer. | 6I opened to my love, but my love had turned and gone away. My heart sank because he had left. I sought him, but did not find him. I called him, but he did not answer. |
| 7The 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. | 7The guards who go about the city found me. They beat and wounded me; they took my cloak from me--the guardians of the walls. |
| 8I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him I am sick with love. | 8Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you, if you find my love, tell him that I am lovesick. |
| 9What is your beloved more than another beloved, O most beautiful among women? What is your beloved more than another beloved, that you thus adjure us? | 9What makes the one you love better than another, most beautiful of women? What makes him better than another, that you would give us this charge? |
| 10My beloved is radiant and ruddy, distinguished among ten thousand. | 10My love is fit and strong, notable among ten thousand. |
| 11His head is the finest gold; his locks are wavy, black as a raven. | 11His head is purest gold. His hair is wavy and black as a raven. |
| 12His eyes are like doves beside streams of water, bathed in milk, sitting beside a full pool. | 12His eyes are like doves beside flowing streams, washed in milk and set like jewels. |
| 13His cheeks are like beds of spices, mounds of sweet-smelling herbs. His lips are lilies, dripping liquid myrrh. | 13His cheeks are like beds of spice, mounds of perfume. His lips are lilies, dripping with flowing myrrh. |
| 14His arms are rods of gold, set with jewels. His body is polished ivory, bedecked with sapphires. | 14His arms are rods of gold set with beryl. His body is an ivory panel covered with lapis lazuli. |
| 15His legs are alabaster columns, set on bases of gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, choice as the cedars. | 15His legs are alabaster pillars set on pedestals of pure gold. His presence is like Lebanon, as majestic as the cedars. |
| 16His mouth is most sweet, and he is altogether desirable. This is my beloved and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. | 16His mouth is sweetness. He is absolutely desirable. This is my love, and this is my friend, young women of Jerusalem. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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