| King James Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. | 1 In my bed at night I sought the one I love; I sought him, but did not find him. |
| 2I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. | 2I will arise now and go about the city, through the streets and the plazas. I will seek the one I love. I sought him, but did not find him. |
| 3The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? | 3The guards who go about the city found me. I asked them, "Have you seen the one I love?" |
| 4It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me. | 4I had just passed them when I found the one I love. I held on to him and would not let him go until I brought him to my mother's house-- to the chamber of the one who conceived me. |
| 5I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please. | 5Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and the wild does of the field: do not stir up or awaken love until the appropriate time. N |
| 6Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant? | 6What is this coming up from the wilderness like columns of smoke, scented with myrrh and frankincense from every fragrant powder of the merchant? |
| 7Behold his bed, which is Solomon's; threescore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel. | 7It is Solomon's royal litter surrounded by 60 warriors from the mighty of Israel. |
| 8They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night. | 8All of them are skilled with swords and trained in warfare. Each has his sword at his side to guard against the terror of the night. |
| 9King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon. | 9King Solomon made a sedan chair for himself with wood from Lebanon. |
| 10He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem. | 10He made its posts of silver, its back of gold, and its seat of purple. Its interior is inlaid with love by the young women of Jerusalem. |
| 11Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart. | 11Come out, young women of Zion, and gaze at King Solomon, wearing the crown his mother placed on him the day of his wedding-- the day of his heart's rejoicing. |
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