| King James Bible | New International Version |
| 1I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved. | 1I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice. I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey; I have drunk my wine and my milk. Friends Eat, friends, and drink; drink your fill of love. |
| 2I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. | 2I slept but my heart was awake. Listen! My beloved is knocking: "Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my flawless one. My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night." |
| 3I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? | 3I have taken off my robe-- must I put it on again? I have washed my feet-- must I soil them again? |
| 4My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. | 4My beloved thrust his hand through the latch-opening; my heart began to pound for him. |
| 5I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. | 5I arose to open for my beloved, and 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| 6I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. | 6I opened for my beloved, but my beloved had left; he was gone. My heart sank at his departure. I looked for him but did not find him. I called him but he did not answer. |
| 7The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me. | 7The watchmen found me as they made their rounds in the city. They beat me, they bruised me; they took away my cloak, those watchmen of the walls! |
| 8I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love. | 8Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you-- if you find my beloved, what will you tell him? Tell him I am faint with love. |
| 9What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us? | 9How is your beloved better than others, most beautiful of women? How is your beloved better than others, that you so charge us? |
| 10My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. | 10My beloved is radiant and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand. |
| 11His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven. | 11His head is purest gold; his hair is wavy and black as a raven. |
| 12His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set. | 12His eyes are like doves by the water streams, washed in milk, mounted like jewels. |
| 13His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh. | 13His cheeks are like beds of spice yielding perfume. His lips are like lilies dripping with myrrh. |
| 14His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires. | 14His arms are rods of gold set with topaz. His body is like polished ivory decorated with lapis lazuli. |
| 15His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. | 15His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of pure gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, choice as its cedars. |
| 16His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. | 16His mouth is sweetness itself; he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, this is my friend, daughters of Jerusalem. |
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