Song of Songs 5

Man

1 I have come to my garden — my sister, my bride.

I gather  * 5:1 Lit pluck 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!  * 5:1 Or Drink your fill, lovers,* 5:1 Pr 5:19

Woman

2 I was sleeping, but my heart was awake.

A sound! My love was knocking!  * 5:2 Sg 2:8

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.

Woman

3 I have taken off my clothing.  * 5:3 Lk 11:7

How can I put it back on?

I have washed my feet.

How can I get them dirty?

4 My love thrust his hand through the opening,

and my feelings were stirred for him.

5 I rose to open for my love.

My hands dripped with myrrh,  * 5:5 Sg 5:13

my fingers with flowing myrrh

on the handles of the bolt.

6 I opened to my love,

but my love had turned and gone away.

My heart sank  * 5:6 Lit My soul went out because he had left.  * 5:6 Or spoken

I sought him, but did not find him.  * 5:6 Sg 3:1–2

I called him, but he did not answer.

7 The guards who go about the city found me.  * 5:7 Sg 3:3

They beat and wounded me;

they took my cloak  * 5:7 Or veil, or shawl from me —

the guardians of the walls.  * 5:7 Sg 8:9–10

8 Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you,  * 5:8 Sg 2:7; 3:5; 8:4

if you find my love,

tell him that I am lovesick.  * 5:8 Sg 2:5

Young Women

9 What makes the one you love better than another,

most beautiful of women?  * 5:9 Sg 1:8; 6:1

What makes him better than another,

that you would give us this charge?

Woman

10 My love is fit and strong,  * 5:10 Or is radiant and ruddy,* 5:10 1Sm 16:12

notable among ten thousand.  * 5:10 Ps 45:2

11 His head is purest gold.

His hair is wavy  * 5:11 Or is like palm leaves; Hb obscure,* 5:11 Sg 5:2

and black as a raven.

12 His eyes are like doves  * 5:12 Sg 1:15; 4:1

beside flowing streams,

washed in milk

and set like jewels.  * 5:12 Lit milk sitting in fullness

13 His cheeks  * 5:13 Sg 1:10 are like beds of spice,

mounds of  * 5:13 LXX, Vg read spice, yielding  perfume.

His lips are lilies,

dripping with flowing myrrh.  * 5:13 Sg 5:5

14 His arms  * 5:14 Lit hands are rods of gold

set  * 5:14 Lit filled; Sg 5:2,12 with beryl.  * 5:14 Ex 28:20; 39:13; Ezk 1:16

His body  * 5:14 Lit abdomen is an ivory panel

covered with lapis lazuli.  * 5:14 Ex 24:10

15 His legs are alabaster pillars

set on pedestals of pure gold.

His presence is like Lebanon,  * 5:15 Sg 7:4–5

as majestic as the cedars.  * 5:15 1Kg 4:33

16 His mouth is sweetness.

He is absolutely desirable.  * 5:16 Sg 4:7

This is my love, and this is my friend,

young women of Jerusalem.