Online Bible

The Bride Searches for Her Beloved

“¹I have ^acome into my garden, ^bmy sister, my bride;I have picked my ^cmyrrh along with my balsam.I have eaten my honeycomb with my ^dhoney;I have ^edrunk my wine with my milk.Eat, ^ffriends;Drink and ²imbibe deeply, O lovers.”

2 “¹I was asleep, but my heart was awake.A voice! My beloved was knocking:‘Open to me, ^amy sister, my darling,^bMy dove, my perfect one!For my head is full of dew,My ^clocks with the ²damp of the night.’3 “I have ^ataken off my long-sleeved garment,How can I put it on again?I have ^bwashed my feet,How can I dirty them again?4 “My beloved sent forth his hand through the opening,And my ¹^afeelings moaned for him.5 “I arose to open to my beloved;And my hands ^adripped with myrrh,And my fingers with ¹liquid myrrh,On the handles of the lock.6 “I opened to my beloved,But my beloved had ^aturned away and passed by!My soul went out to him as he ^bspoke.I ^csearched for him, but I did not find him;I ^dcalled him, but he did not answer me.7 “The ^awatchmen who go about in the city found me,They struck me and wounded me;The guardsmen of the walls took away my shawl from me.8 “I ^acall you to solemnly swear, O daughters of Jerusalem,If you find my beloved,What will you tell him?Tell him that ^bI am sick with love.”

9 “¹What is your beloved that he is more than any other beloved,O ^amost beautiful among women?What is your beloved that he is more than any other beloved,That thus you call us to solemnly swear?”

The Bride Extols Her Beloved

10 “¹My beloved is dazzling and ^aruddy,^bLifted up as a banner among ten thousand.11 “His head is like gold, fine gold;His ^alocks are like clusters of datesAnd black as a raven.12 “His ^aeyes are like dovesBeside streams of water,Washed in milk,And sitting in their ^bsetting.13 “His cheeks are like a ^abed of spices,Towers of sweet-scented herbs;His lips are ^blilies^cDripping with liquid myrrh.14 “His hands are rods of goldSet with ^aberyl;His abdomen is a plate of ivoryInlaid with ¹^bsapphires.15 “His legs are pillars of marbleSet on bases of fine gold;His appearance is like ^aLebanonChoice as the ^bcedars.16 “His ¹^amouth is full of sweetness.And he is wholly ^bdesirable.This is my beloved and this is my friend,O daughters of Jerusalem.”

The Torment of Separation

“¹I have ^acome into my garden, ^bmy sister, my bride;I have gathered my ^cmyrrh along with my balsam.I have eaten my honeycomb ²and my ^dhoney;I have ^edrunk my wine ³and my milk.Eat, ^ffriends;Drink and ⁴imbibe deeply, O lovers.”

2 “¹I was asleep but my heart was awake.A voice! My beloved was knocking:‘Open to me, ^amy sister, my darling,^bMy dove, my perfect one!For my head is ²drenched with dew,My ^clocks with the ³damp of the night.’3 “I have ^ataken off my dress,How can I put it on again?I have ^bwashed my feet,How can I dirty them again?4 “My beloved extended his hand through the opening,And my ¹^afeelings were aroused for him.5 “I arose to open to my beloved;And my hands ^adripped with myrrh,And my fingers with ¹liquid myrrh,On the handles of the bolt.6 “I opened to my beloved,But my beloved had ^aturned away and had gone!My ¹heart went out to him as he ^bspoke.I ^csearched for him but I did not find him;I ^dcalled him but he did not answer me.7 “The ^awatchmen who make the rounds in the city found me,They struck me and wounded me;The guardsmen of the walls took away my shawl from me.8 “I ^aadjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,If you find my beloved,As to what you will tell him:For ^bI am lovesick.”

9 “¹²What kind of beloved is your beloved,O ^amost beautiful among women?³What kind of beloved is your beloved,That thus you adjure us?”

Admiration by the Bride

10 “¹My beloved is dazzling and ^aruddy,²^bOutstanding among ten thousand.11 “His head is like gold, pure gold;His ^alocks are like clusters of datesAnd black as a raven.12 “His ^aeyes are like dovesBeside streams of water,Bathed in milk,And ¹reposed in their ^bsetting.13 “His cheeks are like a ^abed of balsam,Banks of sweet-scented herbs;His lips are ^blilies^cDripping with liquid myrrh.14 “His hands are rods of goldSet with ^aberyl;His abdomen is carved ivoryInlaid with ¹^bsapphires.15 “His legs are pillars of alabasterSet on pedestals of pure gold;His appearance is like ^aLebanonChoice as the ^bcedars.16 “His ¹^amouth is full of sweetness.And he is wholly ^bdesirable.This is my beloved and this is my friend,O daughters of Jerusalem.”