Old Testament in a year – Day 198

Song of Solomon 5: 2 - 8: 14

Beloved
2I was asleep, but my heart was awake.
It is the voice of my beloved who knocks:
“Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled;
for my head is filled with dew,
and my hair with the dampness of the night.”
3I have taken off my robe. Indeed, must I put it on?
I have washed my feet. Indeed, must I soil them?
4My beloved thrust his hand in through the latch opening.
My heart pounded for him.
5I rose up to open for my beloved.
My hands dripped with myrrh,
my fingers with liquid myrrh,
on the handles of the lock.
6I opened to my beloved;
but my beloved left, and had gone away.
My heart went out when he spoke.
I looked for him, but I didn’t find him.
I called him, but he didn’t answer.
7The watchmen who go about the city found me.
They beat me.
They bruised me.
The keepers of the walls took my cloak away from me.
8I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem,
If you find my beloved,
that you tell him that I am faint with love.
Friends
9How is your beloved better than another beloved,
you fairest amongst women?
How is your beloved better than another beloved,
that you do so adjure us?
Beloved
10My beloved is white and ruddy.
The best amongst ten thousand.
11His head is like the purest gold.
His hair is bushy, black as a raven.
12His eyes are like doves beside the water brooks,
washed with milk, mounted like jewels.
13His cheeks are like a bed of spices with towers of perfumes.
His lips are like lilies, dropping liquid myrrh.
14His hands are like rings of gold set with beryl.
His body is like ivory work overlaid with sapphires.
15His legs are like pillars of marble set on sockets of fine gold.
His appearance is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.
16His mouth is sweetness;
yes, he is altogether lovely.
This is my beloved, and this is my friend,
daughters of Jerusalem.
Friends
1Where has your beloved gone, you fairest amongst women?
Where has your beloved turned, that we may seek him with you?
Beloved
2My beloved has gone down to his garden,
to the beds of spices,
to pasture his flock in the gardens, and to gather lilies.
3I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.
He browses amongst the lilies.
Lover
4You are beautiful, my love, as Tirzah,
lovely as Jerusalem,
awesome as an army with banners.
5Turn away your eyes from me,
for they have overcome me.
Your hair is like a flock of goats,
that lie along the side of Gilead.
6Your teeth are like a flock of ewes,
which have come up from the washing,
of which every one has twins;
not one is bereaved amongst them.
7Your temples are like a piece of a pomegranate behind your veil.
8There are sixty queens, eighty concubines,
and virgins without number.
9My dove, my perfect one, is unique.
She is her mother’s only daughter.
She is the favourite one of her who bore her.
The daughters saw her, and called her blessed.
The queens and the concubines saw her, and they praised her.
10Who is she who looks out as the morning,
beautiful as the moon,
clear as the sun,
and awesome as an army with banners?
11I went down into the nut tree grove,
to see the green plants of the valley,
to see whether the vine budded,
and the pomegranates were in flower.
12Without realising it,
my desire set me with my royal people’s chariots.
Friends
13Return, return, Shulammite!
Return, return, that we may gaze at you.
Lover
Why do you desire to gaze at the Shulammite,
as at the dance of Mahanaim?
1How beautiful are your feet in sandals, prince’s daughter!
Your rounded thighs are like jewels,
the work of the hands of a skilful workman.
2Your body is like a round goblet,
no mixed wine is wanting.
Your waist is like a heap of wheat,
set about with lilies.
3Your two breasts are like two fawns,
that are twins of a roe.
4Your neck is like an ivory tower.
Your eyes are like the pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bathrabbim.
Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon which looks towards Damascus.
5Your head on you is like Carmel.
The hair of your head like purple.
The king is held captive in its tresses.
6How beautiful and how pleasant you are,
love, for delights!
7This, your stature, is like a palm tree,
your breasts like its fruit.
8I said, “I will climb up into the palm tree.
I will take hold of its fruit.”
Let your breasts be like clusters of the vine,
the smell of your breath like apples.
9Your mouth is like the best wine,
that goes down smoothly for my beloved,
gliding through the lips of those who are asleep.
Beloved
10I am my beloved’s.
His desire is towards me.
11Come, my beloved! Let’s go out into the field.
Let’s lodge in the villages.
12Let’s go early up to the vineyards.
Let’s see whether the vine has budded,
its blossom is open,
and the pomegranates are in flower.
There I will give you my love.
13The mandrakes produce fragrance.
At our doors are all kinds of precious fruits, new and old,
which I have stored up for you, my beloved.
1Oh that you were like my brother,
who nursed from the breasts of my mother!
If I found you outside, I would kiss you;
yes, and no one would despise me.
2I would lead you, bringing you into the house of my mother,
who would instruct me.
I would have you drink spiced wine,
of the juice of my pomegranate.
3His left hand would be under my head.
His right hand would embrace me.
4I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem,
that you not stir up, nor awaken love,
until it so desires.
Friends
5Who is this who comes up from the wilderness,
leaning on her beloved?
Beloved
Under the apple tree I awakened you.
There your mother conceived you.
There she was in labour and bore you.
6Set me as a seal on your heart,
as a seal on your arm;
for love is strong as death.
Jealousy is as cruel as Sheol.
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
a very flame of the LORD.
7Many waters can’t quench love,
neither can floods drown it.
If a man would give all the wealth of his house for love,
he would be utterly scorned.
Brothers
8We have a little sister.
She has no breasts.
What shall we do for our sister
in the day when she is to be spoken for?
9If she is a wall,
we will build on her a turret of silver.
If she is a door,
we will enclose her with boards of cedar.
Beloved
10I am a wall, and my breasts like towers,
then I was in his eyes like one who found peace.
11Solomon had a vineyard at Baal Hamon.
He leased out the vineyard to keepers.
Each was to bring a thousand shekels of silver for its fruit.
12My own vineyard is before me.
The thousand are for you, Solomon,
two hundred for those who tend its fruit.
Lover
13You who dwell in the gardens, with friends in attendance,
let me hear your voice!
Beloved
14Come away, my beloved!
Be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices!
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