1   The song of songs, which is Solomon's.

2   Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: ^note for ^note thy love is better than wine.

3   Because of the savor of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.

4    ^noteDraw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers; we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: ^note the upright love thee.

5   I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.

Before CHRIST, 1014.

6   Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but my own vineyard have I not kept.

7   Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be ^note as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?

8   ¶2; If thou knowest not, O thou fairest among women, go forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds tents.

9   I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots.

10   Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold.

11   We will make for thee borders of gold with studs of silver.

12   ¶2; While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth its smell.

13   A bundle of myrrh is my well beloved to me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts.

14   My beloved is to me as a cluster of ^note camphor in the vineyards of En-gedi.

15    ^noteBehold, thou art fair, ^note my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes.

16   Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yes, pleasant: also our bed is green.

17   The beams of our house are cedar, and our ^note rafters of fir. CHAP. II. 1 The mutual love of Christ and his church. 8 The hope, 10 and calling of the church. 14 Christ's care of the church. 16 The profession of the church, her faith and hope.

1   I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.

2   As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.

3   As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. ^noteI sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my ^note taste.

4   He brought me to the ^note banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.

5   Stay me with flagons, ^note comfort me with apples: for I am sick with love.

6    ^noteHis left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.

7    ^{note note}I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not, nor awake my love, till he please.

8   ¶2; The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.

9    ^noteMy beloved is like a roe, or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, ^note showing himself through the lattice.

10   My beloved spoke, and said to me, Rise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

11   For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.

12   The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;

13   The fig-tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

14   ¶2; O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.

15   Take for us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.

16   ¶2; ^note My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies.

17    ^noteUntil the day shall break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou ^note like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains ^note of Bether. CHAP. III. 1 The church's fight and victory in temptation. 6 The church glorieth in Christ.

1   By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.

2   I 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.

3   The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?

4   It 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.

5    ^noteI 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.

6   ¶2; ^note Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?

7   Behold his bed, which is Solomon's; sixty valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel.

8   They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night.

9   King Solomon made himself ^note a chariot of the wood of Lebanon.

10   He made its pillars of silver, the bottom of it of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst of it being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem.

11   Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown with which his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart. CHAP. IV. 1 Christ setteth forth the graces of the church: 8 He showeth his love to her. 16 The church prayeth to be made fit for his presence.

1    ^noteBehold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a ^note flock of goats, ^note that appear from mount Gilead.

2   Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep

Before CHRIST, 1014. that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; all of which bear twins, and none is barren among them.

3   Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of pomegranate within thy locks.

4   Thy neck is like the tower of David built for an armory, on which hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.

5    ^noteThy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.

6    ^noteUntil the day shall ^note break, and the shadows flee away, I will repair to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.

7    ^noteThou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.

8   ¶2; Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir ^note and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards.

9   Thou hast ^note ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thy eyes, with one chain of thy neck.

10   How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! ^note how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thy ointments than all spices!

11   Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honey-comb; honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.

12   A garden ^note inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.

13   Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; ^note camphor, with spikenard,

14   Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices:

15   A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.

16   ¶2; Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits. CHAP. V. 1 Christ awaketh the church with his calling. 2 The church having a taste of Christ's love, is sick with love. 9 A description of Christ by his graces.

1   I have come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh, with my spice; I have eaten my honey-comb with my honey; I have drank my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yes, ^note drink abundantly, O beloved.

2   ¶2; I 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.

3   I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?

4   My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved ^note for him.

5   I rose up to open to my beloved: and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with ^note sweet-smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.

6   I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spoke: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.

7   The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my vail from me.

8   I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, ^note that ye tell him, that I am sick with love.

9   ¶2; What 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?

10   My beloved is white and ruddy, ^note the chief among ten thousand.

11   His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are ^note bushy, and black as a raven.

12    ^noteHis eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and ^note fitly set.

13   His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as ^note sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet-smelling myrrh.

14   His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.

15   His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.

16    ^noteHis mouth is most sweet: yes, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. CHAP. VI. 1 The church professeth her faith in Christ. 4 Christ showeth the graces of the church, 10 and his love towards her.

1   Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee.

2   My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.

3    ^noteI am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies.

4   ¶2; Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners.

5   Turn away thy eyes from me, for ^note they have overcome me: thy hair is ^note as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead.

6   Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, of which every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them.

Before CHRIST, 1014.

7   As a piece of pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks.

8   There are sixty queens, and eighty concubines, and virgins without number.

9   My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bore her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yes, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.

10   ¶2; Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?

11   I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded.

12    ^noteOr ere I was aware, my soul ^note made me like the chariots of Amminadib.

13   Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company ^note of two armies. CHAP. VII. 1 A further description of the church's graces. 10 The church professeth her faith and desire.

1   How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince's daughter! the joints of thy thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a skillful workman.

2   Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not ^note liquor: thy belly is like a heap of wheat set about with lilies.

3    ^noteThy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins.

4   Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thy eyes like the fish-pools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bath-rabbim: thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh towards Damascus.

5   Thy head upon thee is like ^note Carmel, and the hair of thy head like purple; the king is ^note held in the galleries.

6   How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights!

7   This thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes.

8   I said, I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of its boughs: now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy nose like apples;

9   And the roof thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down ^note sweetly, causing the lips ^note of those that are asleep to speak.

10   ¶2; ^note I am my beloved's, and his desire is towards me.

11   Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages.

12   Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourisheth, whether the tender grape ^note appeareth, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves.

13   The ^note mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved. CHAP. VIII. 1 The love of the church to Christ. 6 The vehemence of love. 8 The calling of the Gentiles. 14 The church prayeth for Christ's coming.

1   O that thou wert as my brother, that was nourished at the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yes, ^note I should not be despised.

2   I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of ^note spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate.

3    ^noteHis left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.

4    ^noteI charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, ^note that ye stir not, nor awake my love, until he please.

5    ^noteWho is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the appletree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bore thee.

6   ¶2; Set me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thy arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is ^note cruel as the grave: the coals of it are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.

7   Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.

8   ¶2; We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for?

9   If she is a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she is a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar.

10   I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found ^note favor.

11   Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon; he let out the vineyard to keepers; every one for the fruit of it was to bring a thousand pieces of silver.

12   My vineyard which is mine, is before me: thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand, and those that keep the fruit of it two hundred.

13   Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it.

14   ¶2; ^note Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of spices.

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