| New King James Version | New Living Translation |
| 1I have come to 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, yes, drink deeply, O beloved ones! | 1I have entered my garden, my treasure, my bride! I gather myrrh with my spices and eat honeycomb with my honey. I drink wine with my milk. Young Women of Jerusalem Oh, lover and beloved, eat and drink! Yes, drink deeply of your love! Young Woman |
| 2I sleep, but my heart is awake; It is the voice of my beloved! He knocks, saying, “Open for me, my sister, my love, My dove, my perfect one; For my head is covered with dew, My locks with the drops of the night.” | 2I slept, but my heart was awake, when I heard my lover knocking and calling: “Open to me, my treasure, my darling, my dove, my perfect one. My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night.” |
| 3I have taken off my robe; How can I put it on again? I have washed my feet; How can I defile them? | 3But I responded, “I have taken off my robe. Should I get dressed again? I have washed my feet. Should I get them soiled?” |
| 4My beloved put his hand By the latch of the door, And my heart yearned for him. | 4My lover tried to unlatch the door, and my heart thrilled within me. |
| 5I arose to open for my beloved, And my hands dripped with myrrh, My fingers with liquid myrrh, On the handles of the lock. | 5I jumped up to open the door for my love, and my hands dripped with perfume. My fingers dripped with lovely myrrh as I pulled back the bolt. |
| 6I opened for my beloved, But my beloved had turned away and was gone. My heart leaped up when he spoke. I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. | 6I opened to my lover, but he was gone! My heart sank. I searched for him but could not find him anywhere. I called to him, but there was no reply. |
| 7The watchmen who went about the city found me. They struck me, they wounded me; The keepers of the walls Took my veil away from me. | 7The night watchmen found me as they made their rounds. They beat and bruised me and stripped off my veil, those watchmen on the walls. |
| 8I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, If you find my beloved, That you tell him I am lovesick! | 8Make this promise, O women of Jerusalem— If you find my lover, tell him I am weak with love. Young Women of Jerusalem |
| 9What is your beloved More than another beloved, O fairest among women? What is your beloved More than another beloved, That you so charge us? | 9Why is your lover better than all others, O woman of rare beauty? What makes your lover so special that we must promise this? Young Woman |
| 10My beloved is white and ruddy, Chief among ten thousand. | 10My lover is dark and dazzling, better than ten thousand others! |
| 11His head is like the finest gold; His locks are wavy, And black as a raven. | 11His head is finest gold, his wavy hair is black as a raven. |
| 12His eyes are like doves By the rivers of waters, Washed with milk, And fitly set. | 12His eyes sparkle like doves beside springs of water; they are set like jewels washed in milk. |
| 13His cheeks are like a bed of spices, Banks of scented herbs. His lips are lilies, Dripping liquid myrrh. | 13His cheeks are like gardens of spices giving off fragrance. His lips are like lilies, perfumed with myrrh. |
| 14His hands are rods of gold Set with beryl. His body is carved ivory Inlaid with sapphires. | 14His arms are like rounded bars of gold, set with beryl. His body is like bright ivory, glowing with lapis lazuli. |
| 15His legs are pillars of marble Set on bases of fine gold. His countenance is like Lebanon, Excellent as the cedars. | 15His legs are like marble pillars set in sockets of finest gold. His posture is stately, like the noble cedars of Lebanon. |
| 16His mouth is most sweet, Yes, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, And this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem! | 16His mouth is sweetness itself; he is desirable in every way. Such, O women of Jerusalem, is my lover, my friend. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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