1 I have come into 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, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved. yea…: or, and be drunken with loves
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 his hand through the opening of the door, and my heart was moved for him. for him: or, (as some read) in me
5 I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands flowed with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. sweet…: Heb. passing, or, running about
6 I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spoke: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.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 veil from me.
8 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick with love. that ye: Heb. what, etc
9 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, the chief among ten thousand. the chiefest: Heb. a standard–bearer
11 His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven. bushy: or, curled
12 His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set. fitly…: Heb. sitting in fulness, that is, fitly placed, and set as a precious stone in the foil of a ring
13 His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh. sweet flowers: or, towers of perfumes
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 His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. mouth: Heb. palate