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BELOVED Let him kiss me. Your love is more delightful than wine. Take me away with you. How right they are to adore you. I am darkened by the sun but lovely. My mother's songs made me take care of the vineyards & neglect my own. tell me where you graze your flock.
FRIENDS If you don't know follow the sheep's tracks.
LOVER Darling I compare you to a mare harnessed to one of Pharoah's chariots. Your cheeks are beautiful with earrings and your neck with strings of jewels.
BELOVED My perfume spread its fragrance while the king was at his table. My lover is to me a sachet of myrh resting between my breasts or a cluster of henna blossoms from the vineyards of En Gedi.
LOVER My darling, how beautiful you are.
BELOVED I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.
LOVER My darling among the maidens is like a lily among thorns.
BELOVED My lover among the young men is like an apple tree among the trees. I enjoy sitting in his shade; his fruit is sweet. His banner over me is love. Strengthen me with raisens for I am faint with love. Daughters of Jerusalem do not awaken love until it desires. Listen! My lover comes leaping across the mountains. He said to me, arise and come with me. See the winter is past; the rains are over; flowers appear; the season of singing has come; the cooing of doves is heard. Arise my darling come with me.
LOVER Show me your face, my dove. Let me hear your sweet voice. And your face is lovely. Catch for us the little foxes that ruin the vineyards in bloom.
BELOVED My lover is mine & I am his. He browses among the lilies until daybreak.
I looked for my lover all night on my bed, but did not find him. I'll get up and search the city's streets. I did not find him, but the watchmen found me. When I just passed them, I found him. I would not let him go until I had taken him to my mother's house. Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.
Who is coming from the desert? It is Solomon's carriage escorted by 60 warriors. King Solomon made the carriage. Behold King Solomon.
LOVER How beautiful you are my darling. There is no flaw in you. Come with me from Lebanon, my bride. You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride. Your love is more pleasing than wine. You are a garden locked up. You are a garden fountain, a well of flowing water.
BELOVED Awake north and south winds; blow on my garden to spread its fragrance abroad. Let my lover come into his garden and taste its choice fruits.
LOVER I have come into my garden; gathered my myrrh; eaten my honeycomb and honey; drunk my wine and milk.
FRIENDS Eat and drink your fill, O friends, O lovers.
BELOVED I slept but my heart was awake. My lover is knocking. Open to me my darling, my flawless one. My head is drenched with dew, I've taken off my robe -- must I put it on again? Must I soil my feet that I've washed? I arose to open for my lover, but he had left. My heart sank. I looked but could not find him. I called but he did not answer. The watchmen found and beat me. If you find my lover, tell him I am faint with love.
FRIENDS How is your beloved better than others most beautiful of women?
BELOVED My lover is radiant, outstanding amout 10,000. His mouth is sweetness itself. This is my lover, this is my friend.
FRIENDS Where has your lover gone that we may look for him with you?
BELOVED He has gone down to his garden to browse and gather lilies. I am my lover's and he is mine.
LOVER You are as lovely as Jerusalem, majestic as troops with banners. Your eyes overwhelm me. There may be 60 queens and 80 concubines and numberless virgins, but my dove, my perfect one, is unique. She is the only daughter and the favorite of her mother. The maidens, queens, and concubines saw her and praised her.
FRIENDS Who appears like the dawn, fair as the moon, bright as the sun?
LOVER Why would you gaze on the Shulammite as on Mahanaim's dance.
Your sandaled feet are beautiful. Your graceful legs are the work of a craftsman's hands. Your stature is like that of the palm and your breasts like clusters of fruit. I said, "I will climb the palm tree; I will take hold of its fruit." May your breasts be like the clusters of the vine and your mouth like the best wine.
BELOVED May the wine go straight to my lover flowing gently over lips & teeth. I belong to my lover and his desire is for me. Let us go early to the vineyards to see if their blossoms have opened. There I will give you my love. At our door is every new and old delicacy that I have stored up for you, my lover.
If you were my brother no one would despise me if I found & kissed you outside. I would bring you to my mother's house and give you spiced wine to drink, the nectar of my pomegranates. His left arm is under my head and his right embraces me. Do not arouse or waken love until it so desires.
FRIENDS Who is coming up from the desert leaning on her lover?
BELOVED I aroused you under the apple tree. Place me like a seal over your heart. Love is as strong as death, its ardor unyielding as the grave. It burns like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench it. Rivers cannot wash it away. All the wealth of one's house would be scorned if he tried to give it for love.
FRIENDS We have a young sister whose breasts are not yet grown. What will we do for our sister? If she is a wall we will build towers of silver on her. If she is a door, we will enclose her with panels of cedar.
BELOVED I'm a wall & my breasts are like towers. In his eyes I'm one bringing contentment. Solomon had a vineyard in Baal Hamon he let out to tenants. But my vineyard is mine to give.
LOVER Let me hear your voice, you who dwell in the gardens with friends.
BELOVED Come away, my lover and be like a young stag on the mountains.
NOTES
1) The divisions of friend/lover/beloved as used by the NIV are not universally accepted.
2) Comparison of the NIV text with the KJV in places shows significant differences.
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Copyright © 2001 Charles D. Adkins. All Rights reserved.