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“All night long on my bed
    I searched for the one my heart loves.
    I looked for him but didn’t find him.
I will get up and go around in the city.
    I’ll look through all of its streets.
I’ll search for the one my heart loves.
    So I looked for him but didn’t find him.
Those on guard duty found me
    as they were walking around in the city.
    ‘Have you seen the one my heart loves?’ I asked.
As soon as I had passed by them
    I found the one my heart loves.
I threw my arms around him and didn’t let him go
    until I had brought him to my mother’s house.
    I took him to my mother’s room.
Women of Jerusalem, make me a promise.
    Let the antelopes and the does serve as witnesses.
Don’t stir up love.
    Don’t wake it up until it’s ready.

“Who is this man coming up from the desert
    like a column of smoke?
He smells like myrrh and incense
    made from all the spices of the trader.
Look! There’s Solomon’s movable throne.
    Sixty soldiers accompany it.
    They have been chosen from the best warriors in Israel.
All of them are wearing swords.
    They have fought many battles.
Each one has his sword at his side.
    Each is prepared for the terrors of the night.
King Solomon made the movable throne for himself.
    He made it out of wood from Lebanon.
10 He formed its posts out of silver.
    He made its base out of gold.
Its seat was covered with purple cloth.
    It was decorated inside with love.
Women of Jerusalem, 11     come out.

“Look, you women of Zion.
    Look at King Solomon wearing his crown.
    His mother placed it on him.
She did it on his wedding day.
    His heart was full of joy.”

All night long on my bed
    I looked(A) for the one my heart loves;
    I looked for him but did not find him.
I will get up now and go about the city,
    through its streets and squares;
I will search for the one my heart loves.
    So I looked for him but did not find him.
The watchmen found me
    as they made their rounds in the city.(B)
    “Have you seen the one my heart loves?”
Scarcely had I passed them
    when I found the one my heart loves.
I held him and would not let him go
    till I had brought him to my mother’s house,(C)
    to the room of the one who conceived me.(D)
Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you(E)
    by the gazelles and by the does of the field:
Do not arouse or awaken love
    until it so desires.(F)

Who is this coming up from the wilderness(G)
    like a column of smoke,
perfumed with myrrh(H) and incense
    made from all the spices(I) of the merchant?
Look! It is Solomon’s carriage,
    escorted by sixty warriors,(J)
    the noblest of Israel,
all of them wearing the sword,
    all experienced in battle,
each with his sword at his side,
    prepared for the terrors of the night.(K)
King Solomon made for himself the carriage;
    he made it of wood from Lebanon.
10 Its posts he made of silver,
    its base of gold.
Its seat was upholstered with purple,
    its interior inlaid with love.
Daughters of Jerusalem, 11 come out,
    and look, you daughters of Zion.(L)
Look[a] on King Solomon wearing a crown,
    the crown with which his mother crowned him
on the day of his wedding,
    the day his heart rejoiced.(M)

Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 3:11 Or interior lovingly inlaid / by the daughters of Jerusalem. / 11 Come out, you daughters of Zion, / and look

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

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.

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

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.

I 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.

Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?

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

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

King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon.

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

11 Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart.