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; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.
10 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 Before I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib. [1] [2]
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 of two armies. [3]
CHAP. 7.
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 skilful workman.
2 Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor: thy belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lilies. [4]
3 Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins.
4 Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thy eyes like the fishpools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bathrabbim: thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus.
5 Thy head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thy head like purple; the king is held captive by her locks of hair. [5] [6]
6 How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights!
7 This thy stature is like 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 fragrance of thy breath like apples;
9 And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak. [7] [8]
10 I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward 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 appeareth, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves. [9]
13 The mandrakes give a fragrance, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved.
CHAP. 8.
O that thou wert as my brother, that was nourished at the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee outside, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised. [10]
2 I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother’s house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate.
3 His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.
4 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not, nor awake my love, until he please. [11]
5 Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I awakened thee under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bore thee.
6 Set me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thy arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals of it are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. [12]
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 despised.
8 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 favour. [13]
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 Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of spices. [14]
- ↑ Or ever...: Heb. I knew not
- ↑ made...: or, set me on the chariots of my willing people
- ↑ of...: or, of Mahanaim
- ↑ liquor: Heb. mixture
- ↑ Carmel: or, crimson
- ↑ held: Heb. bound
- ↑ sweetly: Heb. straightly
- ↑ of those...: or, of the ancient
- ↑ appear: Heb. open
- ↑ I should not...: Heb. they should not despise me
- ↑ that...: Heb. why should ye stir up, or, why, etc
- ↑ cruel: Heb. hard
- ↑ favour: Heb. peace
- ↑ Make...: Heb. Flee away
