| King James Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1The song of songs, which is Solomon's. | 1 Solomon's Finest Song. W |
| 2Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine. | 2Oh, that he would kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is more delightful than wine. |
| 3Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee. | 3The fragrance of your perfume is intoxicating; your name is perfume poured out. No wonder young women adore you. |
| 4Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee. | 4Take me with you--let us hurry. Oh, that the king would bring me to his chambers. Y We will rejoice and be glad for you; we will praise your love more than wine. W It is only right that they adore you. |
| 5I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. | 5Daughters of Jerusalem, I am dark like the tents of Kedar, yet lovely like the curtains of Solomon. |
| 6Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept. | 6Do not stare at me because I am dark, for the sun has gazed on me. My mother's sons were angry with me; they made me a keeper of the vineyards. I have not kept my own vineyard. |
| 7Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions? | 7Tell me, you, the one I love: Where do you pasture your sheep? Where do you let them rest at noon? Why should I be like one who veils herself beside the flocks of your companions? M |
| 8If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents. | 8If you do not know, most beautiful of women, follow the tracks of the flock, and pasture your young goats near the shepherds' tents. |
| 9I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots. | 9I compare you, my darling, to a mare among Pharaoh's chariots. |
| 10Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold. | 10Your cheeks are beautiful with jewelry, your neck with its necklace. |
| 11We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver. | 11We will make gold jewelry for you, accented with silver. W |
| 12While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof. | 12While the king is on his couch, my perfume releases its fragrance. |
| 13A bundle of myrrh is my wellbeloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts. | 13My love is a sachet of myrrh to me, spending the night between my breasts. |
| 14My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi. | 14My love is a cluster of henna blossoms to me, in the vineyards of En-gedi. M |
| 15Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes. | 15How beautiful you are, my darling. How very beautiful! Your eyes are doves. W |
| 16Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green. | 16How handsome you are, my love. How delightful! Our bed is lush with foliage; |
| 17The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir. | 17the beams of our house are cedars, and our rafters are cypresses. |
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