| King James Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1The song of songs, which is Solomon's. | 1This is Solomon’s song of songs, more wonderful than any other. Young Woman |
| 2Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine. | 2Kiss me and kiss me again, for your love is sweeter than wine. |
| 3Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee. | 3How pleasing is your fragrance; your name is like the spreading fragrance of scented oils. No wonder all the young women love 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; come, let’s run! The king has brought me into his bedroom. Young Women of Jerusalem How happy we are for you, O king. We praise your love even more than wine. Young Woman How right they are to adore you. |
| 5I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. | 5I am dark but beautiful, O women of Jerusalem— dark as the tents of Kedar, dark as the curtains of Solomon’s tents. |
| 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. | 6Don’t stare at me because I am dark— the sun has darkened my skin. My brothers were angry with me; they forced me to care for their vineyards, so I couldn’t care for myself—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, my love, where are you leading your flock today? Where will you rest your sheep at noon? For why should I wander like a prostitute among your friends and their flocks? Young Man |
| 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 don’t know, O most beautiful woman, follow the trail of my flock, and graze your young goats by the shepherds’ tents. |
| 9I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots. | 9You are as exciting, my darling, as a mare among Pharaoh’s stallions. |
| 10Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold. | 10How lovely are your cheeks; your earrings set them afire! How lovely is your neck, enhanced by a string of jewels. |
| 11We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver. | 11We will make for you earrings of gold and beads of silver. Young Woman |
| 12While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof. | 12The king is lying on his couch, enchanted by the fragrance of my perfume. |
| 13A bundle of myrrh is my wellbeloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts. | 13My lover is like a sachet of myrrh lying between my breasts. |
| 14My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi. | 14He is like a bouquet of sweet henna blossoms from the vineyards of En-gedi. Young Man |
| 15Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes. | 15How beautiful you are, my darling, how beautiful! Your eyes are like doves. Young Woman |
| 16Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green. | 16You are so handsome, my love, pleasing beyond words! The soft grass is our bed; |
| 17The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir. | 17fragrant cedar branches are the beams of our house, and pleasant smelling firs are the rafters. |
| King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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