Song of Solomon
Chapter 1
What Happens in This Chapter
This is the opening of the Song of Songs, a set of love poems linked to Solomon. A young woman speaks of her love for the king, longs to be with him, and speaks to the daughters of Jerusalem about her sun-darkened skin and the vineyards she worked. She asks where her shepherd love rests his flock at noon, and he answers her. The two then praise each other, using perfumes, jewelry, and green trees as pictures.
Plain reading written for kids. Short sentences, everyday words, one idea at a time.
The song of songs, which is Solomon’s.
1This is the best song of all. It belongs to Solomon.
2Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.
2I want him to kiss me. Your love makes me happier than wine does.
3Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.
3Your perfume smells sweet. Your name is like perfume poured out of a jar. That is why 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. Let us hurry. The king brought me into his rooms. We will be happy and glad because of you. We will praise your love more than wine. It is right for them to love you.
5I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
5My skin is dark, and I am lovely, you women of Jerusalem. I am dark like the tents of Kedar, and lovely like Solomon's curtains.
Kedar was a desert people whose tents were made of dark goat hair. The woman is saying she is dark and lovely, not dark and therefore plain.
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. The sun shone on me and made me dark. My mother's sons were angry with me. They sent me out to take care of the vineyards. So I did not take care of 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 whom I love. Where do you feed your sheep? Where do you let them rest at noon? Why should I wander around near your friends' flocks, looking for you?
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, then follow the tracks of the sheep. Feed your young goats near the tents of the shepherds.
9I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh’s chariots.
9My darling, you are like a fine horse that pulls Pharaoh's chariot.
Pharaoh was the king of Egypt, and his horses were the finest anyone knew. Comparing her to one of them was a compliment.
10Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold.
10Your cheeks look lovely with jewelry beside them. Your neck looks lovely with chains of gold.
11We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver.
11We will make you gold jewelry with little silver beads on it.
12While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof.
12The king was sitting at his table. My sweet perfume filled the air with its smell.
The KJV word is "spikenard." It was a costly perfume made from a plant, kept in small jars.
13A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts.
13My love is like a little bag of sweet-smelling myrrh. It rests against my chest all night long.
14My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi.
14My love is like a bunch of sweet-smelling henna flowers. They grow in the vineyards at Engedi.
The KJV word is "camphire," which we call henna. It has clusters of small white flowers that smell sweet. Engedi was a green spot beside the Dead Sea.
15Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes.
15Look at you. You are beautiful, my darling. You are so beautiful. Your eyes are like a dove's eyes.
16Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green.
16Look at you. You are handsome, my love. You are a delight. The green grass is our bed.
17The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir.
17The beams of our house are cedar trees. The poles of our roof are fir trees.
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