Song of Solomon 5
What Happens in This Chapter
The man speaks of coming into his garden, and voices invite the friends to eat and drink. Then the woman tells about a night when her love knocked at her door. She was slow to open it, and when she did, he was gone; she looked for him, and the city guards beat her and took her cloak. She asks the women of Jerusalem to help her find him, and when they ask what makes him special, she describes him from head to foot.
Plain reading written for kids. Short sentences, everyday words, one idea at a time.
I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.
1The man says: I have come into my garden, my dear one, my bride. I gathered my myrrh, a sweet-smelling sap, along with my spices. I ate my honeycomb and my honey. I drank my wine and my milk. Then others say: Eat, friends. Drink, and drink all you want, dear ones.
In these love songs, "my sister" is a warm name for someone very dear. It does not mean a real sister.
2I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.
2The woman says: I was asleep, but my heart was awake. Listen! My love is knocking. He says, "Open the door for me, my dear one, my dove, my perfect one. My head is wet with dew, and my hair is damp from the night."
3I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?
3I said, "I have already taken off my robe. Must I put it on again? I have already washed my feet. Must I get them dirty again?"
4My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.
4My love reached his hand through the opening by the door latch. My heart pounded for him.
The old wording says "my bowels were moved." In 1611 that meant a strong feeling deep inside, like a pounding heart.
5I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.
5I got up to open the door for my love. My hands dripped with myrrh. Sweet-smelling myrrh ran off my fingers onto the door handle.
6I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.
6I opened the door, but my love had turned and gone away. My heart sank. I looked for him, but I could not find him. I called for him, but he did not answer.
7The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.
7The guards who walk around the city found me. They hit me and hurt me. The men who guard the city walls pulled my cloak away from me.
8I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.
8Women of Jerusalem, please promise me this. If you find my love, tell him that I am weak with love.
"Sick of love" in the old wording does not mean tired of love. It means so full of love that she feels weak.
9What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?
9The women answer: You are the loveliest woman of all. How is your love better than anyone else's love? Why do you ask us to promise this?
10My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.
10She says: My love has glowing skin with a healthy reddish color. He stands out among ten thousand men.
11His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.
11His head is like the purest gold. His hair is wavy and as black as a raven's feathers.
12His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.
12His eyes are like doves beside streams of water. They look washed in milk and set in place like jewels.
13His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.
13His cheeks are like garden beds of sweet-smelling spices. His lips are like lilies, dripping with sweet myrrh.
14His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.
14His arms are like bars of gold set with shining green stones. His body is like smooth, creamy ivory covered with blue gems.
15His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.
15His legs are like marble pillars standing on bases of pure gold. He looks tall and grand, like the cedar trees of Lebanon.
16His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
16His mouth is very sweet. Everything about him is lovely. This is my love, and this is my friend, women of Jerusalem.
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