Read the Bible

¹ The Song of Songs, which is Solomon's.

² Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your love is better than wine,
³     your anointing oils are fragrant,
your name is perfume poured out;
    therefore the maidens love you.
⁴ Draw me after you, let us make haste.
    The king has brought me into his chambers.
We will exult and rejoice in you;
    we will extol your love more than wine;
    rightly do they love you.

⁵ I am black and beautiful,
    O daughters of Jerusalem,
like the tents of Kedar,
    like the curtains of Solomon.
⁶ Do not gaze at me because I am dark,
    because the sun has gazed on me.
My mother's sons were angry with me;
    they made me keeper of the vineyards,
    but my own vineyard I have not kept!
⁷ Tell me, you whom my soul loves,
    where you pasture your flock,
    where you make it lie down at noon;
for why should I be like one who is veiled
    beside the flocks of your companions?

⁸ If you do not know,
    O fairest among women,
follow the tracks of the flock,
    and pasture your kids
    beside the shepherds' tents.

⁹ I compare you, my love,
    to a mare among Pharaoh's chariots.
¹⁰ Your cheeks are comely with ornaments,
    your neck with strings of jewels.
¹¹ We will make you ornaments of gold,
    studded with silver.

¹² While the king was on his couch,
    my nard gave forth its fragrance.
¹³ My beloved is to me a bag of myrrh
    that lies between my breasts.
¹⁴ My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms
    in the vineyards of En-gedi.

¹⁵ Ah, you are beautiful, my love;
    ah, you are beautiful;
    your eyes are doves.
¹⁶ Ah, you are beautiful, my beloved,
    truly lovely.
Our couch is green;
¹⁷     the beams of our house are cedar,
    our rafters^[a] are pine.