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The poetry of Song of Solomon, or Song of Songs, records romantic dialogues between a king (Solomon) and his bride. The relationship between this king and his bride serves as a beautiful metaphor for the relationship between Christ and His bride, the church.

BibleGateway: Song of Solomon 1

ESV Text: Song of Solomon 1

Song of Solomon 1 (Listen)

1:1 The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.

The Bride Confesses Her Love

She1


  Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
  For your love is better than wine;
    your anointing oils are fragrant;
  your name is oil poured out;
    therefore virgins love you.
  Draw me after you; let us run.
    The king has brought me into his chambers.

Others


  We will exult and rejoice in you;
    we will extol your love more than wine;
    rightly do they love you.

She


  I am very dark, but lovely,
    O daughters of Jerusalem,
  like the tents of Kedar,
    like the curtains of Solomon.
  Do not gaze at me because I am dark,
    because the sun has looked upon me.
  My mother’s sons were angry with me;
    they made me keeper of the vineyards,
    but my own vineyard I have not kept!
  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 veils herself
    beside the flocks of your companions?

Solomon and His Bride Delight in Each Other

He


  If you do not know,
    O most beautiful among women,
  follow in the tracks of the flock,
    and pasture your young goats
    beside the shepherds’ tents.


  I compare you, my love,
    to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots.
10   Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,
    your neck with strings of jewels.

Others


11   We will make for you2 ornaments of gold,
    studded with silver.

She


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

He


15   Behold, you are beautiful, my love;
    behold, you are beautiful;
    your eyes are doves.

She


16   Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, truly delightful.
  Our couch is green;
17     the beams of our house are cedar;
    our rafters are pine.

Footnotes

[1] 1:2 The translators have added speaker identifications based on the gender and number of the Hebrew words

[2] 1:11 The Hebrew for you is feminine singular

(ESV)


KJV Text: Song of Solomon 1:1-17

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KJV Text (alt. audio): Chapter 1:

     1 The song of songs, which is Solomon’s.

     2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine. 3 Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee. 4 Draw 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. 5 I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. 6 Look 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.

     7 Tell 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? 8 If 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. 9 I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh’s chariots. 10 Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold. 11 We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver.

     12 While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof. 13 A bundle of myrrh is my wellbeloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts. 14 My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi. 15 Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes. 16 Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green. 17 The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir.(KJV)


Hymn: TLH 215 : Draw Us to Thee

Hymnary.org

Organ Audio

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1. Draw us to Thee,
For then shall we
Walk in Thy steps forever
And hasten on
Where Thou art gone
To be with Thee, dear Savior.

2. Draw us to Thee,
Lord, lovingly;
Let us depart with gladness
That we may be
Forever free
From sorrow, grief, and sadness.

3. Draw us to Thee;
Oh, grant that we
May walk the road to heaven!
Direct our way
Lest we should stray
And from Thy paths be driven.

4. Draw us to Thee
That also we
Thy heavenly bliss inherit
And ever dwell
Where sin and hell
No more can vex our spirit.

5. Draw us to Thee
Unceasingly,
Into Thy kingdom take us;
Let us fore’er
Thy glory share,
Thy saints and joint heirs make us.


Hymn: LSB 701 : Draw us to Thee

Hymnary.org

1. Draw us to Thee,
For then shall we
Walk in Thy steps forever
And hasten on
Where Thou art gone
To be with Thee, dear Savior.

2. Draw us to Thee,
Lord, lovingly;
Let us depart with gladness
That we may be
Forever free
From sorrow, grief, and sadness.

3. Draw us to Thee;
O grant that we
May walk the road to heaven!
Direct our way
Lest we should stray
And from Thy paths be driven.

4. Draw us to Thee
That also we
Thy heav’nly bliss inherit
And ever dwell
Where sin and hell
No more can vex our spirit.

5. Draw us to Thee
Unceasingly,
Into Thy kingdom take us;
Let us fore’er
Thy glory share,
Thy saints and joint heirs make us.