Read the Bible

¹ Solomon's Finest Song.^[a](a)

² W^[b] Oh, that he would kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your^[c] love is^[d] more delightful than wine.^(b)
3 The fragrance of your perfume is intoxicating;^(c)
your name is perfume poured out.^(d)
No wonder young women^[e] adore you.
⁴ Take me with you^(e)—let us hurry.
Oh, that the king would bring^[f] me to his chambers.

Y We will rejoice and be glad for you;
we will praise your love more than wine.

W It is only right that they adore you.

⁵ Daughters of Jerusalem,^(f)
I am dark like the tents of Kedar,^(g)
yet lovely^(h) like the curtains of Solomon.
⁶ Do not stare at me because I am dark,
for the sun has gazed on me.
My mother's sons were angry with me;⁽ⁱ⁾
they made me a keeper of the vineyards.^(j)
I have not kept my own vineyard.^[g]

⁷ Tell me, you, the one I love:^(k)
Where do you pasture your sheep?^(l)
Where do you let them rest at noon?^(m)
Why should I be like one who veils herself^[h][i]
beside the flocks of your companions?⁽ⁿ⁾

⁸ M^[j] If you do not know,
most beautiful of women,^(o)
follow^[k] the tracks of the flock,
and pasture your young goats
near the shepherds' tents.

⁹ I compare you, my darling,^(p)
to a^[l] mare among Pharaoh's chariots.^[m](q)
10 Your cheeks are beautiful with jewelry,^(r)
your neck with its necklace.
¹¹ We will make gold jewelry for you,
accented with silver.

¹² W While the king is on his couch,^[n]
my perfume^[o] releases its fragrance.^(s)
13 My love is a sachet of myrrh to me,^(t)
spending the night between my breasts.
¹⁴ My love is a cluster of henna blossoms to me,^(u)
in the vineyards of En-gedi.^[p](v)

¹⁵ M How beautiful you are, my darling.
How very beautiful!
Your eyes are doves.^(w)

¹⁶ W How handsome you are, my love.^(x)
How delightful!
Our bed is lush with foliage;
¹⁷ the beams of our house are cedars,
and our rafters are cypresses.^[q]