Song of Songs 3

(1) Female

“Night after night, I looked for the love of my life on my bed—but I didn’t find him. So now I’ll get up and walk around town—I need to look around the streets and the town square to see if I can find the love of my life.

“I looked, but didn’t find him. The watchmen making their rounds saw me, so I asked, ‘Have you seen the love of my life?’ And right after that I found the lover of my soul! I held onto him and didn’t let go until I had brought him all the way back to my parents’ house and into my mother’s bedroom—the place where I was conceived.”

(5) Male

“Young women of Jerusalem, I swear by the gazelles and deers in the field: don’t arouse love until it pleases.”

(6) Jerusalem’s Women

“What’s that coming up from the wilderness like pillars of smoke? It’s billowing with myrrh, frankincense, and all the scented powders a merchant would have.

“It’s Solomon being carried on his mobile throne, being by 60 of Israel’s strongest men! His men are all wielding swords, experts in battle. Each of them has a sword at his side to fend off the terrors of the night.

“King Solomon has used timber from Lebanon to make himself a mobile throne that has rods of silver and a structure of gold. The seat is made of purple fabric, and the interior showcases a pattern carefully designed by young women from Jerusalem.

“Go ahead, young ladies of Jerusalem—take a good look at King Solomon as he wears the same crown his mom placed on his head on his wedding day. His heart was so full of happiness on that day.”