Pursuing Love: Awakened Love

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.

Chapter 2

¹ I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. ² As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.

³ As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. ⁴ He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. ⁵ Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love. ⁶ His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me. ⁷ I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.

¹⁶ My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies.

²⁵ See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: