Song of Solomon Chapter 1
Showing all 17 verses for Song of Solomon Chapter 1.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"The song of songs, which is Solomon’s. "
"This is the finest of all songs — Solomon's own Song of Songs, the best of the best."
I gave you bodies, senses, and the capacity to delight in another person — and I called it good, not something to be ashamed of or managed at arm's length. Let this book loosen any idea you've picked up that love needs to be quiet, clinical, or apologised for. Celebrate what is genuinely good in your life with the same energy this poem does.
"Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine. "
"Kiss me again and again — your love means more to me than the finest wine."
Wanting to be close to someone you love is not something to hide or feel guilty about — I made you for connection, not for holding people at a careful distance. Speak your affection honestly, the way she does here, rather than burying it under politeness.
"Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee. "
"The fragrance of your perfumed oils is wonderful — your very name is like perfume poured out. No wonder every young woman adores you."
Let your life carry a good 'scent' — the kind that draws people towards warmth and honesty rather than towards status or fear. What people remember about you should be the quality of how you loved and lived, long after you've left the room.
"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. "
"Take me with you — let's run together! The king has brought me into his private rooms. We are thrilled and delighted in you; we treasure your love more than wine. It's no wonder the honest and good love you."
Don't be afraid to chase what's good and be chased in return — mutual, eager desire between two people who belong to each other is not a compromise of integrity, it can be the very expression of it. I want you to know that wanting someone, and being wanted, can be wholly good.
"I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. "
"I am dark-skinned, yet beautiful, daughters of Jerusalem — dark like the tents of Kedar, yet lovely like Solomon's fine curtains."
Don't let anyone else's narrow idea of what's presentable talk you out of your own worth. I see people the way this young woman sees herself here — clear-eyed about how she looks, and completely unwilling to let that be turned into shame. Refuse a verdict on your body or your worth that was never fair to begin with.
"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. "
"Don't stare at me because I'm dark — it's the sun that's tanned me. My brothers were angry with me and made me look after the vineyards, so I couldn't take care of my own."
It's alright to notice when other people's demands have left you no room to tend your own life, your own growth, your own heart. I don't want you carrying resentment in silence — name what's been asked of you, and start reclaiming space to look after yourself too.
"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? "
"Tell me, you whom I love with my whole being — where do you graze your flock, where do you rest them at midday? Why should I have to wander veiled among your friends' flocks looking for you?"
Clear communication is an act of love. If you care about someone, tell them plainly where they stand with you and where you'll be — don't make the people who love you guess or wander in search of you. I value directness over games.
"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. "
"If you don't know, loveliest of women, just follow the tracks left by the flock, and graze your young goats near the shepherds' tents."
Real intimacy has room for lightness, not only intensity — a bit of playful teasing, freely given, is part of how trust grows between two people. Don't feel every moment of love has to be solemn to be genuine.
"I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh’s chariots. "
"My love, I compare you to a mare among Pharaoh's chariot horses — striking and unforgettable."
Tell the people you love, plainly and specifically, what makes them unforgettable to you. Compliments land best when they're particular, not generic — notice what actually makes someone remarkable, and say it.
"Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold. "
"Your face is lovely between the jewellery framing it, your neck graceful with strings of gold."
Let yourself openly admire and appreciate the person you love — their effort, their presence, the way they choose to show up for you. Withholding admiration you actually feel starves a relationship; say it out loud.
"We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver. "
"We will make you ornaments of gold, studded with silver."
Let the people who care about you take part in your joy — a wedding, a relationship, a milestone. Community that wants to add something good to your happiness, rather than compete with it or gatekeep it, is worth treasuring.
"While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof. "
"While the king reclines at his table, the fragrance of my perfume fills the air."
Intimacy is often made of small, ordinary shared moments rather than dramatic ones. Notice and treasure the quiet closeness of simply being near someone you love — a meal together, a familiar presence — it matters as much as the big occasions.
"A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts. "
"My love is like a small pouch of myrrh resting all night between my breasts."
Don't be embarrassed by how much you delight in physical closeness with someone you're genuinely committed to — I made bodies and affection as part of a good life together, not a shameful add-on to it. Let yourself enjoy what is good within the relationship you've built.
"My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi. "
"My love is to me like a cluster of sweet-smelling henna blossoms in the vineyards of Engedi."
Recognise and name the person who brings unexpected richness into your life — the one who feels like an oasis. Gratitude expressed specifically, rather than kept vague, is part of what keeps love alive.
"Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes. "
"You are beautiful, my love — so beautiful! Your eyes are like doves."
Say the good thing about someone twice if once doesn't feel like enough — sincerity doesn't need to be rationed or held back for fear of seeming excessive. Let your genuine admiration for someone show plainly.
"Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green. "
"You are handsome, my love, and so pleasant! Our bed is like a bed of fresh grass."
Love that lasts tends to be mutual — praise returned, delight answered with delight, not one person doing all the giving. Notice whether affection flows both ways in your relationships, and be as generous in returning it as in receiving it.
"The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir. "
"The beams of our house are cedar, and its rafters are of fir."
Build your relationships with quality and permanence in mind, not just fleeting excitement — invest in what will last and bear weight, the way solid timber does. What you build a life on matters as much as how it feels in the moment.