OET SNG section

This is still a very early look into the unfinished text of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check the text in advance before using in public.

Readers’ Version

Literal Version

5:2 The fourth song

The bride

2 I’m asleep, but my heart is awake.

A sound—my dearest is knocking.

The groom

“Open to me, my girlfriend, my darling, my dove, my perfect one,

because my head is full of dew—

my hair is wet with the night dampness.”

The bride

3 “I’ve already undressed—do I have to get dressed again?

I’ve washed my feet—won’t I get them dirty now?”

4 My dearest stretched out his hand through the hole

and my stomach tightened when I saw him.

5 I got myself up to open to my dearest and my hands dripped with myrrh.

My fingers dripped with flowing myrrh on the arm of the bolt.

6 I opened the door to my dearest,

but my dearest had turned and gone.

My stomach sunk because he’d left.

I searched for him, but I couldn’t find him.

≈ I called him, but he didn’t answer me.

7 The guards going about in the city found me.

They beat me and wounded me.

The guards of the walls took my shawl off me.

8 I adjure you, young women of Yerushalem:

if you find my dearest, what will you tell him?

Tell him that I’m sick with love.

Yerushalem’s young women

9 Most beautiful among women, how is your dearest better than another darling?

What is your dearest more than another, that you adjure us like that?

The bride

10 My dearest is dazzling and red—

→ he would stand out among ten thousand.

11 His head is gold, refined gold.

≈ His hair is wavy, and black like the raven.

12 His eyes are like doves beside streams of water,

≈ bathing in milk, sitting beside the pools.

13 His cheeks are like a bed of spices—like towers where aromatic herbs are hung.

≈ His lips are lilies—dripping with flowing myrrh.

14 His arms are rods of gold mounted with topaz stones.

≈ His belly is a plate of ivory covered with sapphires.

15 His thighs are pillars of alabaster set on bases of refined gold.

≈ His appearance is like Lebanon—as attractive as the cedar trees.

16 His mouth is most sweet,

≈ and all of him is most desirable.

This is my dearest, and this is my friend,

young women of Yerushalem.

6 Yerushalem’s young women

6 Where did he go, your dearest, most beautiful woman among women?

Where did he turn, your dearest—let us join you in looking for him.

The bride

2 My dearest went down to his garden, to the beds of spices,

→ in order to graze in the gardens and in order to gather lilies.

3 I belong to my dearest, and my dearest belongs to me.

He grazes among the lilies.

2 I was_sleeping and_my _of_heart was_awake the _sound _of my _lover _of_of is_knocking open to_me my _sister _of_Oh friend _of_my dove _of_my my _perfect _of_one that_my _of_head is_filled dew locks _of_my[fn] dewdrops _of night.
3 I _have _stripped _off DOM tunic _of_my how will_I _put _it _on I _have _washed DOM feet _of_my how will_I _dirty _them.
4 Lover _of_my he _sent his/its_hand from the_hole and_my _inward _of_parts they _were _turbulent on/upon/above_him/it.
5 I _arose I to_open to_my _of_lover and_my _of_hands they _dripped myrrh and_my _of_fingers myrrh flowing on the _handles _of the _bolt.
6 I _opened I to_my _of_lover and_my _of_lover he _had _turned _away he _had _passed _away being _of_my it _went _out when_he_turned _aside I_sought _him and_not I_found _him I_called _him and_not he_answered _me.
7 They_found _me the_watchmen who_go_around in_city they_struck _me they_wounded _me they _lifted DOM shawl _of_my from_on_me the _watchmen _of the _walls.
8 I _adjure you(pl) Oh _daughters _of Yərūshālam/(Jerusalem) if you(pl)_will _find DOM lover _of_my what will _you(pl)_tell to_him/it (cmp)_am_weak _of love I.
9 How_is lover _of_your more_than _a _lover Oh_beautiful_one among_women how lover _of_is_your more_than _a _lover (cmp)_thus you_have _adjured _us.
10 Lover _of_my is_dazzling and_ruddy he_is_conspicuous more_than _ten _thousand.
11 His/its_head is_gold _of pure _gold locks _of_his[fn] are_curls black like_raven.
12 Eyes _of_his are_like_doves at channels _of water washing in wwww on wwww.
13 Cheeks _of_his are_like _(the)_bed _of (the)_spice towers _of aromatic _herbs lips _of_his are_lilies dripping myrrh flowing.
14 Hands _of_his are_rods _of gold filled with_chrysolite parts _of_his _lower are_a _plate _of ivory covered sapphires.
15 Legs _of_his are_pillars _of marble founded on bases _of pure _gold appearance _of_his is_like_Ləⱱānōn it_is_chosen like_cedars.
16 Mouth _of_his is_sweetness(es) and_all _of_of _him is_desirableness(es)[fn][fn][fn] this lover _of_is_my and_this friend _of_is_my Oh _daughters _of Yərūshālam/(Jerusalem).
6 Where has _he _gone lover _of_your Oh_beautiful_one among_women where lover _of_your has _he _turned so_that_we _may _seek _him with_you.
2 Lover _of_my he _has _gone _down to_his _of_garden to_the _beds _of (the)_spice to_graze in_gardens and_to_gather lilies.
3 I belong_to_my _of_lover and_my _of_lover to_me the_one_who _is_grazing among_lilies.
[fn][fn][fn]

5:2 OSHB note: We agree with both BHS 1997 and BHQ on an unexpected reading.

5:11 OSHB note: We agree with both BHS 1997 and BHQ on an unexpected reading.

5:16 OSHB note: Marks a place where we agree with BHQ against BHS in reading L.

5:16 OSHB note: Marks an anomalous form.

5:16 OSHB note: We read punctuation in L differently from BHS.

6:3 OSHB note: Marks a place where we agree with BHQ against BHS in reading L.

6:3 OSHB note: Marks an anomalous form.

6:3 OSHB note: We read punctuation in L differently from BHS.

OET by section SNG 5:2

The fourth song

Readers’ Version

Literal Version Hide marks

Literal Version