Study Desk

Night after night on my bed I looked for the man I love. I looked for him, but I didn't find him.

"I will get up now and roam the city, through the streets and the open places, I will look for the man I love." I looked for him, but I didn't find him.

[She] I am asleep, but my heart is awake. Listen! I hear my darling knocking! [He] Open for me, my sister, my love, my dove, my flawless one! For my head is wet with dew, my hair with the moisture of the night.

I got up to open for the man I love. My hands were dripping with myrrh — pure myrrh ran off my fingers onto the handle of the bolt.

I opened for my darling, but my darling had turned and gone. My heart had failed me when he spoke — I sought him, but I couldn't find him; I called him, but he didn't answer.

[Chorus] Come back, come back, girl from Shulam! Come back, come back to where we can see you! Why are you looking at the girl from Shulam as if she were dancing for two army camps?

I belong to my darling, and his desire is for me.

We'll get up early and go to the vineyards to see if the vines have budded, to see if their flowers have opened, or if the pomegranate trees are in bloom. There I will give you my love. The mandrakes are sending out their fragrance, all kinds of choice fruits are at our doors, fruits both new and old, my darling, which I have kept in store for you.

[She] Set me like a seal on your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, passion as cruel as Sh'ol; its flashes are flashes of fire, [as fierce as the] flame of Yah.

No amount of water can quench love, torrents cannot drown it. If someone gave all the wealth in his house for love, he would gain only utter contempt.

[Chorus] We have a little sister; her breasts are still unformed. What are we to do with our sister when she is asked for in marriage?

Shlomo had a vineyard at Ba‘al-Hamon, and he gave the vineyard to caretakers; each of them would pay for its fruit a thousand pieces of silver.

[He] You who live in the garden, friends are listening for your voice. Let me hear it! —

"Hear, heaven! Listen, earth! For Adonai is speaking. "I raised and brought up children, but they rebelled against me.

learn to do good! Seek justice, relieve the oppressed, defend orphans, plead for the widow.

but if you refuse and rebel, you will be eaten by the sword"; for the mouth of Adonai has spoken.

for you will be like an oak whose leaf fades, like a garden without any water.

Many peoples will go and say, "Come, let's go up to the mountain of Adonai , to the house of the God of Ya‘akov! He will teach us about his ways, and we will walk in his paths." For out of Tziyon will go forth Torah, the word of Adonai from Yerushalayim.

He will judge between the nations and arbitrate for many peoples. Then they will hammer their swords into plow-blades and their spears into pruning-knives; nations will not raise swords at each other, and they will no longer learn war.

For you have abandoned your people the house of Ya‘akov. Now they are filled from the east, full of sorcerers, like the P'lishtim; even the children of foreigners are enough for them!