¹ Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth: for thy breasts are better than wine,

² Smelling sweet of the best ointments. Thy name is as oil poured out: therefore young maidens have loved thee.

³ Draw me: we will run after thee to the odour of thy ointments. The king hath brought me into his storerooms: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, remembering thy breasts more than wine: the righteous love thee.

⁴ I am black but beautiful, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Cedar, as the curtains of Solomon.

⁵ Do not consider me that I am brown, because the sun hath altered my colour: the sons of my mother have fought against me, they have made me the keeper in the vineyards: my vineyard I have not kept.

⁶ Shew me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou liest in the midday, lest I begin to wander after the flocks of thy companions.

⁷ If thou know not thyself, O fairest among women, go forth, and follow after the steps of the flocks, and feed thy kids beside the tents of the shepherds.

⁸ To my company of horsemen, in Pharao's chariots, have I likened thee, O my love.

⁹ Thy cheeks are beautiful as the turtledove's, thy neck as jewels.

¹⁰ We will make thee chains of gold, inlaid with silver.

¹¹ While the king was at his repose, my spikenard sent forth the odour thereof.

¹² A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me, he shall abide between my breasts.

¹³ A cluster of cypress my love is to me, in the vineyards of Engaddi.

¹⁴ Behold thou art fair, O my love, behold thou art fair, thy eyes are as those of doves.

¹⁵ Behold thou art fair, my beloved, and comely. Our bed is flourishing.

¹⁶ The beams of our houses are of cedar, our rafters of cypress trees.

¹ In like manner also let wives be subject to their husbands: that if any believe not the word, they may be won without the word, by the conversation of the wives.

² Considering your chaste conversation with fear.

³ Whose adorning let it not be the outward plaiting of the hair, or the wearing of gold, or the putting on of apparel:

⁴ But the hidden man of the heart in the incorruptibility of a quiet and a meek spirit, which is rich in the sight of God.

⁵ For after this manner heretofore the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands:

⁶ As Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters you are, doing well, and not fearing any disturbance.

⁷ Ye husbands, likewise dwelling with them according to knowledge, giving honour to the female as to the weaker vessel, and as to the co-heirs of the grace of life: that your prayers be not hindered.

⁸ And in fine, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, being lovers of the brotherhood, merciful, modest, humble:

⁹ Not rendering evil for evil, nor railing for railing, but contrariwise, blessing: for unto this are you called, that you may inherit a blessing.

¹⁰ For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile.

¹¹ Let him decline from evil, and do good: let him seek after peace and pursue it:

¹² Because the eyes of the Lord are upon the just, and his ears unto their prayers: but the countenance of the Lord upon them that do evil things.

¹³ And who is he that can hurt you, if you be zealous of good?

¹⁴ But if also you suffer any thing for justice' sake, blessed are ye. And be not afraid of their fear, and be not troubled.

¹⁵ But sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts, being ready always to satisfy every one that asketh you a reason of that hope which is in you.

¹⁶ But with modesty and fear, having a good conscience: that whereas they speak evil of you, they may be ashamed who falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

¹⁷ For it is better doing well (if such be the will of God) to suffer, than doing ill.

¹⁸ Because Christ also died once for our sins, the just for the unjust: that he might offer us to God, being put to death indeed in the flesh, but enlivened in the spirit,

¹⁹ In which also coming he preached to those spirits that were in prison:

²⁰ Which had been some time incredulous, when they waited for the patience of God in the days of Noe, when the ark was a building: wherein a few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water.

²¹ Whereunto baptism being of the like form, now saveth you also: not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the examination of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

²² Who is on the right hand of God, swallowing down death, that we might be made heirs of life everlasting: being gone into heaven, the angels and powers and virtues being made subject to him.