I FOUND THE ONE MY HEART LOVES

Passage: Song of Songs 2:8-3:5

Key verse: 4a

NIV

8 Listen! My beloved!
    Look! Here he comes,
leaping across the mountains,
    bounding over the hills.(A)
9 My beloved is like a gazelle(B) or a young stag.(C)
    Look! There he stands behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
    peering through the lattice.
10 My beloved spoke and said to me,
    “Arise, my darling,
    my beautiful one, come with me.
11 See! The winter is past;
    the rains are over and gone.
12 Flowers appear on the earth;
    the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
    is heard in our land.
13 The fig tree forms its early fruit;(D)
    the blossoming(E) vines spread their fragrance.
Arise, come, my darling;
    my beautiful one, come with me.”

He

14 My dove(F) in the clefts of the rock,
    in the hiding places on the mountainside,
show me your face,
    let me hear your voice;
for your voice is sweet,
    and your face is lovely.(G)
15 Catch for us the foxes,(H)
    the little foxes
that ruin the vineyards,(I)
    our vineyards that are in bloom.(J)

She

16 My beloved is mine and I am his;(K)
    he browses among the lilies.(L)
17 Until the day breaks
    and the shadows flee,(M)
turn, my beloved,(N)
    and be like a gazelle
or like a young stag(O)
    on the rugged hills.[a](P)

3 All night long on my bed
    I looked(Q) for the one my heart loves;
    I looked for him but did not find him.
2 I will get up now and go about the city,
    through its streets and squares;
I will search for the one my heart loves.
    So I looked for him but did not find him.
3 The watchmen found me
    as they made their rounds in the city.(R)
    “Have you seen the one my heart loves?”
4 Scarcely had I passed them
    when I found the one my heart loves.
I held him and would not let him go
    till I had brought him to my mother’s house,(S)
    to the room of the one who conceived me.(T)
5 Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you(U)
    by the gazelles and by the does of the field:
Do not arouse or awaken love
    until it so desires.(V)

Footnotes
  1. Song of Songs 2:17 Or the hills of Bether
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The Bride Adores Her Beloved

8 The voice of my beloved!
    Behold, he comes,
leaping (A)over the mountains,
    bounding over the hills.
9 My beloved is like (B)a gazelle
    or a young stag.
Behold, there he stands
    behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
    looking through the lattice.
10 My beloved speaks and says to me:
(C)“Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
    and come away,
11 for behold, the winter is past;
    (D)the rain is over and gone.
12 (E)The flowers appear on the earth,
    the time of singing[a] has come,
and the voice of (F)the turtledove
    is heard in our land.
13 (G)The fig tree ripens its figs,
    and (H)the vines are in blossom;
    they give forth fragrance.
(I)Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
    and come away.
14 O my (J)dove, in the (K)clefts of the rock,
    in the crannies of the cliff,
let me see your face,
    let me (L)hear your voice,
for your voice is sweet,
    and your face is (M)lovely.
15 Catch (N)the foxes[b] for us,
    the little foxes
that spoil the vineyards,
    (O)for our vineyards are in blossom.”

16 (P)My beloved is mine, and I am his;
    he (Q)grazes[c] among the lilies.
17 Until (R)the day breathes
    and (S)the shadows flee,
turn, my beloved, be like (T)a gazelle
    or a young stag on cleft mountains.[d]

The Bride's Dream

3 On my bed (U)by night
I sought (V)him whom my soul loves;
    (W)I sought him, but found him not.
2 I will rise now and go about the city,
    in (X)the streets and in the squares;
I will seek (Y)him whom my soul loves.
    I sought him, but found him not.
3 (Z)The watchmen found me
    as they went about in the city.
“Have you seen him whom my soul loves?”
4 Scarcely had I passed them
    when I found (AA)him whom my soul loves.
I (AB)held him, and would not let him go
    until I had (AC)brought him into my mother's house,
    and into the chamber of (AD)her who conceived me.
5 (AE)I adjure you, (AF)O daughters of Jerusalem,
    (AG)by the gazelles or the does of the field,
that you not stir up or awaken love
    until it pleases.

Footnotes
  1. Song of Solomon 2:12 Or pruning
  2. Song of Solomon 2:15 Or jackals
  3. Song of Solomon 2:16 Or he pastures his flock
  4. Song of Solomon 2:17 Or mountains of Bether
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. Let me hear your voice (2:8-15) Spring is a time of new life. The winter is past and everything blossoms. In the same way, the love of our Lord kindles life in his people. Trusting in the love of Jesus and believing in him is crossing over from death to life (Jn 5:24). At the same time, new life can be threatened. Just as a blooming vineyard can become ruined by little foxes, the life planted in us is also vulnerable. That is the time to turn to Jesus and call on him, for he loves us. He gives us the strength to catch the little foxes of sinful desires and protect our love relationship with him. 2. I will search for the one my heart loves (2:16-3:5) When the bond of love is strong, there is no rest when lovers are apart. Love is a matter of heart. To love God is to seek him with all of our heart and to hold him with all of our strength (Dt 6:5).

Prayer: Lord, you are the one my heart loves. Help me to turn to you, call to you and hold on to you.

One Word: The one my heart loves