« | Song of Solomon 4 | » |
1 G Ah, you are beautiful, my beloved, ah, you are beautiful! Your eyes are doves behind your veil. Your hair is like a flock of goats streaming down the mountains of Gilead.
2 Your teeth are like a flock of ewes to be shorn, which come up from the washing, All of them big with twins, none of them thin and barren.
3 Your lips are like a scarlet strand; your mouth is lovely. Your cheek is like a half-pomegranate behind your veil.
4 Your neck is like David's tower girt with battlements; A thousand bucklers hang upon it, all the shields of valiant men.
5 Your breasts are like twin fawns, the young of a gazelle that browse among the lilies.
6 Until the day breathes cool and the shadows lengthen, I will go to the mountain of myrrh, to the hill of incense.
7 You are all-beautiful, my beloved, and there is no blemish in you.
8 Come from Lebanon, my bride, come from Lebanon, come! Descend from the top of Amana, from the top of Senir and Hermon, From the haunts of lions, from the leopards' mountains.
9 You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride; you have ravished my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one bead of your necklace.
10 How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride, how much more delightful is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your ointments than all spices!
11 Your lips drip honey, my bride, sweetmeats and milk are under your tongue; And the fragrance of your garments is the fragrance of Lebanon.
12 G You are an enclosed garden, my sister, my bride, an enclosed garden, a fountain sealed.
13 You are a park that puts forth pomegranates, with all choice fruits;
14 Nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all kinds of incense; Myrrh and aloes, with all the finest spices.
15 You are a garden fountain, a well of water flowing fresh from Lebanon.
16 Arise, north wind! Come, south wind! blow upon my garden that its perfumes may spread abroad. B Let my lover come to his garden and eat its choice fruits.
The New American Standard Updated Version (NASU)
The New American Standard Updated Version (NASU) is a highly respected English translation of the Bible known for its rigorous adherence to the original languages of Scripture. First published in 1995 by the Lockman Foundation, the NASU is an update of the New American Standard Bible (NASB), which was originally completed in 1971. The NASU seeks to improve upon the NASB by enhancing readability and modernizing the language while maintaining the translation’s reputation for being one of the most literal translations available. This makes the NASU a preferred choice for serious Bible study, preaching, and teaching.
A key feature of the NASU is its commitment to formal equivalence, or a word-for-word translation philosophy. The translators aimed to produce a text that is as close as possible to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts. This approach ensures that the NASU captures the precise meaning and structure of the original texts, providing readers with a highly accurate and reliable representation of the Scriptures. The use of formal equivalence makes the NASU particularly valuable for those who desire a deep and detailed understanding of the Bible, including scholars, theologians, and students of the Word.
In updating the NASB, the NASU made several important changes to improve clarity and readability. While maintaining the accuracy and literalness of the translation, the NASU incorporates modern English expressions and smoother sentence structures. This makes the text more accessible to contemporary readers without compromising the precision that the NASB is known for. The NASU also includes updated cross-references and footnotes, which provide additional context and insights, further aiding in the study and understanding of the biblical text.
Despite its many strengths, the NASU has faced some criticism. Some readers and scholars argue that the translation’s emphasis on literalness can sometimes result in a text that feels stiff or less fluid than more dynamic translations. Additionally, while the NASU’s updated language makes it more accessible, some feel that it could go further in adapting to contemporary usage without losing its accuracy. Nevertheless, the New American Standard Updated Version remains a highly esteemed translation, valued for its fidelity to the original texts and its usefulness for in-depth study and precise interpretation of the Bible.