Fri, 03 May 2024 21:47:16 -0500 Yom Shishi, Chodesh Sheni 24, 6024 — יום ששי חדש שני כד ו׳כד

Tanakh
Book of Song of Songs, Chapter: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Songs of Songs

Chapter 1

שיר השירים אשר לשלמה׃	א	1	The song of songs, which is Solomon's.
ישקני מנשיקות פיהו כי־טובים דדיך מיין׃	ב	2	Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth--for thy love is better than wine.
לריח שמניך טובים שמן תורק שמך על־כן עלמות אהבוך׃	ג	3	Thine ointments have a goodly fragrance; thy name is as ointment poured forth; therefore do the maidens love thee.
משכני אחריך נרוצה הביאני המלך חדריו נגילה ונשמחה בך נזכירה דדיך מיין מישרים אהבוך׃ ס	ד	4	Draw me, we will run after thee; the king hath brought me into his chambers; we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will find thy love more fragrant than wine! sincerely do they love thee. {P}
שחורה אני ונאוה בנות ירושלם כאהלי קדר כיריעות שלמה׃	ה	5	'I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Yerushalam, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
אל־תראוני שאני שחרחרת ששזפתני השמש בני אמי נחרו־בי שמני נטרה את־הכרמים כרמי שלי לא נטרתי׃	ו	6	Look not upon me, that I am swarthy, that the sun hath tanned me; my mother's sons were incensed against me, they made me keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.'
הגידה לי שאהבה נפשי איכה תרעה איכה תרביץ בצהרים שלמה אהיה כעטיה על עדרי חבריך׃	ז	7	Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon; for why should I be as one that veileth herself beside the flocks of thy companions?
אם־לא תדעי לך היפה בנשים צאי־לך בעקבי הצאן ורעי את־גדיתיך על משכנות הרעים׃ ס	ח	8	If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock and feed thy kids, beside the shepherds' tents. {P}
לססתי ברכבי פרעה דמיתיך רעיתי׃	ט	9	I have compared thee, O my love, to a steed in Pharaoh's chariots.
נאוו לחייך בתרים צוארך בחרוזים׃	י	10	Thy cheeks are comely with circlets, thy neck with beads.
תורי זהב נעשה־לך עם נקדות הכסף׃	יא	11	We will make thee circlets of gold with studs of silver.
עד־שהמלך במסבו נרדי נתן ריחו׃	יב	12	While the king sat at his table, my spikenard sent forth its fragrance.
צרור המר ׀ דודי לי בין שדי ילין׃	יג	13	My beloved is unto me as a bag of myrrh, that lieth betwixt my breasts.
אשכל הכפר ׀ דודי לי בכרמי עין גדי׃ ס	יד	14	My beloved is unto me as a cluster of henna in the vineyards of En-gedi. {S}
הנך יפה רעיתי הנך יפה עיניך יונים׃	יה	15	Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thine eyes are as doves.
הנך יפה דודי אף נעים אף־ערשנו רעננה׃	יו	16	Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant; also our couch is leafy.
קרות בתינו ארזים רהיטנו רחיטנו ברותים׃	יז	17	The beams of our houses are cedars, and our panels are cypresses.

Groves Center Legend For Leningrad Codex Notes

C	We read one or more accents in L differently from BHQ.
c	We read one or more accents in L differently than BHS. Often this notation indicates a typographical error in BHS.

Chapter 2

אני חבצלת השרון שושנת העמקים׃	א	1	I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.
כשושנה בין החוחים כן רעיתי בין הבנות׃	ב	2	As a lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.
כתפוח בעצי היער כן דודי בין הבנים בצלו חמדתי וישבתי ופריו מתוק לחכי׃	ג	3	As an apple-tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. Under its shadow I delighted to sit, and its fruit was sweet to my taste.
הביאני אל־בית היין ודגלו עלי אהבה׃	ד	4	He hath brought me to the banqueting-house, and his banner over me is love.
סמכוני באשישות רפדוני בתפוחים כי־חולת אהבה אני׃	ה	5	'Stay ye me with dainties, refresh me with apples; for I am love-sick.'
שמאלו תחת לראשי וימינו תחבקני׃	ו	6	Let his left hand be under my head, and his right hand embrace me.
השבעתי אתכם בנות ירושלם בצבאות או באילות השדה אם־תעירו ׀ ואם־תעוררו את־האהבה עד שתחפץ׃ ס	ז	7	'I adjure you, O daughters of Yerushalam, by the gazelles, and by the hinds of the field, that ye awaken not, nor stir up love, until it please.' {S}
קול דודי הנה־זה בא מדלג על־ההרים מקפץ על־הגבעות׃	ח	8	Hark! my beloved! behold, he cometh, leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.
דומה דודי לצבי או לעפר האילים הנה־זה עומד אחר כתלנו משגיח מן־החלנות מציץ מן־החרכים׃	ט	9	My beloved is like a gazelle or a young hart; behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh in through the windows, he peereth through the lattice.
ענה דודי ואמר לי קומי לך רעיתי יפתי ולכי־לך׃	י	10	My beloved spoke, and said unto me: 'Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
כי־הנה הסתיו הסתו עבר הגשם חלף הלך לו׃	יא	11	For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
הנצנים נראו בארץ עת הזמיר הגיע וקול התור נשמע בארצנו׃	יב	12	The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
התאנה חנטה פגיה והגפנים ׀ סמדר נתנו ריח קומי לך לכי רעיתי יפתי ולכי־לך׃ ס	יג	13	The fig-tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines in blossom give forth their fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. {S}
יונתי בחגוי הסלע בסתר המדרגה הראיני את־מראיך השמיעיני את־קולך כי־קולך ערב ומראיך נאוה׃ ס	יד	14	O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the covert of the cliff, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.' {S}
אחזו־לנו שועלים שועלים קטנים מחבלים כרמים וכרמינו סמדר׃	יה	15	'Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vineyards; for our vineyards are in blossom.'
דודי לי ואני לו הרעה בשושנים׃	יו	16	My beloved is mine, and I am his, that feedeth among the lilies.
עד שיפוח היום ונסו הצללים סב דמה־לך דודי לצבי או לעפר האילים על־הרי בתר׃ ס	יז	17	Until the day breathe, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a gazelle or a young hart upon the mountains of spices. {S}

Groves Center Legend For Leningrad Codex Notes

C	We read one or more accents in L differently from BHQ.
Q	Marks a place where we agree with BHQ against BHS in reading L.
c	We read one or more accents in L differently than BHS. Often this notation indicates a typographical error in BHS.
n	Marks an anomalous form.
p	We read punctuation in L differently from BHS.

Chapter 3

על־משכבי בלילות בקשתי את שאהבה נפשי בקשתיו ולא מצאתיו׃	א	1	By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth; I sought him, but I found him not.
אקומה נא ואסובבה בעיר בשוקים וברחבות אבקשה את שאהבה נפשי בקשתיו ולא מצאתיו׃	ב	2	'I will rise now, and go about the city, in the streets and in the broad ways, I will seek him whom my soul loveth.' I sought him, but I found him not.
מצאוני השמרים הסבבים בעיר את שאהבה נפשי ראיתם׃	ג	3	The watchmen that go about the city found me: 'Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?'
כמעט שעברתי מהם עד שמצאתי את שאהבה נפשי אחזתיו ולא ארפנו עד־שהביאתיו אל־בית אמי ואל־חדר הורתי׃	ד	4	Scarce had I passed from them, when I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.
השבעתי אתכם בנות ירושלם בצבאות או באילות השדה אם־תעירו ׀ ואם־תעוררו את־האהבה עד שתחפץ׃ ס	ה	5	'I adjure you, O daughters of Yerushalam, by the gazelles, and by the hinds of the field, that ye awaken not, nor stir up love, until it please.' {S}
מי זאת עלה מן־המדבר כתימרות עשן מקטרת מור ולבונה מכל אבקת רוכל׃	ו	6	Who is this that cometh up out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?
הנה מטתו שלשלמה ששים גברים סביב לה מגברי ישראל׃	ז	7	Behold, it is the litter of Solomon; sixty mighty men are about it, of the mighty men of Israel.
כלם אחזי חרב מלמדי מלחמה איש חרבו על־ירכו מפחד בלילות׃ ס	ח	8	They all handle the sword, and are expert in war; every man hath his sword upon his thigh, because of dread in the night. {S}
אפריון עשה לו המלך שלמה מעצי הלבנון׃	ט	9	King Solomon made himself a palanquin of the wood of Lebanon.
עמודיו עשה כסף רפידתו זהב מרכבו ארגמן תוכו רצוף אהבה מבנות ירושלם׃	י	10	He made the pillars thereof of silver, the top thereof of gold, the seat of it of purple, the inside thereof being inlaid with love, from the daughters of Yerushalam.
צאינה ׀ וראינה בנות ציון במלך שלמה בעטרה שעטרה־לו אמו ביום חתנתו וביום שמחת לבו׃ ס	יא	11	Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and gaze upon king Solomon, even upon the crown wherewith his mother hath crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart. {S}

Groves Center Legend For Leningrad Codex Notes

P	We read the punctuation in L differently from BHQ.
Q	Marks a place where we agree with BHQ against BHS in reading L.
n	Marks an anomalous form.
p	We read punctuation in L differently from BHS.

Chapter 4

הנך יפה רעיתי הנך יפה עיניך יונים מבעד לצמתך שערך כעדר העזים שגלשו מהר גלעד׃	א	1	Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thine eyes are as doves behind thy veil; thy hair is as a flock of goats, that trail down from mount Gilead.
שניך כעדר הקצובות שעלו מן־הרחצה שכלם מתאימות ושכלה אין בהם׃	ב	2	Thy teeth are like a flock of ewes all shaped alike, which are come up from the washing; whereof all are paired, and none faileth among them.
כחוט השני שפתתיך ומדבריך נאוה כפלח הרמון רקתך מבעד לצמתך׃	ג	3	Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy mouth is comely; thy temples are like a pomegranate split open behind thy veil.
כמגדל דויד צוארך בנוי לתלפיות אלף המגן תלוי עליו כל שלטי הגבורים׃	ד	4	Thy neck is like the tower of David builded with turrets, whereon there hang a thousand shields, all the armour of the mighty men.
שני שדיך כשני עפרים תאומי צביה הרועים בשושנים׃	ה	5	Thy two breasts are like two fawns that are twins of a gazelle, which feed among the lilies.
עד שיפוח היום ונסו הצללים אלך לי אל־הר המור ואל־גבעת הלבונה׃	ו	6	Until the day breathe, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.
כלך יפה רעיתי ומום אין בך׃ ס	ז	7	Thou art all fair, my love; and there is no spot in thee. {S}
אתי מלבנון כלה אתי מלבנון תבואי תשורי ׀ מראש אמנה מראש שניר וחרמון ממענות אריות מהררי נמרים׃	ח	8	Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, with me from Lebanon; look from the top of Amana, from the top of Senir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards.
לבבתני אחתי כלה לבבתיני באחת באחד מעיניך באחד ענק מצורניך׃	ט	9	Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my bride; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one bead of thy necklace.
מה־יפו דדיך אחתי כלה מה־טבו דדיך מיין וריח שמניך מכל־בשמים׃	י	10	How fair is thy love, my sister, my bride! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all manner of spices!
נפת תטפנה שפתותיך כלה דבש וחלב תחת לשונך וריח שלמתיך כריח לבנון׃ ס	יא	11	Thy lips, O my bride, drop honey--honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon. {S}
גן ׀ נעול אחתי כלה גל נעול מעין חתום׃	יב	12	A garden shut up is my sister, my bride; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.
שלחיך פרדס רמונים עם פרי מגדים כפרים עם־נרדים׃	יג	13	Thy shoots are a park of pomegranates, with precious fruits; henna with spikenard plants,
נרד ׀ וכרכם קנה וקנמון עם כל־עצי לבונה מר ואהלות עם כל־ראשי בשמים׃	יד	14	Spikenard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices.
מעין גנים באר מים חיים ונזלים מן־לבנון׃	יה	15	Thou art a fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and flowing streams from Lebanon.
עורי צפון ובואי תימן הפיחי גני יזלו בשמיו יבא דודי לגנו ויאכל פרי מגדיו׃	יו	16	Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his precious fruits.

Chapter 5

באתי לגני אחתי כלה אריתי מורי עם־בשמי אכלתי יערי עם־דבשי שתיתי ייני עם־חלבי אכלו רעים שתו ושכרו דודים׃ ס	א	1	I am come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved. {S}
אני ישנה ולבי ער קול ׀ דודי דופק פתחי־לי אחתי רעיתי יונתי תמתי שראשי נמלא־טל קוצותי רסיסי לילה׃	ב	2	I sleep, but my heart waketh; Hark! my beloved knocketh: 'Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled; for my head is filled with dew, my locks with the drops of the night.'
פשטתי את־כתנתי איככה אלבשנה רחצתי את־רגלי איככה אטנפם׃	ג	3	I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?
דודי שלח ידו מן־החר ומעי המו עליו׃	ד	4	My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my heart was moved for him.
קמתי אני לפתח לדודי וידי נטפו־מור ואצבעתי מור עבר על כפות המנעול׃	ה	5	I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with flowing myrrh, upon the handles of the bar.
פתחתי אני לדודי ודודי חמק עבר נפשי יצאה בדברו בקשתיהו ולא מצאתיהו קראתיו ולא ענני׃	ו	6	I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had turned away, and was gone. My soul failed me when he spoke. I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.
מצאני השמרים הסבבים בעיר הכוני פצעוני נשאו את־רדידי מעלי שמרי החמות׃	ז	7	The watchmen that go about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my mantle from me.
השבעתי אתכם בנות ירושלם אם־תמצאו את־דודי מה־תגידו לו שחולת אהבה אני׃	ח	8	'I adjure you, O daughters of Yerushalam, if ye find my beloved, what will ye tell him? that I am love-sick.'
מה־דודך מדוד היפה בנשים מה־דודך מדוד שככה השבעתנו׃	ט	9	'What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? What is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so adjure us?'
דודי צח ואדום דגול מרבבה׃	י	10	'My beloved is white and ruddy, pre-eminent above ten thousand.
ראשו כתם פז קוצותיו תלתלים שחרות כעורב׃	יא	11	His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are curled, and black as a raven.
עיניו כיונים על־אפיקי מים רחצות בחלב ישבות על־מלאת׃	יב	12	His eyes are like doves beside the water-brooks; washed with milk, and fitly set.
לחיו כערוגת הבשם מגדלות מרקחים שפתותיו שושנים נטפות מור עבר׃	יג	13	His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as banks of sweet herbs; his lips are as lilies, dropping with flowing myrrh.
ידיו גלילי זהב ממלאים בתרשיש מעיו עשת שן מעלפת ספירים׃	יד	14	His hands are as rods of gold set with beryl; his body is as polished ivory overlaid with sapphires.
שוקיו עמודי שש מיסדים על־אדני־פז מראהו כלבנון בחור כארזים׃	יה	15	His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold; his aspect is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.
חכו ממתקים וכלו מחמדים זה דודי וזה רעי בנות ירושלם׃	יו	16	His mouth is most sweet; yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Yerushalam.'

Groves Center Legend For Leningrad Codex Notes

Q	Marks a place where we agree with BHQ against BHS in reading L.
U	We agree with both BHS 1997 and BHQ on an unexpected reading.
n	Marks an anomalous form.
p	We read punctuation in L differently from BHS.

Chapter 6

אנה הלך דודך היפה בנשים אנה פנה דודך ונבקשנו עמך׃	א	1	'Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? Whither hath thy beloved turned him, that we may seek him with thee?'
דודי ירד לגנו לערוגות הבשם לרעות בגנים וללקט שושנים׃	ב	2	'My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.
אני לדודי ודודי לי הרעה בשושנים׃ ס	ג	3	I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine, that feedeth among the lilies.' {S}
יפה את רעיתי כתרצה נאוה כירושלם אימה כנדגלות׃	ד	4	Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Yerushalam, terrible as an army with banners.
הסבי עיניך מנגדי שהם הרהיבני שערך כעדר העזים שגלשו מן־הגלעד׃	ה	5	Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me. Thy hair is as a flock of goats, that trail down from Gilead.
שניך כעדר הרחלים שעלו מן־הרחצה שכלם מתאימות ושכלה אין בהם׃	ו	6	Thy teeth are like a flock of ewes, which are come up from the washing; whereof all are paired, and none faileth among them.
כפלח הרמון רקתך מבעד לצמתך׃	ז	7	Thy temples are like a pomegranate split open behind thy veil.
ששים המה מלכות ושמנים פילגשים ועלמות אין מספר׃	ח	8	There are sixty queens, and eighty concubines, and maidens without number.
אחת היא יונתי תמתי אחת היא לאמה ברה היא ליולדתה ראוה בנות ויאשרוה מלכות ופילגשים ויהללוה׃ ס	ט	9	My dove, my undefiled, is but one; she is the only one of her mother; she is the choice one of her that bore her. The daughters saw her, and called her happy; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her. {S}
מי־זאת הנשקפה כמו־שחר יפה כלבנה ברה כחמה אימה כנדגלות׃ ס	י	10	Who is she that looketh forth as the dawn, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, terrible as an army with banners? {S}
אל־גנת אגוז ירדתי לראות באבי הנחל לראות הפרחה הגפן הנצו הרמנים׃	יא	11	I went down into the garden of nuts, to look at the green plants of the valley, to see whether the vine budded, and the pomegranates were in flower.
לא ידעתי נפשי שמתני מרכבות עמי־נדיב׃	יב	12	Before I was aware, my soul set me upon the chariots of my princely people.

Groves Center Legend For Leningrad Codex Notes

C	We read one or more accents in L differently from BHQ.
Q	Marks a place where we agree with BHQ against BHS in reading L.
n	Marks an anomalous form.
p	We read punctuation in L differently from BHS.

Chapter 7

שובי שובי השולמית שובי שובי ונחזה־בך מה־תחזו בשולמית כמחלת המחנים׃	א	1	Return, return, O Shulammite; Return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulammite? As it were a dance of two companies.
מה־יפו פעמיך בנעלים בת־נדיב חמוקי ירכיך כמו חלאים מעשה ידי אמן׃	ב	2	How beautiful are thy steps in sandals, O prince's daughter! The roundings of thy thighs are like the links of a chain, the work of the hands of a skilled workman.
שררך אגן הסהר אל־יחסר המזג בטנך ערמת חטים סוגה בשושנים׃	ג	3	Thy navel is like a round goblet, wherein no mingled wine is wanting; thy belly is like a heap of wheat set about with lilies.
שני שדיך כשני עפרים תאמי צביה׃	ד	4	Thy two breasts are like two fawns that are twins of a gazelle.
צוארך כמגדל השן עיניך ברכות בחשבון על־שער בת־רבים אפך כמגדל הלבנון צופה פני דמשק׃	ה	5	Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine eyes as the pools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bath-rabbim; thy nose is like the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus.
ראשך עליך ככרמל ודלת ראשך כארגמן מלך אסור ברהטים׃	ו	6	Thy head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thy head like purple; the king is held captive in the tresses thereof.
מה־יפית ומה־נעמת אהבה בתענוגים׃	ז	7	How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights!
זאת קומתך דמתה לתמר ושדיך לאשכלות׃	ח	8	This thy stature is like to a palm-tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes.
אמרתי אעלה בתמר אחזה בסנסניו ויהיו־נא שדיך כאשכלות הגפן וריח אפך כתפוחים׃	ט	9	I said: 'I will climb up into the palm-tree, I will take hold of the branches thereof; and let thy breasts be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy countenance like apples;
וחכך כיין הטוב הולך לדודי למישרים דובב שפתי ישנים׃	י	10	And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine, that glideth down smoothly for my beloved, moving gently the lips of those that are asleep.'
אני לדודי ועלי תשוקתו׃ ס	יא	11	I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me. {S}
לכה דודי נצא השדה נלינה בכפרים׃	יב	12	Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages.
נשכימה לכרמים נראה אם פרחה הגפן פתח הסמדר הנצו הרמונים שם אתן את־דדי לך׃	יג	13	Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see whether the vine hath budded, whether the vine-blossom be opened, and the pomegranates be in flower; there will I give thee my love.
הדודאים נתנו־ריח ועל־פתחינו כל־מגדים חדשים גם־ישנים דודי צפנתי לך׃	יד	14	The mandrakes give forth fragrance, and at our doors are all manner of precious fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved.

Chapter 8

מי יתנך כאח לי יונק שדי אמי אמצאך בחוץ אשקך גם לא־יבוזו לי׃	א	1	Oh that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! When I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, and none would despise me.
אנהגך אביאך אל־בית אמי תלמדני אשקך מיין הרקח מעסיס רמני׃	ב	2	I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, that thou mightest instruct me; I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine, of the juice of my pomegranate.
שמאלו תחת ראשי וימינו תחבקני׃	ג	3	His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.
השבעתי אתכם בנות ירושלם מה־תעירו ׀ ומה־תעררו את־האהבה עד שתחפץ׃ ס	ד	4	'I adjure you, O daughters of Yerushalam: Why should ye awaken, or stir up love, until it please?' {S}
מי זאת עלה מן־המדבר מתרפקת על־דודה תחת התפוח עוררתיך שמה חבלתך אמך שמה חבלה ילדתך׃	ה	5	Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? Under the apple-tree I awakened thee; there thy mother was in travail with thee; there was she in travail and brought thee forth.
שימני כחותם על־לבך כחותם על־זרועך כי־עזה כמות אהבה קשה כשאול קנאה רשפיה רשפי אש שלהבתיה׃	ו	6	Set me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thine arm; for love is strong as death, jealousy is cruel as the grave; the flashes thereof are flashes of fire, a very flame of Yehovah.
מים רבים לא יוכלו לכבות את־האהבה ונהרות לא ישטפוה אם־יתן איש את־כל־הון ביתו באהבה בוז יבוזו לו׃ ס	ז	7	Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it; if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, he would utterly be contemned. {S}
אחות לנו קטנה ושדים אין לה מה־נעשה לאחתנו ביום שידבר־בה׃	ח	8	We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts; what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for?
אם־חומה היא נבנה עליה טירת כסף ואם־דלת היא נצור עליה לוח ארז׃	ט	9	If she be a wall, we will build upon her a turret of silver; and if she be a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar.
אני חומה ושדי כמגדלות אז הייתי בעיניו כמוצאת שלום׃ פ	י	10	I am a wall, and my breasts like the towers thereof; then was I in his eyes as one that found peace. {P}
כרם היה לשלמה בבעל המון נתן את־הכרם לנטרים איש יבא בפריו אלף כסף׃	יא	11	Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; he gave over the vineyard unto keepers; every one for the fruit thereof brought in a thousand pieces of silver.
כרמי שלי לפני האלף לך שלמה ומאתים לנטרים את־פריו׃	יב	12	My vineyard, which is mine, is before me; thou, O Solomon, shalt have the thousand, and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred.
היושבת בגנים חברים מקשיבים לקולך השמיעיני׃	יג	13	Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken for thy voice: 'Cause me to hear it.'
ברח ׀ דודי ודמה־לך לצבי או לעפר האילים על הרי בשמים׃	יד	14	Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a gazelle or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices. {P}

Groves Center Legend For Leningrad Codex Notes

Q	Marks a place where we agree with BHQ against BHS in reading L.
n	Marks an anomalous form.
p	We read punctuation in L differently from BHS.
v	We read one or more vowels in L differently from BHS.

Tanakh
Book of , Chapter: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

TRANSLATION / PUBLICATION NOTES:

Tanakh (Hebrew Scriptures) :

Leningrad Codex Based Tanakh (aka Hebrew Scriptures) derived from:
"Electronic" Leningrad Codex obtained from www.tanach.us
Source for the Westminster Leningrad Codex (WLC) — Groves Center:
Maintained by the J.Alan Groves Center For Advanced Biblical Research.
(WLC) Unicode Conversion to Hebrew Font Encoding For Web Pages:
Written In C++ Programming Language
By Robert M. Pill
Copyright © 2005–2023 By Robert M. Pill, All Rights Reserved.

QERE — KETIV
(What is Read —What is Written) :

Qere and Ketiv, from the Aramaic qere or q're, קְרֵי‎ ("[what is] read") and ketiv, or ketib, kethib, kethibh, kethiv, כְּתִיב‎ ("[what is] written"), also known as "keri uchesiv" or "keri uchetiv," refers to a system for marking differences between what is written in the consonantal text of the Hebrew Bible, as preserved by scribal tradition, and what is read. In such situations, the Qere is the technical orthographic device used to indicate the pronunciation of the words in the Masoretic text of the Hebrew language scriptures (Tanakh), while the Ketiv indicates their written form, as inherited from tradition.
SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qere_and_Ketiv

Q. What is the Qere and Ketiv and how does it relate to the Masoretes?
( see: http://jbtc.org/v08/Graves2003.html )

For PDF Of Above Link Click This Line!

A. Qere and Ketiv are orthographic devices that were used by the Masoretes,
i.e., Jewish scribes from the 6-10th centuries.

Qere means, "what is read," and ketiv means, "what is written".

It is found in existing Masoretic manuscripts dating to the 9th and 10th centuries, CE.

There are several forms of Qere / Ketiv, including:
ordinary, vowel, omitted, added, euphemistic, split, and qere perpetuum.

The ketiv that is most relevant is the vowel qere. In this case, the consonants are unchanged,
but different vowel signs are added and only the qere, i.e., what is read, is vocalized. ...

I Challenge The Rabbinic QERE–KETIV System!

In January 2022, beginning with the "Accented" (Full Trop and Vowels), rendering I chose to repair defects in the html encodings which occurred with my mechanical conversion of the unicode multi-wide encoding from http://tanach.us. I also decided to rearrange the Qere–Ketiv "system" with what I consider was the Masoretic intent in the first place!

The New KETIV–qere Hebrew Rendering (ACCENTS)!

Thus, this current version uses the Ketiv, what is written, as the predominant rendering, while making the Qere, what the "rabbis" have commanded as Must Be Read instead, to be a minimalist secondary format (much as rabbis appear to have intended the Ketiv to be!).

One of the reasons I decided to take on this new rendering effort is that in my efforts to understand the nature of the rabbinic Qere–Ketiv system I have not truly found a satisfactory explanation of why the "Qere" should always take precedence over the "Ketiv" in reading the Tanakh.

In fact, as I understand it, rabbinic "scribes", in examining the actual Aleppo and Leningrad Codices, appear to have taken upon themselves to adding the consonant only Qere in the margins upon the original manuscripts, where, in their "infinite wisdom" they have presumed themselves to be the greater authority!

Moreover, as rabbinic sources seem to indicate that the "Ketiv" should never be uttered, I have found instances, such as in Exodus 21:8, where I believe the "Qere" is blatantly INCORRECT — and that the "Ketiv" should be the preferred "reading", as if the Masoretes actually knew what they were doing all along!

In my own regular reading (Stone Edition Tanakh, Koren Publications Tanakh), my preference has been to read the "Ketiv" (what is written) and pretty much minimize the "Qere"! This is not easy to do because the predominant Qere is rendered as if it is the normative form, and the Ketiv follows, typically within brackets, as if it is the offensive variant (Stone Edition Tanakh)! In the Koren Publications Tanakh, the "Ketiv" is what is rendered in the margin, while the "Qere" is found in the regular text! Obviously, normal reading will typically ignore what the Masoretes wrote, the "Ketiv"!

As of January, 2022, and going forward, I intend to render the rabbinic additions of Qere in their current KETIV–qere form found in the accented version. I consider this as to convey the intent of the Masoretes. However, I acknowledge that rabbis (talmudists) have expended much effort to obscure the written Torah as part of their regular practice; as they appear, to me, to view themselves collectively as אֱלֹהִ֔ים Elohim. That is, I believe that those talmudists (rabbis), consider themselves collectively to be God!!! They certainly demand that their edicts (tachanot) are followed as if they are divinely inspired law!

If you find this of interest, please view the page on KETIV–QERE Variants

English Scripture Passages From:
"The Holy Scriptures Tanakh 1917 edition
According To The Masoretic Text (JPS 1917 Edition)"

The Jewish Publication Society of America "The Holy Scriptures According To The Masoretic Text (JPS 1917)" is in the public domain, and may be freely copied.

Notable Modifications
To The JPS 1917 Based English Scripture
In The-Iconoclast.org's Hebrew–English Tanakh:

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS!

In The-Iconoclast.org Modified Version Of the JPS 1917 Text, The Verse numbering has been altered to match the corresponding verses in the original Hebrew Scriptures of the actual Leningrad Codex for "The Ten Commandments" in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5!

For More Information Regarding 'The Ten Commandments', See the Page, Comparing The Ten Commandments Exodus 20 & Deuteronomy 5 In The Leningrad Codex

The Name יְהֹוָה Yehovah

"Yehovah", The Name Of G-d In The Hebrew Scripures ('YHVH': י 'Yud', ה 'He', ו 'Vav', ה 'He', aka Tetragamaton) Is Used Instead of "LORD" (note: ALL CAPITAL LETTERS) As Found In The Original JPS 1917 Tanakh.

For More Information Regarding 'The Name', See the Page, The Name יְהֹוָה [Yehovah] In The Aleppo And Leningrad Codices.

In Converting "LORD" to "Yehovah", I Counted A Total Of 5,553 Occurrences In The JPS 1917 Tanakh!

הָאָדֹ֥ן ׀ יְהוָֽה ha Adon Yehovah

The Hebrew Phrase הָאָדֹ֥ן ׀ יְהוָֽה Occurs In Only Two Places, In Exodus 23:17 and 34:23. In Those Cases, I Have Changed The Translation Wording From "Lord GOD" To "Lord GOD [ha Adon Yehovah]".

אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהֹוִֽה Adonai Yehovi

Typically Translated As "Lord GOD", It Is A Much Less Common Form Of The Divine Name, יְהֹוָה [Yehovah].

This Form אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהֹוִֽה Is, Nevertheless, Quite Important In Understanding Pronounciation For The Divine Name, Especially Since The Hebrew Form For It Has NOT Undergone The Intense Scrutiny Of rabbinic Censorship As Has "Yehovah". Accordingly, The Hebrew Text For This Form Of 'The Name' Typically HAS NOT BEEN ALTERED In Jewish Publications That Actually Keep The Vowel Pointers From The Masoretic Text!

In Converting "Lord GOD" to "Lord GOD [Adonai Yehovi]", I Counted A Total Of 284 Occurrences In The JPS 1917 Tanakh. Of All Of Its Occurrences, The Fully Voweled Form Of The Hebrew אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהֹוִֽה Appears 31 Times, And The Non–Fully Voweled Form אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה (The Same Hebrew Letters, Minus Just The One 'Oh' Sounding Character, "The Holem", Which Follows The First 'He' In ( י 'Yud', ה 'He', ו 'Vav', ה 'He' ), Make Up All Other Occurrences.

תורה Torah

The Word "Law" (Capital and lower case), As Found In The JPS 1917, Has Been Changed To "Torah" Where The Base Hebrew Letters תורה Correspond To The Matching Verse In The Leningrad Codex (Masoretic Text)!

In Converting "Law" to "Torah", I Counted A Total Of 223 Occurrences In The JPS 1917 Tanakh!

Yerushalam, Yerush'lem and Yerushalayim

יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם "Yerushalam"

The Word "Jerusalem" (the name of capital city in ancient Israel), As Found In The JPS 1917, Has Been Changed To Its Transliterated Equivalent, "Yerushalam" (note the 'am' ending), In All Places Where It Corresponds To [ יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם ] In The Hebrew Text.

יְרוּשְׁלֶֽם "Yerush'lem"

A Rare, Second Transliterated Form, "Yerush'lem" (note the 'em' ending), Has Been Changed From "Jerusalem" Where The Hebrew Letters Spell Out The Aramaic Form [ יְרוּשְׁלֶֽם ] Found In Aramaic Parts Of Daniel And Ezra.

ירוּשָׁלַ֙יִם֙ "Yerushalayim"

The Extremely Rare, Third Transliterated Form, "Yerushalayim" (note the 'ayim' ending), Has Been Changed From The JPS 1917 "Jerusalem" To Correspond To The Hebrew [ ירוּשָׁלַ֙יִם֙ ].

Noteworthy Is That This Rarest Form Appears In Only Four (4) Places In The Entire Hebrew Scriptures, Yet, It Is The Most Common Pronunciation For The Name Of The Ancient City! Its Four (Out Of Over 600) Appearances Are:
1) Jeremiah 26:18, 2) Esther 2:6, 3) I Chronicles 3:5, and 4) II Chronicles 25:1.

In Converting "Jerusalem" To Its Transliterated Equivalents, I Counted A Total Of 625 Occurrences In The JPS 1917 Tanakh!

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