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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.
I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother’s house,
[a]Who would instruct me;
I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine,
Of the [b]juice of my pomegranate.
His left hand should be under my head,
And his right hand should embrace me.

I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
[c]That ye stir not up, nor awake my love,
Until [d]he please.

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 [e]that brought thee forth.

Set me as a seal upon thy heart,
As a seal upon thine arm:
For love is strong as death;
Jealousy is [f]cruel as Sheol;
The flashes thereof are flashes of fire,
[g]A very flame of [h]Jehovah.
Many waters cannot quench love,
Neither can floods drown it:
If a man would give all the substance of his house for love,
[i]He would utterly be contemned.

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?

If she be a wall,
We will build upon her [j]a turret of silver:
And if she be a door,
We will inclose her with boards of cedar.

10 I [k]am a wall, and my breasts like the towers thereof
Then was I in his eyes as one that found peace.
11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon;
He let out the vineyard unto keepers;
Every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver.
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.

13 Thou that dwellest in the gardens,
The companions hearken [l]for thy voice:
Cause me to hear it.

14 [m]Make haste, my beloved,
And be thou like to a [n]roe or to a young hart
Upon the mountains of spices.

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 8:2 Or, That thou mightest
  2. Song of Solomon 8:2 Or, sweet wine
  3. Song of Solomon 8:4 Hebrew Why should ye stir up? or why etc.
  4. Song of Solomon 8:4 Or, it. Or, she
  5. Song of Solomon 8:5 Or, and
  6. Song of Solomon 8:6 Hebrew hard.
  7. Song of Solomon 8:6 Or, A most vehement flame
  8. Song of Solomon 8:6 Hebrew Jah.
  9. Song of Solomon 8:7 Or, It
  10. Song of Solomon 8:9 Or, battlements
  11. Song of Solomon 8:10 Or, was
  12. Song of Solomon 8:13 Or, to
  13. Song of Solomon 8:14 Hebrew Flee.
  14. Song of Solomon 8:14 Or, gazelle

The Lovers Speak

“Oh that you were like a brother to me
Who nursed at my mother’s breasts.
If I found you outdoors, I would kiss you;
No one would despise me, either.
“I would lead you and (A)bring you
Into the house of my mother, who used to instruct me;
I would give you spiced wine to drink from the juice of my pomegranates.
“Let (B)his left hand be under my head
And his right hand embrace me.”

[a](C)I want you to swear, O daughters of Jerusalem,
[b]Do not arouse or awaken my love
Until [c]she pleases.”

[d](D)Who is this coming up from the wilderness
Leaning on her beloved?”

[e]Beneath the [f](E)apple tree I awakened you;
There your mother was in labor with you,
There she was in labor and gave you birth.
“Put me like a [g]seal over your heart,
Like a (F)seal on your arm.
For love is as strong as death,
[h](G)Jealousy is as severe as Sheol;
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
[i]The very flame of the Lord.
“Many waters cannot quench love,
Nor will rivers overflow it;
(H)If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love,
It would be utterly despised.”

[j]We have a little sister,
And she (I)has no breasts;
What shall we do for our sister
On the day when she is spoken for?
“If she is a wall,
We will build on her a battlement of silver;
But if she is a door,
We will barricade her with (J)planks of cedar.”

10 [k]I was a wall, and (K)my breasts were like towers;
Then I became in his eyes as one who finds peace.
11 “Solomon had a (L)vineyard at Baal-hamon;
He (M)entrusted the vineyard to (N)caretakers.
Each one was to bring a (O)thousand shekels of silver for its (P)fruit.
12 “My very own vineyard is [l]at my disposal;
The thousand shekels are for you, Solomon,
And two hundred are for those who take care of its fruit.”

13 [m]O you who sit in the gardens,
My (Q)companions are listening for your voice—
(R)Let me hear it!”

14 [n][o]Hurry, my beloved,
And be (S)like a gazelle or a young [p]stag
On the (T)mountains of spices.”

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 8:4 BRIDEGROOM
  2. Song of Solomon 8:4 Or Why should you arouse
  3. Song of Solomon 8:4 Or it
  4. Song of Solomon 8:5 CHORUS
  5. Song of Solomon 8:5 BRIDE
  6. Song of Solomon 8:5 Or apricot
  7. Song of Solomon 8:6 Or signet
  8. Song of Solomon 8:6 Or Its ardor is as inflexible
  9. Song of Solomon 8:6 Another reading is A vehement flame
  10. Song of Solomon 8:8 CHORUS
  11. Song of Solomon 8:10 BRIDE
  12. Song of Solomon 8:12 Lit before me
  13. Song of Solomon 8:13 BRIDEGROOM
  14. Song of Solomon 8:14 BRIDE
  15. Song of Solomon 8:14 Lit Flee
  16. Song of Solomon 8:14 Lit of the stags

If only you were to me like a brother,
    who was nursed at my mother’s breasts!
Then, if I found you outside,
    I would kiss you,
    and no one would despise me.
I would lead you
    and bring you to my mother’s house(A)
    she who has taught me.
I would give you spiced wine to drink,
    the nectar of my pomegranates.
His left arm is under my head
    and his right arm embraces me.(B)
Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you:
    Do not arouse or awaken love
    until it so desires.(C)

Friends

Who is this coming up from the wilderness(D)
    leaning on her beloved?

She

Under the apple tree I roused you;
    there your mother conceived(E) you,
    there she who was in labor gave you birth.
Place me like a seal over your heart,
    like a seal on your arm;
for love(F) is as strong as death,
    its jealousy[a](G) unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire,
    like a mighty flame.[b]
Many waters cannot quench love;
    rivers cannot sweep it away.
If one were to give
    all the wealth of one’s house for love,
    it[c] would be utterly scorned.(H)

Friends

We have a little sister,
    and her breasts are not yet grown.
What shall we do for our sister
    on the day she is spoken for?
If she is a wall,
    we will build towers of silver on her.
If she is a door,
    we will enclose her with panels of cedar.

She

10 I am a wall,
    and my breasts are like towers.
Thus I have become in his eyes
    like one bringing contentment.
11 Solomon had a vineyard(I) in Baal Hamon;
    he let out his vineyard to tenants.
Each was to bring for its fruit
    a thousand shekels[d](J) of silver.
12 But my own vineyard(K) is mine to give;
    the thousand shekels are for you, Solomon,
    and two hundred[e] are for those who tend its fruit.

He

13 You who dwell in the gardens
    with friends in attendance,
    let me hear your voice!

She

14 Come away, my beloved,
    and be like a gazelle(L)
or like a young stag(M)
    on the spice-laden mountains.(N)

Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 8:6 Or ardor
  2. Song of Songs 8:6 Or fire, / like the very flame of the Lord
  3. Song of Songs 8:7 Or he
  4. Song of Songs 8:11 That is, about 25 pounds or about 12 kilograms; also in verse 12
  5. Song of Songs 8:12 That is, about 5 pounds or about 2.3 kilograms