Song of Solomon 8
English Standard Version
Longing for Her Beloved
8 Oh that you were like a brother to me
who nursed at my mother's breasts!
If I found you outside, I would kiss you,
and none would despise me.
2 I would lead you and (A)bring you
into the house of my mother—
she who used to teach me.
I would give you (B)spiced wine to drink,
the juice of my pomegranate.
3 (C)His left hand is under my head,
and his right hand embraces me!
4 I (D)adjure you, O (E)daughters of Jerusalem,
(F)that you not stir up or awaken love
until it pleases.
5 (G)Who is that coming up from the wilderness,
leaning on her beloved?
Under the apple tree I awakened you.
There your mother was in labor with you;
there she who bore you was in labor.
6 Set me as a seal upon your heart,
as (H)a seal upon your arm,
for (I)love is strong as death,
(J)jealousy[a] is fierce as the grave.[b]
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
the very (K)flame of the Lord.
7 Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can floods drown it.
If a man offered for love
all the wealth of his (L)house,
he[c] would be utterly despised.
Final Advice
Others
8 We have a little sister,
and she (M)has no breasts.
What shall we do for our sister
on the day when she is spoken for?
9 If she is a wall,
we will build on her a battlement of silver,
but if she is a door,
we will enclose her with (N)boards of cedar.
She
10 (O)I was a wall,
and my (P)breasts were like towers;
then I was in his eyes
as one who finds[d] peace.
11 Solomon had (Q)a vineyard at Baal-hamon;
he (R)let out the vineyard to (S)keepers;
each one was to bring for its fruit (T)a thousand pieces of silver.
12 My vineyard, my very own, is before me;
you, O Solomon, may have the thousand,
and (U)the keepers of the fruit two hundred.
He
13 (V)O you who dwell in the gardens,
with (W)companions listening for your voice;
(X)let me hear it.
She
14 (Y)Make haste, my beloved,
and be (Z)like a gazelle
or a young stag
on (AA)the mountains of spices.
Footnotes
- Song of Solomon 8:6 Or ardor
- Song of Solomon 8:6 Hebrew as Sheol
- Song of Solomon 8:7 Or it
- Song of Solomon 8:10 Or brings out
Song of Solomon 8
Common English Bible
Wishing
[Woman]
8 If only you were as my brother—
the one who nursed at my mother’s breast.
I would find you in the street and kiss you,
and no one would shame me for it.
2 I would lead you, I would bring you
to my mother’s house;
she would teach me what to do.[a]
I would give you spiced wine to drink,
some of my fresh pomegranate juice.
3 His left arm is beneath my head,
and his right embraces me!
4 Make a solemn pledge,
daughters of Jerusalem,
never to rouse, never to arouse love
until it desires.
Love, strong and invaluable
[Daughters of Jerusalem]
5 Who is this coming up from the wilderness
leaning against her lover?
[Woman]
Under the apple tree I aroused you—
there, where your mother labored with you,
there where, laboring, she bore you.
6 Set me as a seal over your heart,
as a seal upon your arm,
for love is as strong as death,
passionate love unrelenting as the grave.[b]
Its darts are darts of fire—
divine flame!
7 Rushing waters can’t quench love;
rivers can’t wash it away.
If someone gave
all his estate in exchange for love,
he would be laughed to utter shame.
[The Woman’s Brothers]
8 Our sister is small;
she has no breasts.
What will we do for our sister
on the day that she is spoken for?
9 If she is a city wall,
then we will build a turret of silver on her.[c]
And if she is a door,
then we will barricade her[d] with a panel of cedar.
[Woman]
10 I’m a city wall,
and my breasts are the towers.
So now I’m in his eyes
as one who brings peace.
[Man]
11 Solomon had a vineyard
in Baal-hamon.
He gave charge of the vineyard to keepers;
one would bring in exchange for its fruit
a thousand pieces of silver.
12 My vineyard, my very own, is before me.
You can have the thousand, Solomon[e]—
with two hundred for those who tend the fruit!
13 You who sit in the gardens,
my companions are listening for your voice.
Let me hear it!
[Woman]
14 “Take flight, my love,
and be like a gazelle
or a young stag
on the mountains of spice!”
Footnotes
- Song of Solomon 8:2 Or you would teach me; LXX, Syr to my mother's house, and to the chamber of the one who conceived me (cf 3:4)
- Song of Solomon 8:6 Heb Sheol
- Song of Solomon 8:9 Or on it (the city wall)
- Song of Solomon 8:9 Or it (the door)
- Song of Solomon 8:12 Cf 1 Kgs 11:3
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible