Song of Solomon 8
Revised Standard Version
8 O that you were like a brother to me,
that nursed at my mother’s breast!
If I met you outside, I would kiss you,
and none would despise me.
2 I would lead you and bring you
into the house of my mother,
and into the chamber of her that conceived me.[a]
I would give you spiced wine to drink,
the juice of my pomegranates.
3 O that his left hand were under my head,
and that his right hand embraced me!
4 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
that you stir not up nor awaken love
until it please.
Homecoming
5 Who is that coming up from the wilderness,
leaning upon her beloved?
Under the apple tree I awakened you.
There your mother was in travail with you,
there she who bore you was in travail.
6 Set me as a seal upon your heart,
as a seal upon your arm;
for love is strong as death,
jealousy is cruel as the grave.
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
a most vehement flame.
7 Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can floods drown it.
If a man offered for love
all the wealth of his house,
it would be utterly scorned.
8 We have a little sister,
and she 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 upon her a battlement of silver;
but if she is a door,
we will enclose her with boards of cedar.
10 I was a wall,
and my breasts were like towers;
then I was in his eyes
as one who brings[b] peace.
11 Solomon had a vineyard at Ba′al-ha′mon;
he let out the vineyard to keepers;
each one was to bring for its fruit a thousand pieces of silver.
12 My vineyard, my very own, is for myself;
you, O Solomon, may have the thousand,
and the keepers of the fruit two hundred.
13 O you who dwell in the gardens,
my companions are listening for your voice;
let me hear it.
14 Make haste, my beloved,
and be like a gazelle
or a young stag
upon the mountains of spices.
Footnotes
- Song of Solomon 8:2 Gk Syr: Heb mother; she (or you) will teach me
- Song of Solomon 8:10 Or finds
Song of Solomon 8
American Standard Version
8 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.
2 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.
3 His left hand should be under my head,
And his right hand should embrace me.
4 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
[c]That ye stir not up, nor awake my love,
Until [d]he please.
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 [e]that brought thee forth.
6 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.
7 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.
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?
9 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
- Song of Solomon 8:2 Or, That thou mightest
- Song of Solomon 8:2 Or, sweet wine
- Song of Solomon 8:4 Hebrew Why should ye stir up? or why etc.
- Song of Solomon 8:4 Or, it. Or, she
- Song of Solomon 8:5 Or, and
- Song of Solomon 8:6 Hebrew hard.
- Song of Solomon 8:6 Or, A most vehement flame
- Song of Solomon 8:6 Hebrew Jah.
- Song of Solomon 8:7 Or, It
- Song of Solomon 8:9 Or, battlements
- Song of Solomon 8:10 Or, was
- Song of Solomon 8:13 Or, to
- Song of Solomon 8:14 Hebrew Flee.
- Song of Solomon 8:14 Or, gazelle
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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