Song of Songs 8

Legacy Standard Bible

⁴ “^[a](C)I call you to solemnly swear, O daughters of Jerusalem,
^[b]Why should you arouse or awaken my love
Until ^[c]she pleases?”

⁵ “^[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.
⁶ 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 ^[j]Yah.
⁷ 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.”

⁸ “^[k]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?
⁹ 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 “^[l]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)gave the vineyard to ^(N)caretakers.
Each one was to bring ^[m]one ^(O)thousand shekels of silver for its ^(P)fruit.
¹² My very own vineyard is before me;
The thousand shekels are for you, Solomon,
And two hundred are for those who take care of its fruit.”

¹³ “^[n]O you who sit in the gardens,
My ^(Q)companions are giving heed to your voice—
^(R)Let me hear it!”

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