Song of Songs 8
Legacy Standard Bible
The Power and Preciousness of Love
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;
No one would despise me, either.
2 I would lead you and (A)bring you
Into the house of my mother, who used to teach me;
I would give you spiced wine to drink from the sweet wine of my pomegranates.
3 Let (B)his left hand be under my head
And his right hand embrace me.”
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.”
Footnotes
- Song of Songs 8:4 BRIDEGROOM
- Song of Songs 8:4 Or Do not arouse
- Song of Songs 8:4 Or it
- Song of Songs 8:5 CHORUS
- Song of Songs 8:5 BRIDE
- Song of Songs 8:5 Or apricot
- Song of Songs 8:6 Or signet
- Song of Songs 8:6 Or Its ardor is as inflexible
- Song of Songs 8:6 Or A vehement flame
- Song of Songs 8:6 The shortened form of Yahweh, found in poetry and praise (e.g. Hallelujah), and in names (e.g. Zechariah)
- Song of Songs 8:8 CHORUS
- Song of Songs 8:10 BRIDE
- Song of Songs 8:11 Approx. 25 lb. or 11.3 kg, a shekel was approx. 0.4 oz. or 11 gm
- Song of Songs 8:13 BRIDEGROOM
- Song of Songs 8:14 BRIDE
- Song of Songs 8:14 Lit Flee
- Song of Songs 8:14 Lit of the stags
Song of Songs 8
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
8 O that you were like a brother to me,
who nursed at my mother’s breast!
If I met you outside, I would kiss you,
and no one would despise me.
2 I would lead you and bring you
into my mother’s house
and into the chamber of the one who bore me.[a]
I would give you spiced wine to drink,
from the juice of my pomegranates.(A)
3 O that his left hand were under my head
and that his right hand embraced me!(B)
4 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
do not stir up or awaken love
until it is ready!(C)
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 labor with you;
there she who bore you was in labor.(D)
6 Set me as a seal upon your heart,
as a seal upon your arm,
for love is strong as death,
passion fierce as the grave.
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
a raging flame.(E)
7 Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can floods drown it.
If one offered for love
all the wealth of one’s house,
it[b] 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?(F)
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[c] peace.
11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon;
he entrusted the vineyard to keepers;
each one was to bring for its fruit a thousand pieces of silver.(G)
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.(H)
14 Make haste, my beloved,
and be like a gazelle
or a young stag
upon the mountains of spices!(I)
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.