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Many waters cannot quench love;
    rivers cannot sweep it away.[a]
If a man were to give all the wealth of his house for love,[b]
    he would be utterly scorned.[c]

Maiden’s Virtuous Chastity and Voluptuous Beauty

We have a little sister,[d]
    and she does not yet have any breasts.[e]
What should we do for our sister
    on the day when she is betrothed?[f][g]
If she is a wall,
    we will adorn her with a turret of silver;[h][i]
but if she is a door,
    we will barricade her with boards of cedar.[j]

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Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 8:7 Or “and rivers cannot engulf it”
  2. Song of Solomon 8:7 Literally “in the love”
  3. Song of Solomon 8:7 Literally “they will utterly scorn him”
  4. Song of Solomon 8:8 Literally “a little sister for us”
  5. Song of Solomon 8:8 Literally “and there is no breast for her”
  6. Song of Solomon 8:8 Literally “on the day when it is spoken of her”
  7. Song of Solomon 8:8 Or “on the day when she is spoken for”
  8. Song of Solomon 8:9 Literally “we will build upon her a camp of silver”
  9. Song of Solomon 8:9 The term translated “turret” refers to the decorative parapet adorning the top of a building. This image is likely figurative for a silver tiara set upon the head
  10. Song of Solomon 8:9 Or “we will enclose her”

Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it 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 a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar.

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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[a] would be utterly scorned.(A)

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.

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Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 8:7 Or he