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Oh that you were like my brother,

    who nursed from the breasts of my mother!
If I found you outside, I would kiss you;
    yes, and no one would despise me.
I would lead you, bringing you into the house of my mother,
    who would instruct me.
I would have you drink spiced wine,
    of the juice of my pomegranate.
His left hand would be under my head.
    His right hand would embrace me.

I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem,
    that you not stir up, nor awaken love,
    until it so desires.

Friends

Who is this who comes up from the wilderness,
    leaning on her beloved?

Beloved

Under the apple tree I awakened you.
    There your mother conceived you.
    There she was in labor and bore you.

Set me as a seal on your heart,
    as a seal on your arm;
    for love is strong as death.
    Jealousy is as cruel as Sheol.[a]
    Its flashes are flashes of fire,
    a very flame of Yahweh.[b]
Many waters can’t quench love,
    neither can floods drown it.
If a man would give all the wealth of his house for love,
    he would be utterly scorned.

Brothers

We have a little sister.
    She has no breasts.
What shall we do for our sister
    in the day when she is to be spoken for?

If she is a wall,
    we will build on her a turret of silver.
If she is a door,
    we will enclose her with boards of cedar.

Beloved

10 I am a wall, and my breasts like towers,
    then I was in his eyes like one who found peace.
11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal Hamon.
    He leased out the vineyard to keepers.
    Each was to bring a thousand shekels[c] of silver for its fruit.
12 My own vineyard is before me.
    The thousand are for you, Solomon,
    two hundred for those who tend its fruit.

Lover

13 You who dwell in the gardens, with friends in attendance,
    let me hear your voice!

Beloved

14 Come away, my beloved!
    Be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices!

Footnotes

  1. 8:6 Sheol is the place of the dead.
  2. 8:6 “Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations.
  3. 8:11 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces, so 1000 shekels is about 10 kilograms or about 22 pounds.

If only you were to me like a brother,
    who was nursed at my mother’s breasts!
Then, if I found you outside,
    I would kiss you,
    and no one would despise me.
I would lead you
    and bring you to my mother’s house(A)
    she who has taught me.
I would give you spiced wine to drink,
    the nectar of my pomegranates.
His left arm is under my head
    and his right arm embraces me.(B)
Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you:
    Do not arouse or awaken love
    until it so desires.(C)

Friends

Who is this coming up from the wilderness(D)
    leaning on her beloved?

She

Under the apple tree I roused you;
    there your mother conceived(E) you,
    there she who was in labor gave you birth.
Place me like a seal over your heart,
    like a seal on your arm;
for love(F) is as strong as death,
    its jealousy[a](G) unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire,
    like a mighty flame.[b]
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[c] would be utterly scorned.(H)

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.

She

10 I am a wall,
    and my breasts are like towers.
Thus I have become in his eyes
    like one bringing contentment.
11 Solomon had a vineyard(I) in Baal Hamon;
    he let out his vineyard to tenants.
Each was to bring for its fruit
    a thousand shekels[d](J) of silver.
12 But my own vineyard(K) is mine to give;
    the thousand shekels are for you, Solomon,
    and two hundred[e] are for those who tend its fruit.

He

13 You who dwell in the gardens
    with friends in attendance,
    let me hear your voice!

She

14 Come away, my beloved,
    and be like a gazelle(L)
or like a young stag(M)
    on the spice-laden mountains.(N)

Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 8:6 Or ardor
  2. Song of Songs 8:6 Or fire, / like the very flame of the Lord
  3. Song of Songs 8:7 Or he
  4. Song of Songs 8:11 That is, about 25 pounds or about 12 kilograms; also in verse 12
  5. Song of Songs 8:12 That is, about 5 pounds or about 2.3 kilograms