Young Women

Who is this(A) coming up from the wilderness,
leaning on the one she loves?

Woman

I awakened you under the apricot tree.(B)
There your mother conceived you;
there she conceived and gave you birth.
Set me as a seal on your heart,
as a seal on your arm.(C)
For love is as strong as death;(D)
jealousy is as unrelenting as Sheol.
Love’s flames are fiery flames(E)
an almighty flame![a]
A huge torrent cannot extinguish love;
rivers cannot sweep it away.
If a man were to give all his wealth[b] for love,(F)
it would be utterly scorned.

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Footnotes

  1. 8:6 Or the blaze of the Lord
  2. 8:7 Lit all the wealth of his house

Friends

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

She

Under the apple tree I roused you;
    there your mother conceived(B) 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(C) is as strong as death,
    its jealousy[a](D) 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.(E)

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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