Song of Solomon 8
1 Oh that thou were as my brother, who sucked the breasts of my mother! When I should find thee outside, I would kiss thee. Yes, and none would despise me.
Oh that thou hadst been a very brother to me, who had sucked the breasts of my own mother, —Had I found thee without, I had kissed thee, Yea, folk would not have despised me!
2 I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, who would instruct me. I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine, of the juice of my pomegranate.
I would have guided thee—brought thee into the house of my mother, Thou wouldst have instructed me, —I would have let thee drink of spiced wine, of the pressed-out juice of my pomegranate.
3 His left hand under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.
His left hand under my head, then, his right hand, embraceth me.
4 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake love, until it please.
I [HE] adjure you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, —Why will ye wake, and why will ye arouse the dear love until she please!
5 Who is this who comes up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? Under the apple tree I awoke thee. There thy mother was in travail with thee. There she who brought thee forth was in travail.
[THEY] Who is this, coming up out of the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? [HE] Under the apple-tree, I roused thee, where thy mother, was in pain with thee, where she was in pain who gave thee birth!
6 Set me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thine arm. For love is strong as death, jealousy is cruel as Sheol. The flashes of it are flashes of fire, a most vehement flame. (Sheol h7585)
[SHE] Set me as a seal, upon thy heart, as a seal upon thine arm, For, mighty as death, is love, Exacting as hades, is jealousy, —The flames thereof, are flames of fire, The flash of Yah! (Sheol h7585)
7 Many waters cannot quench love, nor can floods drown it. If a man would give all the substance of his house for love, he would be utterly scorned.
Many waters, cannot quench love, nor shall, floods, overwhelm it, —If a man would give all the substance of his house, for love, they would, utterly despise, him.
8 We have a little sister, and she has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for?
[THEY] A sister, have we, a little one, and, breasts, hath she none, What shall we do for our sister, in the day when she may be spoken for?
9 If she is a wall, we will build upon her a turret of silver. And if she is a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar.
If, a wall, she is, we will build upon it a battlement of silver, —but if, a door, she is, we will close it up with a plank of cedar.
10 I am a wall, and my breasts like the towers. Then I was in his eyes as one who found peace.
[SHE] I, was a wall, and, my breasts, like towers, —Then, became I, in his eyes, one who did indeed find good content.
11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon. He let out the vineyard to keepers. Every one for the fruit of it was to bring a thousand pieces of silver.
A vineyard, had Solomon, as the owner of abundance, He put out the vineyard to keepers, —Every man, was to bring in, for the fruit thereof, a thousand silverlings:
12 My vineyard, which is mine, is before me. Thou, O Solomon, shall have the thousand, and those who keep the fruit of it, two hundred.
Mine own vineyard, is before me, —The thousand belong to thee, O Solomon, and two hundred to the keepers of the fruit thereof.
13 Thou who dwell in the gardens, the companions hearken for thy voice. Cause me to hear it.
[HE] O thou fair dweller in the gardens, the companions are giving heed to thy voice, Let me hear it.
14 Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.
[SHE] Come quickly, my beloved, and resemble thou a gazelle, or a young stag, upon the mountains of balsam-trees.
