Song of Solomon 8
1 O that you were to me like a brother who nursed at my mother’s breasts! If I found you outdoors, I would kiss you, and no one would despise me.
Who shall give thee to me for my brother, sucking the breasts of my mother, that I may find thee without, and kiss thee, and now no man may despise me?
2 I would lead you and bring you to the house of my mother who taught me. I would give you spiced wine to drink, the nectar of my pomegranates.
I will take hold of thee, and bring thee Into my mother’s house: there thou shalt teach me, and I will give thee a cup of spiced wine and new wine of my pomegranates.
3 His left hand is under my head, and his right arm embraces me.
His left hand under my head, and his right hand shall embrace me.
4 O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you: Do not arouse or awaken love until the time is right.
I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that you stir not up, nor awake my love till she please.
5 Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning on her beloved? I roused you under the apple tree; there your mother conceived you; there she travailed and brought you forth.
Who is this that cometh up from the desert, flowing with delights, leaning upon her beloved? Under the apple tree I raised thee up: there thy mother was corrupted, there she was defloured that bore thee.
6 Set me as a seal over your heart, as a seal upon your arm. For love is as strong as death, its jealousy as unrelenting as Sheol. Its sparks are fiery flames, the fiercest blaze of all. (Sheol h7585)
Put me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thy arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy as hard as hell, the lamps thereof are fire and flames. (Sheol h7585)
7 Mighty waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If a man were to give all the wealth of his house for love, his offer would be utterly scorned.
Many waters cannot quench charity, neither can the floods drown it: if a man should give all the substance of his house for love, he shall despise it as nothing.
8 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?
Our sister is little, and hath no breasts. What shall we do to our sister in the day when she is to be spoken to?
9 If she is a wall, we will build a tower of silver upon her. If she is a door, we will enclose her with panels of cedar.
If she be a wall: let us build upon it bulwarks of silver: if she be a door, let us join it together with boards or cedar.
10 I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers. So I have become in his eyes like one who brings peace.
I am a wall: and my breasts are as a tower since I am become in his presence as one finding peace.
11 Solomon had a vineyard in Baal-hamon. He leased it to the tenants. For its fruit, each was to bring a thousand shekels of silver.
The peaceable had a vineyard, in that which hath people: he let out the same to keepers, every man bringeth for the fruit thereof a thousand pieces of silver.
12 But my own vineyard is mine to give; the thousand shekels are for you, O Solomon, and two hundred are for those who tend its fruit.
My vineyard is before me. A thousand are for thee, the peaceable, and two hundred for them that keep the fruit thereof.
13 You who dwell in the gardens, my companions are listening for your voice. Let me hear it!
Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the friends hearken: make me hear thy voice.
14 Come away, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices.
Flee away, O my beloved, and be like to the roe, and to the young hart upon the mountains of aromatical spices.
