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 makes you as a brother to me, Suckling the breasts of my mother? I find you outside, I kiss you, Indeed, they do not 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 lead you, I bring you into my mother’s house, She teaches me, I cause you to drink of the spiced wine, Of the juice of my pomegranate,
3 His left hand is under my head, and his right arm embraces me.
His left hand [is] under my head, And his right embraces me.
4 O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you: Do not arouse or awaken love until the time is right.
I have adjured you, daughters of Jerusalem, How you stir up, And how you wake the love until she pleases!
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 coming from the wilderness, Hastening herself for her beloved? Under the citron-tree I have awoken you, There your mother pledged you, There she [who] bore you gave a pledge.
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)
Set me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm, For strong as death is love, Sharp as Sheol is jealousy, Its burnings [are] burnings of fire, a flame of YAH! (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 are not able to quench the love, And floods do not wash it away. If one gives all the wealth of his house for love, Treading down—they tread on it.
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?
We have a little sister, and she does not have breasts, What do we do for our sister, In the day that it is told of her?
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 is a wall, we build by her a palace of silver. And if she is a door, We fashion by her board-work of 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 as towers, Then I have been in his eyes 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.
Solomon has a vineyard in Ba‘al-Hamon, He has given the vineyard to keepers, Each brings for its fruit one 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—my own—is before me, The one thousand [is] for you, O Solomon. And the two hundred for those keeping its fruit. O dweller in gardens!
13 You who dwell in the gardens, my companions are listening for your voice. Let me hear it!
The companions are attending to your voice, Cause me to hear. Flee, my beloved, and be like to a roe,
14 Come away, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices.
Or to a young one of the harts on mountains of spices!
