< Song of Solomon 8 >

1 Oh that you were my brother, who took milk from my mother's breasts! When I came to you in the street, I would give you kisses; yes, I would not be looked down on.
How I wish you were like a brother to me, one who nursed at my mother's breasts! Then if I met you on the street I could kiss you and no one would tell me off.
2 I would take you by the hand into my mother's house, and she would be my teacher. I would give you drink of spiced wine, drink of the pomegranate.
Then I could take you home to my mother's house, where she used to teach me. I would give you spiced wine to drink from the juice of my pomegranate.
3 His left hand would be under my head, and his right hand about me.
He supports my head with his left hand, and holds me close with his right.
4 I say to you, O daughters of Jerusalem, do not let love be moved till it is ready.
Women of Jerusalem, swear to me that you won't disturb our love until the right time.
5 Who is this, who comes up from the waste places, resting on her loved one? It was I who made you awake under the apple-tree, where your mother gave you birth; there she was in pain at your birth.
Who is this coming in from the wilderness holding her love close to her? Woman: I woke you up under the apple tree where your mother conceived you, and where she gave birth to you.
6 Put me as a sign on your heart, as a sign on your arm; love is strong as death, and wrath bitter as the underworld: its coals are coals of fire; violent are its flames. (Sheol h7585)
Stamp my name as a seal on your heart, like a seal on your arm, for love is strong as death, passion as unyielding as the grave—its arrows flash like fire, a blazing flame of the Lord. (Sheol h7585)
7 Much water may not put out love, or the deep waters overcome it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would be judged a price not great enough.
Floods of water cannot extinguish love; rivers cannot submerge it. If a man offered everything he owned in order to buy love he would be completely rejected.
8 We have a young sister, and she has no breasts; what are we to do for our sister in the day when she is given to a man?
We have a younger sister whose breasts are still small. What shall we do for our sister when someone asks to marry her?
9 If she is a wall, we will make on her a strong base of silver; and if she is a door, we will let her be shut up with cedar-wood.
If she is a wall, we will build a silver tower on it. But if she is a door, we will bar the way with cedar planks.
10 I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers; then was I in his eyes as one to whom good chance had come.
I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers. So when he looks at me he's happy!
11 Solomon had a vine-garden at Baal-hamon; he let out the vine-garden to keepers; every one had to give a thousand bits of silver for its fruit.
Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon which he leased to tenant farmers. Each of them paid him one thousand silver coins for the fruit it produced.
12 My vine-garden, which is mine, is before me: you, O Solomon, will have the thousand, and those who keep the fruit of them two hundred.
But I own my vineyard, it is mine alone. One thousand silver coins are for you, Solomon, and two hundred for those who look after it.
13 You who have your resting-place in the gardens, the friends give ear to your voice; make me give ear to it.
My darling, sitting there in the gardens with companions listening to you—please talk to me!
14 Come quickly, my loved one, and be like a roe on the mountains of spice.
Come quickly, my love! Be like a gazelle or a young deer on the mountains of spices.

< Song of Solomon 8 >