Song of Solomon 8
1 Oh that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! When I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, and none would despise me.
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 lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, that thou mightest instruct me; I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine, of the juice of my 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 should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.
He supports my head with his left hand, and holds me close with his right.
4 'I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem: Why should ye awaken, or stir up love, until it please?'
Women of Jerusalem, swear to me that you won't disturb our love until the right time.
5 Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? Under the apple-tree I awakened thee; there thy mother was in travail with thee; there was she in travail and brought thee forth.
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 Set me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thine arm; for love is strong as death, jealousy is cruel as the grave; the flashes thereof are flashes of fire, a very flame of the LORD. (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 Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it; if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, he would utterly be contemned.
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 little sister, and she hath no breasts; what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for?
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 be a wall, we will build upon her a turret of silver; and if she be a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar.
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 like the towers thereof; then was I in his eyes as one that found peace.
I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers. So when he looks at me he's happy!
11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; he gave over the vineyard unto keepers; every one for the fruit thereof brought in a thousand pieces of silver.
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 vineyard, which is mine, is before me; thou, O Solomon, shalt have the thousand, and those that keep the fruit thereof 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 Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken for thy voice: 'Cause me to hear it.'
My darling, sitting there in the gardens with companions listening to you—please talk to me!
14 Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a gazelle or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.
Come quickly, my love! Be like a gazelle or a young deer on the mountains of spices.
