Song of Solomon 8

1 Oh that some one would make thee as my brother that hath sucked my mother's breasts! should I then find thee without, I would kiss thee; and yet, people would not despise me.

I would that thou, O my kinsman, wert he that sucked the breasts of my mother; when I found thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, they should not despise me.

2 I would lead thee, I would bring thee into my mother's house, thou shouldst teach me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine, of the sweet juice of my pomegranate.

I would take thee, I would bring thee into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me; I would make thee to drink of spiced wine, of the juice of my pomegranates.

3 Oh that his left hand might be under my head, and that his right hand might embrace me.

His left hand [should be] under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.

4 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, why will ye awaken, and why will ye excite my love, until it please [to come of itself]?—

I have charged you, ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the virtues of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake [my] love, until he please.

5 Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her friend?—Under the apple-tree have I waked thee up; there thy mother brought thee forth; there brought thee forth she that bore thee.

Who is this that comes up all white, leaning on her kinsman? I raised thee up under an apple-tree; there thy mother brought thee forth; there she that bore thee brought thee forth.

6 Set me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thy arm; for strong as death is love; violent like the nether world is jealousy; its heat is the heat of fire, a flame of God. (Sheol h7585)

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, her shafts are shafts of fire, [even] the flames thereof. (Sheol h7585)

7 Many waters are not able to quench love, nor can the rivers flood it away: if a man were to give all the wealth of his house for love, men would utterly despise him.—

Much water will not be able to quench love, and rivers shall not drown it; if a man would give all his substance for love, [men] would utterly despise it.

8 We have a little sister, and she hath yet no breasts: what shall we do for our sister on the day when she shall be spoken for?

Our sister is little, and has no breasts; what shall we do for our sister, in the day wherein she shall be spoken for?

9 If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar.—

If she is a wall, let us build upon her silver bulwarks; and if she is a door, let us carve for her cedar panels.

10 I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favor.

I am a wall, and my breasts are as towers; I was in their eyes as one that found peace.

11 Solomon had a vineyard at Ba'al-hamon; he had given up the vineyard unto the keepers; every one was to bring for its fruit a thousand pieces of silver.

Solomon had a vineyard in Beelamon; he let his vineyard to keepers; every one was to bring for its fruit a thousand [pieces] of silver.

12 My vineyard, which was mine, was before me: thine, O Solomon, be the thousand, and let two hundred be for those that keep its fruit.—

My vineyard, even mine, is before me; Solomon [shall have] a thousand, and they that keep its fruit two hundred.

13 “Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions listen for thy voice: oh let me hear it.”

Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: make me hear [it].

14 Flee away, my friend, and be thou like the roebuck, or the fawn of the hinds, upon the mountain of spices.

Away, my kinsman, and be like a doe or a fawn on the mountains of spices.