Song of Solomon 8
1 I wish that you were like my brother, who nursed at my mother's breasts. Then whenever I met you outside, I could kiss you, and no one would despise me.
Oh that thou hadst been a very brother to me, who had sucked the breasts of my own mother, —Had I found thee without, I had kissed thee, Yea, folk would not have despised me!
2 I would lead you and bring you into my mother's house— she who taught me. I would give you spiced wine to drink and some of the juice of my pomegranates.
I would have guided thee—brought thee into the house of my mother, Thou wouldst have instructed me, —I would have let thee drink of spiced wine, of the pressed-out juice of my pomegranate.
3 His left hand is under my head and his right hand embraces me.
His left hand under my head, then, his right hand, embraceth me.
4 I want you to swear, daughters of Jerusalem, that you will not interrupt our lovemaking until it is over.
I [HE] adjure you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, —Why will ye wake, and why will ye arouse the dear love until she please!
5 Who is this who is coming up from the wilderness, leaning on her beloved? The woman speaking to the man I awakened you under the apricot tree; there your mother conceived you; there she gave birth to you, she delivered you.
[THEY] Who is this, coming up out of the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? [HE] Under the apple-tree, I roused thee, where thy mother, was in pain with thee, where she was in pain who gave thee birth!
6 Set me as a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm, for love is as strong as death. Passionate devotion is as unrelenting as Sheol; its flames burst out; it is a blazing flame, a flame hotter than any other fire. (Sheol h7585)
[SHE] Set me as a seal, upon thy heart, as a seal upon thine arm, For, mighty as death, is love, Exacting as hades, is jealousy, —The flames thereof, are flames of fire, The flash of Yah! (Sheol h7585)
7 Surging waters cannot quench love, nor can floods sweep it away. If a man gave all the possessions in his house for love, the offer would utterly be despised.
Many waters, cannot quench love, nor shall, floods, overwhelm it, —If a man would give all the substance of his house, for love, they would, utterly despise, him.
8 We have a little sister, and her breasts have not yet grown. What can we do for our sister on the day when she will be promised in marriage?
[THEY] A sister, have we, a little one, and, breasts, hath she none, What shall we do for our sister, in the day when she may be spoken for?
9 If she is a wall, we will build on her a tower of silver. If she is a door, we will adorn her with boards of cedar.
If, a wall, she is, we will build upon it a battlement of silver, —but if, a door, she is, we will close it up with a plank of cedar.
10 I was a wall, but my breasts are now like fortress towers; so I am in his eyes as one who brings peace.
[SHE] I, was a wall, and, my breasts, like towers, —Then, became I, in his eyes, one who did indeed find good content.
11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal Hamon. He gave the vineyard to those who would maintain it. Each one was to bring a thousand shekels of silver for its fruit.
A vineyard, had Solomon, as the owner of abundance, He put out the vineyard to keepers, —Every man, was to bring in, for the fruit thereof, a thousand silverlings:
12 My vineyard, my very own, is before me; the thousand shekels are for you, Solomon, and the two hundred shekels are for those who maintain its fruit.
Mine own vineyard, is before me, —The thousand belong to thee, O Solomon, and two hundred to the keepers of the fruit thereof.
13 You who live in the gardens, my companions are listening for your voice; let me hear it.
[HE] O thou fair dweller in the gardens, the companions are giving heed to thy voice, Let me hear it.
14 Hurry, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices.
[SHE] Come quickly, my beloved, and resemble thou a gazelle, or a young stag, upon the mountains of balsam-trees.
