Song Of Solomon 8
MSG — The Message Bible (MSG)
NLT — New Living Translation Bible (NLT)
Verse 1
1-2 I wish you’d been my twin brother,
sharing with me the breasts of my mother,
Playing outside in the street,
kissing in plain view of everyone,
and no one thinking anything of it.
I’d take you by the hand and bring you home
where I was raised by my mother.
You’d drink my wine
and kiss my cheeks.
sharing with me the breasts of my mother,
Playing outside in the street,
kissing in plain view of everyone,
and no one thinking anything of it.
I’d take you by the hand and bring you home
where I was raised by my mother.
You’d drink my wine
and kiss my cheeks.
Oh, I wish you were my brother,
who nursed at my mother’s breasts.
Then I could kiss you no matter who was watching,
and no one would criticize me.
who nursed at my mother’s breasts.
Then I could kiss you no matter who was watching,
and no one would criticize me.
Verse 2
— not in MSG
I would bring you to my childhood home,
and there you would teach me.[a]
I would give you spiced wine to drink,
my sweet pomegranate wine.
and there you would teach me.[a]
I would give you spiced wine to drink,
my sweet pomegranate wine.
Verse 3
Imagine! His left hand cradling my head,
his right arm around my waist!
Oh, let me warn you, sisters in Jerusalem:
Don’t excite love, don’t stir it up,
until the time is ripe—and you’re ready.
his right arm around my waist!
Oh, let me warn you, sisters in Jerusalem:
Don’t excite love, don’t stir it up,
until the time is ripe—and you’re ready.
The Chorus
Your left arm would be under my head,
and your right arm would embrace me.
and your right arm would embrace me.
Verse 4
— not in MSG
Promise me, O women of Jerusalem,
not to awaken love until the time is right.[b]
not to awaken love until the time is right.[b]
Young Women of Jerusalem
Verse 5
Who is this I see coming up from the country,
arm in arm with her lover?
arm in arm with her lover?
The Man
I found you under the apricot tree,
and woke you up to love.
Your mother went into labor under that tree,
and under that very tree she bore you.
The Woman
Who is this sweeping in from the desert,
leaning on her lover?
leaning on her lover?
Young Woman
I aroused you under the apple tree,
where your mother gave you birth,
where in great pain she delivered you.
Verse 6
Hang my locket around your neck,
wear my ring on your finger.
Love is invincible facing danger and death.
Passion laughs at the terrors of hell.
The fire of love stops at nothing—
it sweeps everything before it.
Flood waters can’t drown love,
torrents of rain can’t put it out.
Love can’t be bought, love can’t be sold—
it’s not to be found in the marketplace.
My brothers used to worry about me:
wear my ring on your finger.
Love is invincible facing danger and death.
Passion laughs at the terrors of hell.
The fire of love stops at nothing—
it sweeps everything before it.
Flood waters can’t drown love,
torrents of rain can’t put it out.
Love can’t be bought, love can’t be sold—
it’s not to be found in the marketplace.
My brothers used to worry about me:
Verse 7
— not in MSG
Many waters cannot quench love,
nor can rivers drown it.
If a man tried to buy love
with all his wealth,
his offer would be utterly scorned.
nor can rivers drown it.
If a man tried to buy love
with all his wealth,
his offer would be utterly scorned.
The Young Woman’s Brothers
Verse 8
“Our little sister has no breasts.
What shall we do with our little sister
when men come asking for her?
She’s a virgin and vulnerable,
and we’ll protect her.
If they think she’s a wall, we’ll top it with barbed wire.
If they think she’s a door, we’ll barricade it.”
What shall we do with our little sister
when men come asking for her?
She’s a virgin and vulnerable,
and we’ll protect her.
If they think she’s a wall, we’ll top it with barbed wire.
If they think she’s a door, we’ll barricade it.”
We have a little sister
too young to have breasts.
What will we do for our sister
if someone asks to marry her?
too young to have breasts.
What will we do for our sister
if someone asks to marry her?
Verse 9
— not in MSG
If she is a virgin, like a wall,
we will protect her with a silver tower.
But if she is promiscuous, like a swinging door,
we will block her door with a cedar bar.
we will protect her with a silver tower.
But if she is promiscuous, like a swinging door,
we will block her door with a cedar bar.
Young Woman
Verse 10
Dear brothers, I’m a walled-in virgin still,
but my breasts are full—
And when my lover sees me,
he knows he’ll soon be satisfied.
but my breasts are full—
And when my lover sees me,
he knows he’ll soon be satisfied.
The Man
I was a virgin, like a wall;
now my breasts are like towers.
When my lover looks at me,
he is delighted with what he sees.
now my breasts are like towers.
When my lover looks at me,
he is delighted with what he sees.
Verse 11
King Solomon may have vast vineyards
in lush, fertile country,
Where he hires others to work the ground.
People pay anything to get in on that bounty.
But my vineyard is all mine,
and I’m keeping it to myself.
You can have your vast vineyards, Solomon,
you and your greedy guests!
in lush, fertile country,
Where he hires others to work the ground.
People pay anything to get in on that bounty.
But my vineyard is all mine,
and I’m keeping it to myself.
You can have your vast vineyards, Solomon,
you and your greedy guests!
Solomon has a vineyard at Baal-hamon,
which he leases out to tenant farmers.
Each of them pays a thousand pieces of silver
for harvesting its fruit.
which he leases out to tenant farmers.
Each of them pays a thousand pieces of silver
for harvesting its fruit.
Verse 12
— not in MSG
But my vineyard is mine to give,
and Solomon need not pay a thousand pieces of silver.
But I will give two hundred pieces
to those who care for its vines.
and Solomon need not pay a thousand pieces of silver.
But I will give two hundred pieces
to those who care for its vines.
Young Man
Verse 13
Oh, lady of the gardens,
my friends are with me listening.
Let me hear your voice!
my friends are with me listening.
Let me hear your voice!
The Woman
O my darling, lingering in the gardens,
your companions are fortunate to hear your voice.
Let me hear it, too!
your companions are fortunate to hear your voice.
Let me hear it, too!
Young Woman
Verse 14
Run to me, dear lover.
Come like a gazelle.
Leap like a wild stag
on the spice mountains.
Come like a gazelle.
Leap like a wild stag
on the spice mountains.
Come away, my love! Be like a gazelle
or a young stag on the mountains of spices.
or a young stag on the mountains of spices.