Song Of Solomon 8

“Oh that you were like a brother to me
Who nursed at my mother’s breasts.
If I found you outdoors, I would kiss you;
No one would despise me, either.

O that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised.

“I would lead you and bring you
Into the house of my mother, who used to instruct me;
I would give you spiced wine to drink from the juice of my pomegranates.

I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate.

“Let his left hand be under my head
And his right hand embrace me.”

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

“^[a]I want you to swear, O daughters of Jerusalem,
^[b]Do not arouse or awaken my love
Until ^[c]she pleases.”

I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, until he please.

“^[d]Who is this coming up from the wilderness
Leaning on her beloved?”

Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bare thee.

“Put me like a ^[g]seal over your heart,
Like a seal on your arm.
For love is as strong as death,
^[h]Jealousy is as severe as Sheol;
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
^[i]The very flame of the Lord.

Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.

“Many waters cannot quench love,
Nor will rivers overflow it;
If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love,
It would be utterly despised.”

Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.

“^[j]We have a little sister,
And she has no breasts;
What shall we do for our sister
On the day when she is spoken for?

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?

“If she is a wall,
We will build on her a battlement of silver;
But if she is a door,
We will barricade her with planks of cedar.”

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

“^[k]I was a wall, and my breasts were like towers;
Then I became in his eyes as one who finds peace.

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

“Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon;
He entrusted the vineyard to caretakers.
Each one was to bring a thousand shekels of silver for its fruit.

Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon; he let out the vineyard unto keepers; every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver.

“My very own vineyard is ^[l]at my disposal;
The thousand shekels are for you, Solomon,
And two hundred are for those who take care of its fruit.”

My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand, and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred.

“^[m]O you who sit in the gardens,
My companions are listening for your voice—
Let me hear it!”

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

“^[n][o]Hurry, my beloved,
And be like a gazelle or a young ^[p]stag
On the mountains of spices.”