Song Of Solomon 8
NASB — New American Standard Bible (NASB)
MSG — The Message Bible (MSG)
Verse 1
“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.
Who nursed at my mother’s breasts.
If I found you outdoors, I would kiss you;
No one would despise me, either.
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.
Verse 2
“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.
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.
— not in MSG
Verse 3
“Let his left hand be under my head
And his right hand embrace me.”
And his right hand embrace me.”
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
Verse 4
“[a]I want you to swear, O daughters of Jerusalem,
[b]Do not arouse or awaken my love
Until [c]she pleases.”
[b]Do not arouse or awaken my love
Until [c]she pleases.”
— not in MSG
Verse 5
“[e]Beneath the [f]apple tree I awakened you;
There your mother was in labor with you,
There she was in labor and gave you birth.
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
Verse 6
“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.
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.
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
“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.”
Nor will rivers overflow it;
If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love,
It would be utterly despised.”
— not in MSG
Verse 8
“[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?
And she has no breasts;
What shall we do for our sister
On the day when she is spoken for?
“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.”
Verse 9
“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.”
We will build on her a battlement of silver;
But if she is a door,
We will barricade her with planks of cedar.”
— not in MSG
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
Verse 11
“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.
He entrusted the vineyard to caretakers.
Each one was to bring a thousand shekels of silver for its fruit.
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!
Verse 12
“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.”
The thousand shekels are for you, Solomon,
And two hundred are for those who take care of its fruit.”
— not in MSG
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
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.