Song of Solomon 8

1 Bride to Groom: Who will give you to me as my brother, feeding from the breasts of my mother, so that I may discover you outside, and may kiss you, and so that now no one may despise me?

Oh that you were like my brother, who nursed from the breasts of my mother! If I found you outside, I would kiss you; yes, and no one would despise me.

2 I will take hold of you and lead you into my mother’s house. There you will teach me, and I will give you a cup of spiced wine, and of new wine from my pomegranates.

I would lead you, bringing you into the house of my mother, who would instruct me. I would have you drink spiced wine, of the juice of my pomegranate.

3 His left hand is under my head, and his right hand shall embrace me.

His left hand would be under my head. His right hand would embrace me.

4 Groom to Chorus: I bind you by oath, O daughters of Jerusalem, not to disturb or awaken the beloved, until she wills.

I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, that you not stir up, nor awaken love, until it so desires.

5 Chorus to Groom: Who is she, who ascends from the desert, flowing with delights, leaning upon her beloved? Groom to Bride: Under the apple tree, I awakened you. There your mother was corrupted. There she who bore you was violated.

Who is this who comes up from the wilderness, leaning on her beloved? Beloved Under the apple tree I awakened you. There your mother conceived you. There she was in labor and bore you.

6 Set me like a seal upon your heart, like a seal upon your arm. For love is strong, like death, and envy is enduring, like hell: their lamps are made of fire and flames. (Sheol h7585)

Set me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm; for love is strong as death. Jealousy is as cruel as Sheol (Sheol h7585). Its flashes are flashes of fire, a very flame of the LORD.

7 A multitude of waters cannot extinguish love, nor can a river overwhelm it. If a man were to give all the substance of his house in exchange for love, he would despise it as nothing.

Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man would give all the wealth of his house for love, he would be utterly scorned.

8 Chorus: Our sister is little and has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister on the day when she is called upon?

We have a little sister. She has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister in the day when she is to be spoken for?

9 If she is a wall, let us build a rampart of silver upon it. If she is a door, let us join it together with boards of cedar.

If she is a wall, we will build on her a turret of silver. If she is a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar.

10 Bride to Chorus: I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers, since, in his presence, I have become like one who has discovered peace.

I am a wall, and my breasts like towers, then I was in his eyes like one who found peace.

11 The peaceful one had a vineyard, in that which held the peoples. He handed it on to the caretakers; a man brought, in exchange for its fruit, a thousand pieces of silver.

Solomon had a vineyard at Baal Hamon. He leased out the vineyard to keepers. Each was to bring a thousand shekels of silver for its fruit.

12 Groom: My vineyard is before me. The thousand is for your peacefulness, and two hundred is for those who care for its fruit.

My own vineyard is before me. The thousand are for you, Solomon, two hundred for those who tend its fruit.

13 Bride to Groom: Your friends are attentive to those who have been dwelling in the gardens. Cause me to heed your voice.

You who dwell in the gardens, with friends in attendance, let me hear your voice!

14 Flee away, my beloved, and become like the doe and the young stag upon the mountains of aromatic plants.

Come away, my beloved! Be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices!