Song of Solomon 8

1 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.

I would that thou, O my kinsman, wert he that sucked the breasts of my mother; when I found thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, they should not despise me.

2 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.

I would take thee, I would bring thee into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me; I would make thee to drink of spiced wine, of the juice of my pomegranates.

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

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

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

I have charged you, ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the virtues of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake [my] love, until he please.

5 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.

Who is this that comes up all white, leaning on her kinsman? I raised thee up under an apple-tree; there thy mother brought thee forth; there she that bore thee brought thee forth.

6 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. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a very flame of Yah. (Sheol h7585)

Set me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thine arm; for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave, her shafts are shafts of fire, [even] the flames thereof. (Sheol h7585)

7 Many waters can’t 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.

Much water will not be able to quench love, and rivers shall not drown it; if a man would give all his substance for love, [men] would utterly despise it.

8 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?

Our sister is little, and has no breasts; what shall we do for our sister, in the day wherein she shall be spoken for?

9 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.

If she is a wall, let us build upon her silver bulwarks; and if she is a door, let us carve for her cedar panels.

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

I am a wall, and my breasts are as towers; I was in their eyes as one that found peace.

11 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.

Solomon had a vineyard in Beelamon; he let his vineyard to keepers; every one was to bring for its fruit a thousand [pieces] of silver.

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

My vineyard, even mine, is before me; Solomon [shall have] a thousand, and they that keep its fruit two hundred.

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

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

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

Away, my kinsman, and be like a doe or a fawn on the mountains of spices.