Song of Songs 8
8
If Only You and I …
She Speaks:
1If you were my brother,
I could kiss you
whenever we happen to meet,
and no one would say
I did wrong.
2I could take you to the home
of my mother,
who taught me all I know.#8.2 who … know: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
I would give you delicious wine
and fruit juice as well.
3Put your left hand under my head
and embrace me
with your right arm.
4Young women of Jerusalem,
promise me never to awaken love
before it is ready.
Their Friends Speak:
5Who is this young woman
coming in from the desert
and leaning on the shoulder
of the one she loves?
She Speaks:
I stirred up your passions
under the apple tree
where you were born.
6Always keep me in your heart
and wear this bracelet
to remember me by.
The passion of love
bursting into flame
is more powerful than death,
stronger than the grave.
7Love cannot be drowned
by oceans or floods.
It cannot be bought—
any offer would be scorned
no matter how great.
Their Friends Speak:
8We have a little sister
whose breasts
are not yet formed.
If someone asks to marry her,
what should we do?
9She isn't a wall
that we can defend
behind a silver shield.
Neither is she a room
that we can protect
behind a wooden door.
She Speaks:
10I am a wall around a city,
my breasts are towers,
and just looking at me
brings him great pleasure.
11Solomon has a vineyard
at Baal-Hamon,
which he rents to others
for a thousand pieces
of silver each.
12My vineyard is mine alone!
Solomon can keep his silver
and the others can keep
their share of the profits.
He Speaks:
13You are in the garden
with friends all around.
Let me hear your voice!
She Speaks:
14Hurry to me, my darling!
Run faster than a deer
to mountains of spices.
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Song of Songs 8: CEVDCI
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Song of Songs 8
8
Young Woman
1Oh, 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.
2I would bring you to my childhood home,
and there you would teach me.#8:2 Or there she will teach me.
I would give you spiced wine to drink,
my sweet pomegranate wine.
3Your left arm would be under my head,
and your right arm would embrace me.
4Promise me, O women of Jerusalem,
not to awaken love until the time is right.#8:4 Or not to awaken love until it is ready.
Young Women of Jerusalem
5Who is this sweeping in from the desert,
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.
6Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm.
For love is as strong as death,
its jealousy#8:6a Or its passion. as enduring as the grave.#8:6b Hebrew as Sheol.
Love flashes like fire,
the brightest kind of flame.
7Many 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.
The Young Woman’s Brothers
8We have a little sister
too young to have breasts.
What will we do for our sister
if someone asks to marry her?
9If 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.
Young Woman
10I 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.
11Solomon 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.
12But 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.
Young Man
13O my darling, lingering in the gardens,
your companions are fortunate to hear your voice.
Let me hear it, too!
Young Woman
14Come away, my love! Be like a gazelle
or a young stag on the mountains of spices.
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