Song of Songs 8
8
Wishing
[Woman]
1If only you were as my brother—
the one who nursed at my mother’s breast.
I would find you in the street and kiss you,
and no one would shame me for it.
2I would lead you, I would bring you
to my mother’s house;
she would teach me what to do.#8.2 Or you would teach me; LXX, Syr to my mother's house, and to the chamber of the one who conceived me (cf 3:4)
I would give you spiced wine to drink,
some of my fresh pomegranate juice.
3His left arm is beneath my head,
and his right embraces me!
4Make a solemn pledge,
daughters of Jerusalem,
never to rouse, never to arouse love
until it desires.
Love, strong and invaluable
[Daughters of Jerusalem]
5Who is this coming up from the wilderness
leaning against her lover?
[Woman]
Under the apple tree I aroused you—
there, where your mother labored with you,
there where, laboring, she bore you.
6Set me as a seal over your heart,
as a seal upon your arm,
for love is as strong as death,
passionate love unrelenting as the grave.#8.6 Heb Sheol
Its darts are darts of fire—
divine flame!
7Rushing waters can’t quench love;
rivers can’t wash it away.
If someone gave
all his estate in exchange for love,
he would be laughed to utter shame.
[The Woman’s Brothers]
8Our sister is small;
she has no breasts.
What will we do for our sister
on the day that she is spoken for?
9If she is a city wall,
then we will build a turret of silver on her.#8.9 Or on it (the city wall)
And if she is a door,
then we will barricade her#8.9 Or it (the door) with a panel of cedar.
[Woman]
10I’m a city wall,
and my breasts are the towers.
So now I’m in his eyes
as one who brings peace.
[Man]
11Solomon had a vineyard
in Baal-hamon.
He gave charge of the vineyard to keepers;
one would bring in exchange for its fruit
a thousand pieces of silver.
12My vineyard, my very own, is before me.
You can have the thousand, Solomon#8.12 Cf 1 Kgs 11:3—
with two hundred for those who tend the fruit!
13You who sit in the gardens,
my companions are listening for your voice.
Let me hear it!
[Woman]
14“Take flight, my love,
and be like a gazelle
or a young stag
on the mountains of spice!”
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Song of Songs 8: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. 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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