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!”
Currently Selected:
Song of Songs 8: CEB
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Song of Solomon 8
8
1O that you were like a brother to me,
that nursed at my mother's breast!
If I met you outside, I would kiss you,
and none would despise me.
2I would lead you and bring you
into the house of my mother,
and into the chamber of her that conceived me.#8.2 Gk Syr: Heb mother; she (or you ) will teach me
I would give you spiced wine to drink,
the juice of my pomegranates.
3O that his left hand were under my head,
and that his right hand embraced me!
4I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
that you stir not up nor awaken love
until it please.
5Who is that coming up from the wilderness,
leaning upon her beloved?
Under the apple tree I awakened you.
There your mother was in travail with you,
there she who bore you was in travail.
6Set me as a seal upon your heart,
as a seal upon your arm;
for love is strong as death,
jealousy is cruel as the grave.
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
a most vehement flame.
7Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can floods drown it.
If a man offered for love
all the wealth of his house,
it would be utterly scorned.
8We have a little sister,
and she has no breasts.
What shall we do for our sister,
on the day when she is spoken for?
9If she is a wall,
we will build upon her a battlement of silver;
but if she is a door,
we will enclose her with boards of cedar.
10I was a wall,
and my breasts were like towers;
then I was in his eyes
as one who brings#8.10 Or finds peace.
11Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon;
he let out the vineyard to keepers;
each one was to bring for its fruit a thousand pieces of silver.
12My vineyard, my very own, is for myself;
you, O Solomon, may have the thousand,
and the keepers of the fruit two hundred.
13O you who dwell in the gardens,
my companions are listening for your voice;
let me hear it.
14Make haste, my beloved,
and be like a gazelle
or a young stag
upon the mountains of spices.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America