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: CEV
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Song of Songs 8
8
1If only I could treat you like my brother,#8:1 Lit Would that you were like a brother to me
one who nursed at my mother’s breasts,
I would find you in public and kiss you,
and no one would scorn me.
2I would lead you, I would take you,
to the house of my mother#Sg 3:4 who taught me.#8:2 LXX adds and into the chamber of the one who bore me
I would give you spiced wine to drink
from the juice of my pomegranate.
3May his left hand be under my head,
and his right arm embrace me.#Sg 2:6
4Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you,
do not stir up or awaken love
until the appropriate time.#Sg 2:7; 3:5
Young Women
5Who is this#Sg 3:6; 6:10 coming up from the wilderness,
leaning on the one she loves?
Woman
I awakened you under the apricot tree.#Sg 2:3
There your mother conceived you;
there she conceived and gave you birth.
6Set me as a seal on your heart,
as a seal on your arm.#Sg 2:16; 6:3; 7:10
For love is as strong as death;#Rm 8:38–39; 1Co 13:8
jealousy is as unrelenting as Sheol.
Love’s flames are fiery flames#Dt 32:21–22; Pr 6:34; 27:4 —
an almighty flame!#8:6 Or the blaze of the Lord
7A huge torrent cannot extinguish love;
rivers cannot sweep it away.
If a man were to give all his wealth#8:7 Lit all the wealth of his house for love,#Pr 6:35
it would be utterly scorned.
Brothers
8Our sister is young;
she has no breasts.#Ezk 16:7
What will we do for our sister
on the day she is spoken for?
9If she is a wall,
we will build a silver barricade on her.
If she is a door,
we will enclose her with cedar planks.#1Kg 6:15
Woman
10I am#8:10 Or was a wall
and my breasts like towers.
So to him I have become
like one who finds#8:10 Or brings peace.#8:10 In Hb, the word for peace sounds similar to Solomon and Shulammite.
11Solomon owned a vineyard in Baal-hamon.#Ec 2:4
He leased the vineyard to tenants.#Mt 21:33
Each was to bring for his fruit
one thousand pieces of silver.#Is 7:23
12I have my own vineyard.#8:12 Lit My vineyard, which is mine, is before me; Sg 1:6#Sg 1:6
The one thousand are for you, Solomon,
but two hundred for those who take care of its fruits.
Man
13You#8:13 In Hb, the word for You is feminine. who dwell in the gardens,
companions#Sg 1:7 are listening for your voice;
let me hear you!#Sg 2:14
Woman
14Run away with me,#8:14 Lit Flee my love,
and be like a gazelle
or a young stag
on the mountains of spices.#Sg 2:17
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