Song of Solomon 8
Authorized (King James) Version
8 O that thou wert as my brother,
that sucked the breasts of my mother!
when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee;
yea, I should not be despised.
2 I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother’s house, who would instruct me:
I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate.
3 His left hand should be under my head,
and his right hand should embrace me.
4 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up,
nor awake my love, until he please.
5 Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?
I raised thee up under the apple tree:
there thy mother brought thee forth:
there she brought thee forth that bare thee.
6 Set me as a seal upon thine heart,
as a seal upon thine arm:
for love is strong as death;
jealousy is cruel as the grave:
the coals thereof are coals of fire,
which hath a most vehement flame.
7 Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can the floods drown it:
if a man would give all the substance of his house for love,
it would utterly be contemned.
8 We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts:
what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for?
9 If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver:
and if she be a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar.
10 I am a wall, and my breasts like towers:
then was I in his eyes as one that found favour.
11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon;
he let out the vineyard unto keepers;
every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver.
12 My vineyard, which is mine, is before me:
thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand,
and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred.
13 Thou that dwellest in the gardens,
the companions hearken to thy voice:
cause me to hear it.
14 Make haste, my beloved,
and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart
upon the mountains of spices.
Song of Songs 8
New International Version
8 If only you were to me like a brother,
who was nursed at my mother’s breasts!
Then, if I found you outside,
I would kiss you,
and no one would despise me.
2 I would lead you
and bring you to my mother’s house(A)—
she who has taught me.
I would give you spiced wine to drink,
the nectar of my pomegranates.
3 His left arm is under my head
and his right arm embraces me.(B)
4 Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you:
Do not arouse or awaken love
until it so desires.(C)
Friends
5 Who is this coming up from the wilderness(D)
leaning on her beloved?
She
Under the apple tree I roused you;
there your mother conceived(E) you,
there she who was in labor gave you birth.
6 Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm;
for love(F) is as strong as death,
its jealousy[a](G) unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire,
like a mighty flame.[b]
7 Many waters cannot quench love;
rivers cannot sweep it away.
If one were to give
all the wealth of one’s house for love,
it[c] would be utterly scorned.(H)
Friends
8 We have a little sister,
and her breasts are not yet grown.
What shall we do for our sister
on the day she is spoken for?
9 If she is a wall,
we will build towers of silver on her.
If she is a door,
we will enclose her with panels of cedar.
She
10 I am a wall,
and my breasts are like towers.
Thus I have become in his eyes
like one bringing contentment.
11 Solomon had a vineyard(I) in Baal Hamon;
he let out his vineyard to tenants.
Each was to bring for its fruit
a thousand shekels[d](J) of silver.
12 But my own vineyard(K) is mine to give;
the thousand shekels are for you, Solomon,
and two hundred[e] are for those who tend its fruit.
He
13 You who dwell in the gardens
with friends in attendance,
let me hear your voice!
She
Footnotes
- Song of Songs 8:6 Or ardor
- Song of Songs 8:6 Or fire, / like the very flame of the Lord
- Song of Songs 8:7 Or he
- Song of Songs 8:11 That is, about 25 pounds or about 12 kilograms; also in verse 12
- Song of Songs 8:12 That is, about 5 pounds or about 2.3 kilograms
KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK.
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