SONG OF SOLOMON 8 [†] Oh that you were like a brother to me

who nursed at my mother’s breasts!

If I found you outside, I would kiss you,

and none would despise me.

2[†] I would lead you and  r bring you

into the house of my mother—

she who used to teach me.

I would give you  s spiced wine to drink,

the juice of my pomegranate.

3  t His left hand is under my head,

and his right hand embraces me!

4[†] I  u adjure you, O  v daughters of Jerusalem,

 w that you not stir up or awaken love

until it pleases.

5[†]  x Who is that coming up from the wilderness,

leaning on her beloved?

Under the apple tree I awakened you.

There your mother was in labor with you;

there she who bore you was in labor.

6[^][†] Set me as a seal upon your heart,

as  y a seal upon your arm,

for  z love is strong as death,

 a jealousy [1] is fierce as the grave. [2]

Its flashes are flashes of fire,

the very  b flame of the LORD.

7[†] Many waters cannot quench love,

neither can floods drown it.

If a man offered for love

all the wealth of his  c house,

he [3] would be utterly despised.

Others

8[†] We have a little sister,

and she  d has no breasts.

What shall we do for our sister

on the day when she is spoken for?

9 If she is a wall,

we will build on her a battlement of silver,

but if she is a door,

we will enclose her with  e boards of cedar.

She

10  f I was a wall,

and my  g breasts were like towers;

then I was in his eyes

as one who finds [4] peace.

11[†] Solomon had  h a vineyard at Baal-hamon;

he  i let out the vineyard to  j keepers;

each one was to bring for its fruit  k a thousand pieces of silver.

12 My vineyard, my very own, is before me;

you, O Solomon, may have the thousand,

and  l the keepers of the fruit two hundred.

He

13  m O you who dwell in the gardens,

with  n companions listening for your voice;

 o let me hear it.

She

14[†]  p Make haste, my beloved,

and be  q like a gazelle

or a young stag

on  r the mountains of spices.