Maiden's Fanciful Wish

1 Who will give thee as a brother to me, sucking the breasts of my mother? I shall find thee without, I shall kiss thee; also they shall not despise me.

1 “Oh that you were like a brother to meWho nursed at my mother’s breasts.If I found you outdoors, I would kiss you;No one would despise me, either.

1 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.

1 If only I could treat you like my brother,(a)one who nursed at my mother’s breasts,I would find you in public and kiss you,and no one would scorn me.

1 If only you were like a brother to me, like one who nursed at my mother's breasts. If I found you outside I would kiss you, and no one would view me with contempt.

2 I will lead thee, I will bring thee to the house of my mother; thou wilt teach me: I will give thee to drink from spiced wine from the new wine of my pomegranate.

2 “I would lead you and (A)bring youInto the house of my mother, who used to instruct me;I would give you spiced wine to drink from the juice of my pomegranates.

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.

2 I would lead you, I would take you,to the house of my mother(A) who taught me.(b)I would give you spiced wine to drinkfrom my pomegranate juice.

2 I would lead you, I would bring you to the house of my mother who used to teach me. I would give you some spiced wine to drink, from the juice of my pomegranates.

Double Refrain: Embrace And Adjuration

3 His left hand under my head, and his right shall embrace me.

3 “Let (B)his left hand be under my headAnd his right hand embrace me.”

3 His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.

3 His left hand is under my head,and his right arm embraces me.(B)

3 Let his left hand be under my head, and let his right hand embrace me.

4 I adjured you, O daughters of Jerusalem, why will ye awake, and why will ye rouse love till he shall desire?'

4 (a)(C)I want you to swear, O daughters of Jerusalem,(b)Do not arouse or awaken my loveUntil (c)she pleases.”

4 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, until he please.

4 Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you:do not stir up or awaken loveuntil the appropriate time.(C)

4 Swear to me, young women of Jerusalem, that you won't awaken or arouse love before its proper time!

Up From The Wilderness And Under The Apple Tree

5 Who this coming up from the desert, leaning herself upon her beloved? Under the apple tree I aroused thee: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she bearing thee, brought forth .

5 (d)(D)Who is this coming up from the wildernessLeaning on her beloved?” (e)Beneath the (f)(E)apple tree I awakened you;There your mother was in labor with you,There she was in labor and gave you birth.

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.

5 Y Who is this(D) coming up from the wilderness,leaning on the one she loves?W I awakened you under the apricot tree.(E)There your mother conceived you;there she conceived and gave you birth.

5 Who is this coming up from the desert, leaning on her beloved? Under theapple tree I awakened you. There your mother had gone into labor with you; there she went into labor and gave birth to you.

The Nature Of Genuine Romantic Love

6 Set me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love was strong as death; jealousy hard as hades: its flames, flames of fire, flames of Jehovah.

6 “Put me like a (g)seal over your heart,Like a (F)seal on your arm.For love is as strong as death,(h)(G)Jealousy is as severe as Sheol;Its flashes are flashes of fire,(i)The very flame of the Lord.

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.

6 Set me as a seal on your heart,as a seal on your arm.(F)For love is as strong as death;(G)ardent love is as unrelenting as Sheol.Love’s flames are fiery flames(H)the fiercest of all.(c)

6 Set me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, passion as intense as Sheol. The flames of love are flames of fire, a blaze that comes from the LORD.

7 Many waters shall not be able to quench love, and rivers shall not overwhelm it: if a man shall give all the riches of his house for love, despising, they shall be despised for him.

7 “Many waters cannot quench love,Nor will rivers overflow it;(H)If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love,It would be utterly despised.”

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.

7 Mighty waters cannot extinguish love;rivers cannot sweep it away.If a man were to give all his wealth(d) for love,(I)it would be utterly scorned.

7 Mighty bodies of water cannot extinguish love, rivers cannot put it out. If a man were to give all the wealth of his house for love, he would surely be viewed with contempt.

Maiden's Virtuous Chastity And Voluptuous Beauty

8 A little sister to us, and no breasts to her: what shall we do for our sister in the day it shall be spoken for her?

8 (j)We have a little sister,And she (I)has no breasts;What shall we do for our sisterOn the day when she is spoken for?

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?

8 B Our sister is young;she has no breasts.(J)What will we do for our sisteron the day she is spoken for?

8 We have a little sister, and she has not yet reached maturity. What will we do for our sister to prepare her for her engagement?

9 If she be a wall, we will build upon her a fortress of silver: and if she is a door we will bind upon her a tablet of cedar.

9 “If she is a wall,We will build on her a battlement of silver;But if she is a door,We will barricade her with (J)planks of cedar.”

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.

9 If she is a wall,we will build a silver parapet on it.If she is a door,we will enclose it with cedar planks.(e)(K)

9 If she's a wall, on her we will build a battlement of silver. If she's a door, we will enclose her with planks of cedar.

10 I am a wall, and my breasts as towers: then was I in his eyes as finding peace.

10 (k)I was a wall, and (K)my breasts were like towers;Then I became in his eyes as one who finds peace.

10 I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour.

10 W I am(f) a walland my breasts like towers.So in his eyes I have becomelike one who finds peace.(g)

10 I was a wall and my breasts were like towers. Then I became like one who finds peace in his eyes.

Solomon's Vineyard And The Maiden's Gift

11 A vineyard was to Solomon in the place of a multitude; he gave the vineyards to those watching; each shall bring in its fruit a thousand of silver.

11 “Solomon had a (L)vineyard at Baal-hamon;He (M)entrusted the vineyard to (N)caretakers.Each one was to bring a (O)thousand shekels of silver for its (P)fruit.

11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon; he let out the vineyard unto keepers; every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver.

11 Solomon owned a vineyard in Baal-hamon.(L)He leased the vineyard to tenants.(M)Each was to bring for his fruit1,000 pieces of silver.(N)

11 Solomon has a vineyard in Baal-hamon. He entrusted the vineyard to caretakers each one is to bring 1,000 pieces of silver in exchange for its fruit.

12 My vineyard to me before me: a thousand to thee, O Solomon, and two hundred to those watching its fruit.

12 “My very own vineyard is (l)at my disposal;The thousand shekels are for you, Solomon,And two hundred are for those who take care of its fruit.”

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.

12 I have my own vineyard.(h)(O)The 1,000 are for you, Solomon,but 200 for those who guard its fruits.

12 My vineyard belongs to me and is at my disposal. The 1,000 are for you, Solomon, and 200 are for those who take care of its fruit.

Closing Words Of Mutual Love

13 Thou sitting in the gardens, the companions attending to thy voice: cause thou me to hear.

13 (m)O you who sit in the gardens,My (Q)companions are listening for your voice—(R)Let me hear it!”

13 Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it.

13 M You(i) who dwell in the gardens—companions(P) are listening for your voice—let me hear you!(Q)

13 You who sit in the gardens, companions are listening for your voice, but let me hear it.

14 Flee, my beloved, and be it likened to thee to the roe or to the fawn of the hinds upon the mountains of spices.

14 (n)(o)Hurry, my beloved,And be (S)like a gazelle or a young (p)stagOn the (T)mountains of spices.”

14 Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.

14 W Hurry to me, my love,and be like a gazelleor a young stagon the mountains of spices.(R)

14 Come quickly, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices.

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