Song 8 | LSB | STEP | “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; No one would despise me, either.

Song of Solomon 8

The Power and Preciousness of Love

1 “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;
No one would despise me, either.
2 “I would lead you and bring you
Into the house of my mother, who used to teach me;
I would give you spiced wine to drink from the sweet wine of my pomegranates.
3 “Let his left hand be under my head
And his right hand embrace me.”
4 “ ^{▼▼BRIDEGROOM}I call you to solemnly swear, O daughters of Jerusalem,
^{▼▼ Or Do not arouse}Why should you arouse or awaken my love
Until ^{▼▼Or it}she pleases?”
5 “ ^▼▼CHORUSWho is this coming up from the wilderness
Leaning on her beloved?”
“ ^▼▼BRIDEBeneath the ^{▼▼Or apricot}apple tree I awakened you;
There your mother was in labor with you;
There she was in labor and gave you birth.
6 “Put me like a ^{▼▼Or signet}seal over your heart,
Like a seal on your arm.
For love is as strong as death,
^{▼▼ Or Its ardor is as inflexible}Jealousy is as severe as Sheol;
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
^{▼▼ Or A vehement flame}The very flame of ^{▼▼The shortened form of Yahweh, found in poetry and praise (e.g. Hallelujah), and in names (e.g. Zechariah)}Yah.
7 “Many waters cannot quench love,
Nor will rivers overflow it;
If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love,
It would be utterly despised.”
8 “ ^▼▼CHORUSWe have a little sister,
And she 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 barricade her with planks of cedar.”
10 “ ^▼▼BRIDEI was a wall, and my breasts were like towers;
Then I became in his eyes as one who finds peace.
11 “Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon;
He gave the vineyard to caretakers.
Each one was to bring ^{▼▼Approx. 25 lb. or 11.3 kg, a shekel was approx. 0.4 oz. or 11 gm}one thousand shekels of silver for its fruit.
12 “My very own vineyard is before me;
The thousand shekels are for you, Solomon,
And two hundred are for those who take care of its fruit.”
13 “ ^{▼▼BRIDEGROOM}O you who sit in the gardens,
My companions are giving heed to your voice—
Let me hear it!”
14 “ ^{▼▼BRIDE
,} ^{▼▼Lit Flee}Hurry, my beloved,
And be like a gazelle or a young ^{▼▼Lit of the stags}stag
On the mountains of spices.”