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 mother8:2 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.8:3 Sg 2:6
4Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you,
do not stir up or awaken love
Young Women
leaning on the one she loves?
Woman
I awakened you under the apricot tree.8:5 Sg 2:3
There your mother conceived you;
there she conceived and gave you birth.
6Set me as a seal on your heart,
For love is as strong as death;8:6 Rm 8:38–39; 1Co 13:8
jealousy is as unrelenting as Sheol.
Love’s flames are fiery flames8:6 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 wealth8:7 Lit all the wealth of his house for love,8:7 Pr 6:35
it would be utterly scorned.
Brothers
8Our sister is young;
she has no breasts.8:8 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.8:9 1Kg 6:15
Woman
10I am8:10 Or was a wall
and my breasts like towers.
So to him I have become
like one who finds8:10 Or brings peace.8:10 In Hb, the word for peace sounds similar to Solomon and Shulammite.
He leased the vineyard to tenants.8:11 Mt 21:33
Each was to bring for his fruit
one thousand pieces of silver.8:11 Is 7:23
The one thousand are for you, Solomon,
but two hundred for those who take care of its fruits.
Man
13You8:13 In Hb, the word for You is feminine. who dwell in the gardens,
companions8:13 Sg 1:7 are listening for your voice;
let me hear you!8:13 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.8:14 Sg 2:17
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