Song of Songs 8 - Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

8 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.
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 drink
from the juice of my pomegranate.
3 May his left hand be under my head,
and his right arm embrace me.(B)
4 Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you,
do not stir up or awaken love
until the appropriate time.(C)

Young Women

5 Who is this(D) coming up from the wilderness,
leaning on the one she loves?

Woman

I awakened you under the apricot tree.(E)
There your mother conceived you;
there she conceived and gave you birth.
6 Set me as a seal on your heart,
as a seal on your arm.(F)
For love is as strong as death;(G)
jealousy is as unrelenting as Sheol.
Love’s flames are fiery flames(H)
an almighty flame![c]
7 A huge torrent 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.

Brothers

8 Our sister is young;
she has no breasts.(J)
What will we do for our sister
on the day she is spoken for?
9 If she is a wall,
we will build a silver barricade on her.
If she is a door,
we will enclose her with cedar planks.(K)

Woman

10 I am[e] a wall
and my breasts like towers.
So to him I have become
like one who finds[f] peace.[g]

11 Solomon owned a vineyard in Baal-hamon.(L)
He leased the vineyard to tenants.(M)
Each was to bring for his fruit
one thousand pieces of silver.(N)
12 I have my own vineyard.[h](O)
The one thousand are for you, Solomon,
but two hundred for those who take care of its fruits.

Man

13 You[i] who dwell in the gardens,
companions(P) are listening for your voice;
let me hear you!(Q)

Woman

14 Run away with me,[j] my love,
and be like a gazelle
or a young stag
on the mountains of spices.(R)

Footnotes

  1. 8:1 Lit Would that you were like a brother to me
  2. 8:2 LXX adds and into the chamber of the one who bore me
  3. 8:6 Or the blaze of the Lord
  4. 8:7 Lit all the wealth of his house
  5. 8:10 Or was
  6. 8:10 Or brings
  7. 8:10 In Hb, the word for peace sounds similar to Solomon and Shulammite.
  8. 8:12 Lit My vineyard, which is mine, is before me; Sg 1:6
  9. 8:13 In Hb, the word for You is feminine.
  10. 8:14 Lit Flee

Cross references

  1. 8:2 : Sg 3:4
  2. 8:3 : Sg 2:6
  3. 8:4 : Sg 2:7; 3:5
  4. 8:5 : Sg 3:6; 6:10
  5. 8:5 : Sg 2:3
  6. 8:6 : Sg 2:16; 6:3; 7:10
  7. 8:6 : Rm 8:38–39; 1Co 13:8
  8. 8:6 : Dt 32:21–22; Pr 6:34; 27:4
  9. 8:7 : Pr 6:35
  10. 8:8 : Ezk 16:7
  11. 8:9 : 1Kg 6:15
  12. 8:11 : Ec 2:4
  13. 8:11 : Mt 21:33
  14. 8:11 : Is 7:23
  15. 8:12 : Sg 1:6
  16. 8:13 : Sg 1:7
  17. 8:13 : Sg 2:14
  18. 8:14 : Sg 2:17

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8 O, 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 no one would despise me.2 I would lead you and bring you into my mother’s house— she who has taught me.I would give you spiced wine to drink from the nectar of my pomegranate.3 O ...
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8 O that you were like a brother to me, who nursed at my mother’s breast!If I met you outside, I would kiss you, and no one would despise me.2 I would lead you and bring you into my mother’s house and into the chamber of the one who bore me.[a]I would give you spiced wine to drink, from the juice of...
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Song of Songs 8 - New International Version (NIV)

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 pomegrana...
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Song of Songs 8 - New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

Chapter 81 Would that you were a brother to me, nursed at my mother’s breasts!If I met you out of doors, I would kiss you and none would despise me.2 (A)I would lead you, bring you to my mother’s house, where you would teach me,Where I would give you to drink spiced wine, my pomegranate[a] juice.3 (...
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