Song of Songs 8 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

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 my pomegranates.(A)
3 O that his left hand were under my head
and that his right hand embraced me!(B)
4 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
do not stir up or awaken love
until it is ready!(C)

Homecoming

5 Who is that coming up from the wilderness,
leaning upon 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.(D)

6 Set me as a seal upon your heart,
as a seal upon your arm,
for love is strong as death,
passion fierce as the grave.
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
a raging flame.(E)
7 Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can floods drown it.
If one offered for love
all the wealth of one’s house,
it[b] would be utterly scorned.

8 We have a little sister,
and she has no breasts.
What shall we do for our sister,
on the day when she is spoken for?(F)
9 If she is a wall,
we will build upon her a battlement of silver,
but if she is a door,
we will enclose her with boards of cedar.
10 I was a wall,
and my breasts were like towers;
then I was in his eyes
as one who brings[c] peace.
11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon;
he entrusted the vineyard to keepers;
each one was to bring for its fruit a thousand pieces of silver.(G)
12 My vineyard, my very own, is for myself;
you, O Solomon, may have the thousand
and the keepers of the fruit two hundred!

13 O you who dwell in the gardens,
my companions are listening for your voice;
let me hear it.(H)

14 Make haste, my beloved,
and be like a gazelle
or a young stag
upon the mountains of spices!(I)

Footnotes

  1. 8.2Gk Syr: Heb my mother; she (or you) will teach me
  2. 8.7Or he
  3. 8.10Or finds

Cross references

  1. 8.2 : Song 3.4
  2. 8.3 : Song 2.6
  3. 8.4 : Song 2.7; 3.5
  4. 8.5 : Song 2.3; 3.6
  5. 8.6 : Prov 6.34; Isa 49.16; Jer 22.24; Hag 2.23
  6. 8.8 : Ezek 16.7
  7. 8.11 : Eccl 2.4; Song 1.6; 2.3; Isa 7.23; Mt 21.33
  8. 8.13 : Song 1.7; 2.14
  9. 8.14 : Song 2.17; 4.6

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Song of Songs 8 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

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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Song of Songs 8 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

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 International Reader's Version (NIRV)

8 “I wish you were like a brother to me. I wish my mother’s breasts had nursed you.Then if I found you outside, I could kiss you. No one would look down on me.2 I’d bring you to my mother’s house. She taught me everything I know.I’d give you spiced wine to drink. It’s the juice of my pomegranates.3 ...
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Song of Songs 8 - New Catholic Bible (NCB)

Chapter 81 Oh, if only you were to me like a brother, nursed at my mother’s breast.Then if I met you out of doors, I could kiss you without people regarding me with scorn.[a]2 I would lead you and bring you into the home of my mother.There you would teach me to give you spiced wine to drink and the ...
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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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Song of Songs 8 - Modern English Version (MEV)

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 no one would despise me.2 I would lead you and bring you into the house of my mother, she who used to instruct me.I would give you spiced wine to drink, the juice of my pomegrana...
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Song of Songs 8 - Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV)

He Embraces MeThe Woman8 I wish that you were like a brother to me,who was nursed at my mother’s breasts.Then if I would meet you in public,I could kiss you,and no one would despise me.2 I would lead you.I would bring you to my mother’s house where she used to teach me.I would give you spiced wine t...
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Song of Songs 8 - Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

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