8 ⌊How I wish that you were my little brother⌋,a b
who nursed ⌊upon my mother’s breasts⌋!c
If ⌊I met you outside⌋,d I would kiss you,
⌊and no one would despise me⌋!e
2 ⌊I would surely bring you⌋f g to the house of my mother,
⌊who would surely teach me⌋;h
⌊I would give you spiced wine to drink⌋,i
the ⌊sweet wine⌋j of my pomegranates.k
Double Refrain: Embrace and Adjuration
3 His left hand is under my head,
and his right hand embracesl me.
4 I adjure you, ⌊O maidens of Jerusalem⌋,m
do notn arouse or awaken love until it pleases!o
Up from the Wilderness and under the Apple Tree
5 Who is this coming up from the wilderness,
leaning upon her beloved?
Under the apple tree I awakened you;
there your mother ⌊conceived you⌋;p
there she who was in labor gave birth to you.
The Nature of Genuine Romantic Love
6 Set me as a seal upon your heart,
as a seal upon your arm;
for love is strong as death;
passion is fierce as Sheol;
its flashes are flashes of fire;
it is a blazing flame.
7 Many waters cannot quench love;
rivers cannot sweep it away.q
If a man were to give all the wealth of his house ⌊for love⌋,r
he would be utterly scorned.s
The Maiden’s Virtuous Chastity and Voluptuous Beauty
8 ⌊We have a little sister⌋,t
⌊and she does not yet have any breasts⌋.u
What should we do for our sister
⌊on the day when she is betrothed⌋?v w
⌊we will adorn her with a turret of silver⌋;x y
but if she is a door,
we will barricade her with boards of cedar.z
10 I was a wall, and my breasts were like the towers,
⌊so my betrothed viewed me with great delight⌋.a
Solomon’s Vineyard and the Maiden’s Gift
11 ⌊Solomon had a vineyard⌋b at Baal-hamon;
⌊he entrusted his vineyard to the keepers⌋;c
⌊people paid a thousand silver pieces for its fruit⌋.d
12 ⌊My own “vineyard” belongs to me⌋;e
the “thousand” are for you, O Solomon,
⌊and “two hundred” for those who tend its fruit⌋.f
13 O you who dwell in the garden,
my companions are listening to your voice.
Let me hear it!
⌊Be like a gazelle⌋g or ⌊a young stag⌋h
upon ⌊the perfumed mountains⌋!i
About The Lexham English BibleThe Lexham English Bible contains a translation of the original languages into smooth, readable English. It also contains copious footnotes which address translation issues, instances of Old Testament quotations in the New Testament, and various textual-critical issues. This translation also indicates the use of idioms in the Greek and Hebrew text. In cases where a literal rendering of Greek or Hebrew would prevent a smooth English translation, footnotes indicate the literal English translation, accompanied by explanatory notes as necessary. |
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