1 O h that thou wert as my brother, That sucked the breasts of my mother! Should I find thee without, I would kiss thee; And they would not despise me.

¶ O that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; and I should not be despised.

2 I would lead thee, bring thee into my mother's house; Thou wouldest instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine, Of the juice of my pomegranate.

I would lead thee and bring thee into my mother’s house, that thou would instruct me; I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate.

3 H is left hand would be under my head, And his right hand embrace me.

His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.

4 I charge you, daughters of Jerusalem, … Why should ye stir up, why awake love, till he please?

I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye not awake nor stir up love until he pleases.

5 W ho is this that cometh up from the wilderness, Leaning upon her beloved? I awoke thee under the apple-tree: There thy mother brought thee forth; There she brought thee forth bore thee.

¶ Who is she that comes up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I woke thee up under the apple tree; there thy mother had birth pains; there she had pains that brought thee into the light.

6 S et me as a seal upon thy heart, As a seal upon thine arm: For love is strong as death; Jealousy is cruel as Sheol: The flashes thereof are flashes of fire, Flames of Jah.

Set me as a seal upon thine heart as a sign upon thine arm; for love is strong as death; jealousy is hard as Sheol; the coals thereof are coals of fire, which have a most vehement flame.

7 M any waters cannot quench love, Neither do the floods drown it: Even if a man gave all the substance of his house for love, It would utterly be contemned.

The many waters cannot quench love, neither can the rivers drown it; if a man would give all the substance of his house for this love, it would certainly be despised.

8 W e have a little sister, And she hath no breasts: What shall we do for our sister In the day when she shall be spoken for?—

¶ We have a little sister, and she still has no breasts; what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for?

9 I f she be a wall, We will build upon her a turret of silver; And if she be a door, We will enclose her with boards of cedar.

If she is a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver; and if she is a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar.

10 I am a wall, and my breasts like towers; Then was I in his eyes as one that findeth peace.

I am a wall, and my breasts like towers since I was in his eyes as the one that found peace.

11 S olomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon: He let out the vineyard unto keepers; Every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand silver-pieces.

Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon; he let out the vineyard unto keepers; for its fruit each one was to bring a thousand pieces of silver.

12 M y vineyard, which is mine, is before me: The thousand be to thee, Solomon; And to the keepers of its fruit, two hundred.

My vineyard, which is mine, is before me; the thousand pieces shall be thine, O Solomon, and two hundred for those that keep the fruit.

13 T hou that dwellest in the gardens, The companions hearken to thy voice: Let me hear.

¶ Thou, she that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice; cause me to hear it.

14 H aste, my beloved, And be thou like a gazelle or a young hart Upon the mountains of spices.

Run, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.