1 “ O that you were like a brother to me, who nursed from my mother’s breasts! If I found you outside, I would kiss you, and no one would hate 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 you and bring you into the house of my mother, who used to teach me. I would give you wine with spices to drink, made from my pomegranates.

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 L et his left hand be under my head, and his right hand hold me close.” King Solomon

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

4 “ I tell you, O daughters of Jerusalem. You must not wake up my love, until it is pleasing to her.” The Sixth Song Women of Jerusalem

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

5 “ Who is this coming up from the desert, resting on her loved one?” The Woman “I woke you up under the fruit tree. There your mother suffered and gave birth to you.

¶ 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 P ut me over your heart and on your arm, never to be taken off. For love is as strong as death. Jealousy is as hard as the grave. Its bright light is like the light of fire, the very fire of the Lord.

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 put out love. Rivers cannot cover it. If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, it would all be hated.” The Woman’s Brothers

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 “ We have a little sister, and she has no breasts. What should we do for our sister on the day when she is promised in marriage?

¶ 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 is a wall, we should build on her a tower of silver. But if she is a door, we should cover her with strong pieces of cedar wood.” The Woman

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 was a wall, and my breasts were like towers. Then I was in his eyes as one who finds peace.” The Woman’s Brothers

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

11 “ Solomon has a grape-field at Baal-hamon. He put the grape-field into the care of certain men. Each one was to bring 1, 000 pieces of silver for its fruit.

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 own grape-field is for myself. The 1, 000 pieces of silver are for you, Solomon. And 200 are for those who take care of its fruit.”

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 “ O you who sit in the gardens, my friends are listening for your voice. Let me hear it.” The Woman

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

14 “ Hurry, my love. Be like a gazelle or a young deer on the mountains of spices.”

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