Song 8 | NASB1995 | STEP | “ Oh that you were like a brother to me Who nursed at my mother’s breasts . If I found you outdoors , I would kiss you; No one would despise me, either .

Song of Solomon 8

The Lovers Speak

1 “Oh that you were like a brother to me
Who nursed at my mother’s breasts.
If I found you outdoors, I would kiss you;
No one would despise me, either.
2 “I would lead you and ^abring you
Into the house of my mother, who used to instruct me;
I would give you spiced wine to drink from the juice of my pomegranates.
3 “Let ^bhis left hand be under my head
And his right hand embrace me.”

4 ^{▼▼ BRIDEGROOM
,} ^d“I want you to swear, O daughters of Jerusalem,
^{▼▼ Or Why should you arouse}Do not arouse or awaken my love
Until ^{▼▼ Or it}she pleases.”

5 ^{▼▼ CHORUS
,} ^h“Who is this coming up from the wilderness
Leaning on her beloved?”

^{▼▼ BRIDE}“Beneath the ^{▼▼ Or apricot
,} ^kapple tree I awakened you;
There your mother was in labor with you,
There she was in labor and gave you birth.
6 “Put me like a ^{▼▼ Or signet}seal over your heart,
Like a ^mseal on your arm.
For love is as strong as death,
^{▼▼ Or Its ardor is as inflexible
,} ^oJealousy is as severe as Sheol;
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
^{▼▼ Another reading is A vehement flame}The very flame of the Lord.
7 “Many waters cannot quench love,
Nor will rivers overflow it;
^qIf a man were to give all the riches of his house for love,
It would be utterly despised.”

8 ^{▼▼ CHORUS}“We have a little sister,
And she ^shas no breasts;
What shall we do for our sister
On the day when she is spoken for?
9 “If she is a wall,
We will build on her a battlement of silver;
But if she is a door,
We will barricade her with ^tplanks of cedar.”

10 ^{▼▼ BRIDE}“I was a wall, and ^vmy breasts were like towers;
Then I became in his eyes as one who finds peace.
11 “Solomon had a ^wvineyard at Baal-hamon;
He ^xentrusted the vineyard to ^ycaretakers.
Each one was to bring a ^zthousand shekels of silver for its ^aafruit.
12 “My very own vineyard is ^{▼▼ Lit before me}at my disposal;
The thousand shekels are for you, Solomon,
And two hundred are for those who take care of its fruit.”

13 ^{▼▼ BRIDEGROOM}“O you who sit in the gardens,
My ^adcompanions are listening for your voice—
^aeLet me hear it!”

14 ^{▼▼ BRIDE
,} ^{▼▼ Lit Flee}“Hurry, my beloved,
And be ^ahlike a gazelle or a young ^{▼▼ Lit of the stags}stag
On the ^ajmountains of spices.”