Song 8 | NASB2020 | 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.”

The Groom

4 “ ^cSwear to me, you daughters of Jerusalem:
^{▼▼Lit Why should you disturb or}Do not disturb or awaken my love
Until she pleases.”

The Chorus

5 “ ^eWho is this coming up from the wilderness,
Leaning on her beloved?”

The Bride

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

The Chorus

8 “We have a little sister,
And she ^lhas 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 ^mplanks of cedar.”

The Bride

10 “I was a wall, and ⁿmy breasts were like towers;
Then I became in his eyes as one who finds peace.
11 “Solomon had a ^ovineyard at Baal-hamon;
He ^pentrusted the vineyard to ^qcaretakers.
Each one was to bring a ^rthousand shekels of silver for its ^sfruit.
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.”

The Groom

13 “You who sit in the gardens:
My ^ucompanions are listening for your voice--
^vLet me hear it!”

The Bride

14 “ ^{▼▼Lit Flee}Hurry, my beloved,
And be ^xlike a gazelle or a young ^{▼▼Lit of the stags}stag
On the ^zmountains of balsam trees!”