| King James Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1O that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised. | 1If only you were like a brother to me, like one who nursed at my mother's breasts. If I found you outside I would kiss you, and no one would view me with contempt. |
| 2I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate. | 2I would lead you, I would bring you to the house of my mother who used to teach me. I would give you some spiced wine to drink, from the juice of my pomegranates. |
| 3His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me. | 3Let his left hand be under my head, and let his right hand embrace me. |
| 4I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, until he please. | 4Swear to me, young women of Jerusalem, that you won't awaken or arouse love before its proper time! |
| 5Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bare thee. | 5Who is this coming up from the desert, leaning on her beloved? Under the apple tree I awakened you. There your mother had gone into labor with you; there she went into labor and gave birth to you. |
| 6Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. | 6Set me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, passion as intense as Sheol. The flames of love are flames of fire, a blaze that comes from the LORD. |
| 7Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned. | 7Mighty bodies of water cannot extinguish love, rivers cannot put it out. If a man were to give all the wealth of his house for love, he would surely be viewed with contempt. |
| 8We 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? | 8We have a little sister, and she has not yet reached maturity. What will we do for our sister to prepare her for her engagement? |
| 9If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar. | 9If she's a wall, on her we will build a battlement of silver. If she's a door, we will enclose her with planks of cedar. |
| 10I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour. | 10I was a wall and my breasts were like towers. Then I became like one who finds peace in his eyes. |
| 11Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon; he let out the vineyard unto keepers; every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver. | 11Solomon has a vineyard in Baal-hamon. He entrusted the vineyard to caretakers— each one is to bring 1,000 pieces of silver in exchange for its fruit. |
| 12My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand, and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred. | 12My vineyard belongs to me and is at my disposal. The 1,000 are for you, Solomon, and 200 are for those who take care of its fruit. |
| 13Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it. | 13You who sit in the gardens, companions are listening for your voice, but let me hear it. |
| 14Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices. | 14Come quickly, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices. |
| King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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