New International Version | New Living Translation |
1If only you were to me like a brother, who was nursed at my mother's breasts! Then, if I found you outside, I would kiss you, and no one would despise me. | 1Oh, I wish you were my brother, who nursed at my mother’s breasts. Then I could kiss you no matter who was watching, and no one would criticize me. |
2I would lead you and bring you to my mother's house-- she who has taught me. I would give you spiced wine to drink, the nectar of my pomegranates. | 2I would bring you to my childhood home, and there you would teach me. I would give you spiced wine to drink, my sweet pomegranate wine. |
3His left arm is under my head and his right arm embraces me. | 3Your left arm would be under my head, and your right arm would embrace me. |
4Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires. | 4Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, not to awaken love until the time is right. Young Women of Jerusalem |
5Who is this coming up from the wilderness leaning on her beloved? She Under the apple tree I roused you; there your mother conceived you, there she who was in labor gave you birth. | 5Who is this sweeping in from the desert, leaning on her lover? Young Woman I aroused you under the apple tree, where your mother gave you birth, where in great pain she delivered you. |
6Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. | 6Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, its jealousy as enduring as the grave. Love flashes like fire, the brightest kind of flame. |
7Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If one were to give all the wealth of one's house for love, it would be utterly scorned. | 7Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers drown it. If a man tried to buy love with all his wealth, his offer would be utterly scorned. The Young Woman’s Brothers |
8We have a little sister, and her breasts are not yet grown. What shall we do for our sister on the day she is spoken for? | 8We have a little sister too young to have breasts. What will we do for our sister if someone asks to marry her? |
9If she is a wall, we will build towers of silver on her. If she is a door, we will enclose her with panels of cedar. | 9If she is a virgin, like a wall, we will protect her with a silver tower. But if she is promiscuous, like a swinging door, we will block her door with a cedar bar. Young Woman |
10I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers. Thus I have become in his eyes like one bringing contentment. | 10I was a virgin, like a wall; now my breasts are like towers. When my lover looks at me, he is delighted with what he sees. |
11Solomon had a vineyard in Baal Hamon; he let out his vineyard to tenants. Each was to bring for its fruit a thousand shekels of silver. | 11Solomon has a vineyard at Baal-hamon, which he leases out to tenant farmers. Each of them pays a thousand pieces of silver for harvesting its fruit. |
12But my own vineyard is mine to give; the thousand shekels are for you, Solomon, and two hundred are for those who tend its fruit. | 12But my vineyard is mine to give, and Solomon need not pay a thousand pieces of silver. But I will give two hundred pieces to those who care for its vines. Young Man |
13You who dwell in the gardens with friends in attendance, let me hear your voice! | 13O my darling, lingering in the gardens, your companions are fortunate to hear your voice. Let me hear it, too! Young Woman |
14Come away, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or like a young stag on the spice-laden mountains. | 14Come away, my love! Be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices. |
New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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