The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 I wish you were my brother, who nursed at my mother's breast; then, if I met you outdoors, I could kiss you, and no one would look down on me.
1
Oh that you were my brother, who took milk from my mother's breasts! When I came to you in the street, I would give you kisses; yes, I would not be looked down on.
2 I would lead you and bring you to my mother's house, and she would instruct me. I would give you spiced wine to drink, fresh juice from my pomegranates.
2
I would take you by the hand into my mother's house, and she would be my teacher. I would give you drink of spiced wine, drink of the pomegranate.
3 His left arm would be under my head and his right arm around me.
3
His left hand would be under my head, and his right hand about me.
4 I warn you, daughters of Yerushalayim, not to awaken or stir up love until it wants to arise!
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I say to you, O daughters of Jerusalem, do not let love be moved till it is ready.
5 [Chorus] Who is this, coming up from the desert, leaning on her darling? [He] I awakened you under the apple tree. It was there that your mother conceived you; there she who bore you conceived you.
5
Who is this, who comes up from the waste places, resting on her loved one? It was I who made you awake under the apple-tree, where your mother gave you birth; there she was in pain at your birth.
6 [She] Set me like a seal on your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, passion as cruel as Sh'ol; its flashes are flashes of fire, [as fierce as the] flame of Yah.
6
Put me as a sign on your heart, as a sign on your arm; love is strong as death, and wrath bitter as the underworld: its coals are coals of fire; violent are its flames.
7 No amount of water can quench love, torrents cannot drown it. If someone gave all the wealth in his house for love, he would gain only utter contempt.
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Much water may not put out love, or the deep waters overcome it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would be judged a price not great enough.
8 [Chorus] We have a little sister; her breasts are still unformed. What are we to do with our sister when she is asked for in marriage?
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We have a young sister, and she has no breasts; what are we to do for our sister in the day when she is given to a man?
9 If she is a wall, we will build on her a palace of silver; and if she is a door, we will enclose her with panels of cedar.
9
If she is a wall, we will make on her a strong base of silver; and if she is a door, we will let her be shut up with cedar-wood.
10 [She] I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers; so in his view I am like one who brings peace.
10
I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers; then was I in his eyes as one to whom good chance had come.
11 Shlomo had a vineyard at Ba'al-Hamon, and he gave the vineyard to caretakers; each of them would pay for its fruit a thousand pieces of silver.
11
Solomon had a vine-garden at Baal-hamon; he let out the vine-garden to keepers; every one had to give a thousand bits of silver for its fruit.
12 My vineyard is mine; I tend it, myself. You can have the thousand, Shlomo, and the fruit-caretakers, two hundred!
12
My vine-garden, which is mine, is before me: you, O Solomon, will have the thousand, and those who keep the fruit of them two hundred.
13 [He] You who live in the garden, friends are listening for your voice. Let me hear it!
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You who have your resting-place in the gardens, the friends give ear to your voice; make me give ear to it.
14 [She] - Flee, my darling! Be like a gazelle or young stag on the mountains of spices!
14
Come quickly, my loved one, and be like a roe on the mountains of spice.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.