New Living Translation NLT
Common English Bible CEB
1 Oh, 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.
1
[Woman]If only you were as my brother— the one who nursed at my mother's breast. I would find you in the street and kiss you, and no one would shame me for it.
2 I 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.
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I would lead you, I would bring you to my mother's house; she would teach me what to do. I would give you spiced wine to drink, some of my fresh pomegranate juice.
3 Your left arm would be under my head, and your right arm would embrace me.
3
His left arm is beneath my head, and his right embraces me!
4 Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, not to awaken love until the time is right.
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Make a solemn pledge, daughters of Jerusalem, never to rouse, never to arouse love until it desires.
5 Who 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.
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[Daughters of Jerusalem]Who is this coming up from the wilderness leaning against her lover? [Woman]Under the apple tree I aroused you— there, where your mother labored with you, there where, laboring, she bore you.
6 Place 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.
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Set me as a seal over your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is as strong as death, passionate love unrelenting as the grave. Its darts are darts of fire— divine flame!
7 Many 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.
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Rushing waters can't quench love; rivers can't wash it away. If someone gave all his estate in exchange for love, he would be laughed to utter shame.
8 We have a little sister too young to have breasts. What will we do for our sister if someone asks to marry her?
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[The Woman's Brothers]Our sister is small; she has no breasts. What will we do for our sister on the day that she is spoken for?
9 If 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.
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If she is a city wall, then we will build a turret of silver on her. And if she is a door, then we will barricade her with a panel of cedar.
10 I 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.
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[Woman]I'm a city wall, and my breasts are the towers. So now I'm in his eyes as one who brings peace.
11 Solomon 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.
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[Man]Solomon had a vineyard in Baal-hamon. He gave charge of the vineyard to keepers; one would bring in exchange for its fruit a thousand pieces of silver.
12 But 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.
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My vineyard, my very own, is before me. You can have the thousand, Solomon— with two hundred for those who tend the fruit!
13 O my darling, lingering in the gardens, your companions are fortunate to hear your voice. Let me hear it, too!
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You who sit in the gardens, my companions are listening for your voice. Let me hear it!
14 Come away, my love! Be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices.
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[Woman]"Take flight, my love, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spice!"
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible