New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 O that you were like a brother to me, who nursed at my mother's breast! If I met you outside, I would kiss you, and no one would despise 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 into the house of my mother, and into the chamber of the one who bore me. I would give you spiced wine to drink, the juice of my pomegranates.
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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 O that his left hand were under my head, and that his right hand embraced me!
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His left hand would be under my head, and his right hand about me.
4 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, do not stir up or awaken love until it is ready!
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I say to you, O daughters of Jerusalem, do not let love be moved till it is ready.
5 Who is that coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? Under the apple tree I awakened you. There your mother was in labor with you; there she who bore you was in labor.
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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 Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame.
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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 Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If one offered for love all the wealth of one's house, it would be utterly scorned.
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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 We have a little sister, and she has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister, on the day when she is spoken for?
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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 upon her a battlement of silver; but if she is a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar.
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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 I was a wall, and my breasts were like towers; then I was in his eyes as one who brings peace.
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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 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; he entrusted the vineyard to keepers; each one was to bring for its fruit a thousand pieces of silver.
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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, my very own, is for myself; you, O Solomon, may have the thousand, and the keepers of the fruit two hundred!
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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 O you who dwell in the gardens, my companions 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 Make haste, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag upon the mountains of spices!
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Come quickly, my loved one, and be like a roe on the mountains of spice.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.