| Christian Standard Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1If only I could treat you like my brother, one who nursed at my mother's breasts, I would find you in public and kiss you, and no one would scorn 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, I would take you, to the house of my mother who taught me. I would give you spiced wine to drink from the juice of my pomegranate. | 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. |
| 3May his left hand be under my head, and his right arm embrace me. | 3Your left arm would be under my head, and your right arm would embrace me. |
| 4Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you, do not stir up or awaken love until the appropriate time. | 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 the one she loves? Woman I awakened you under the apricot tree. There your mother conceived you; there she conceived and 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. |
| 6Set me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death; jealousy is as unrelenting as Sheol. Love's flames are fiery flames--an almighty 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. |
| 7A huge torrent cannot extinguish love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If a man were to give all his wealth 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 |
| 8Our sister is young; she has no breasts. What will 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 a silver barricade on her. If she is a door, we will enclose her with cedar planks. | 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 like towers. So in his eyes I have become like one who finds peace. | 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 owned a vineyard in Baal-hamon. He leased the vineyard to tenants. Each was to bring for his fruit one thousand pieces 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. |
| 12I have my own vineyard. The one thousand are for you, Solomon, but two hundred for those who take care of its fruits. | 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, companions are listening for your voice; let me hear you! | 13O my darling, lingering in the gardens, your companions are fortunate to hear your voice. Let me hear it, too! Young Woman |
| 14Run away with me, my love, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices. | 14Come away, my love! Be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices. |
| The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | 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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