| New Living Translation | NET Bible |
| 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. | 1Oh, how I wish you were my little brother, nursing at my mother's breasts; if I saw you outside, I could kiss you--surely no one would despise me! |
| 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. | 2I would lead you and bring you to my mother's house, the one who taught me. I would give you spiced wine to drink, the nectar of my pomegranates. |
| 3Your left arm would be under my head, and your right arm would embrace me. | 3His left hand caresses my head, and his right hand stimulates me. |
| 4Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, not to awaken love until the time is right. Young Women of Jerusalem | 4"Do not arouse or awaken love until it pleases!" |
| 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. | 5Who is this coming up from the desert, leaning on her beloved? The Beloved to Her Lover: Under the apple tree I aroused you; there your mother conceived you, there she who bore you was in labor of childbirth. |
| 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. | 6Set me like a cylinder seal over your heart, like a signet on your arm. For love is as strong as death, passion is as unrelenting as Sheol. Its flames burst forth, it is a blazing flame. |
| 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 | 7Surging waters cannot quench love; floodwaters cannot overflow it. If someone were to offer all his possessions to buy love, the offer would be utterly despised. |
| 8We have a little sister too young to have breasts. What will we do for our sister if someone asks to marry her? | 8We have a little sister, and as yet she has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister on the day when she is spoken for? |
| 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 | 9If she is a wall, we will build on her a battlement of silver; but if she is a door, we will barricade her with boards of cedar. |
| 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. | 10I was a wall, and my breasts were like fortress towers. Then I found favor in his eyes. |
| 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. | 11Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-Hamon; he leased out the vineyard to those who maintained it. Each was to bring a thousand shekels of silver for 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 | 12My vineyard, which belongs to me, is at my disposal alone. The thousand shekels belong to you, O Solomon, and two hundred shekels belong to those who maintain it for its fruit. |
| 13O my darling, lingering in the gardens, your companions are fortunate to hear your voice. Let me hear it, too! Young Woman | 13O you who stay in the gardens, my companions are listening attentively for your voice; let me be the one to hear it! |
| 14Come away, my love! Be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices. | 14Make haste, my beloved! Be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices. |
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