| English Standard Version | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Oh that you were like a brother to me who nursed at my mother’s breasts! If I found you outside, I would kiss you, and none would despise me. | 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. |
| 2I would lead you and bring you into the house of my mother— she who used to teach me. I would give you spiced wine to drink, the juice of my pomegranate. | 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. |
| 3His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me! | 3May his left hand be under my head, and his right arm embrace me. |
| 4I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases. | 4Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you, do not stir up or awaken love until the appropriate time. |
| 5Who is that coming up from the wilderness, leaning on 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. | 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. |
| 6Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD. | 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! |
| 7Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised. | 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. |
| 8We have a little sister, and she has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister on the day when she is spoken for? | 8Our sister is young; she has no breasts. What will we do for our sister on the day she is spoken for? |
| 9If she is a wall, we will build on her a battlement of silver, but if she is a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar. | 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. |
| 10I was a wall, and my breasts were like towers; then I was in his eyes as one who finds peace. | 10I am a wall and my breasts like towers. So in his eyes I have become like one who finds peace. |
| 11Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; he let out the vineyard to keepers; each one was to bring for its fruit a thousand pieces of silver. | 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. |
| 12My vineyard, my very own, is before me; you, O Solomon, may have the thousand, and the keepers of the fruit two hundred. | 12I have my own vineyard. The one thousand are for you, Solomon, but two hundred for those who take care of its fruits. |
| 13O you who dwell in the gardens, with companions listening for your voice; let me hear it. | 13You who dwell in the gardens, companions are listening for your voice; let me hear you! |
| 14Make haste, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices. | 14Run away with me, my love, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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