| English Standard Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 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. | 1"Oh that you were like a brother to me Who nursed at my mother's breasts. If I found you outdoors, I would kiss you; No one would despise me, either. |
| 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. | 2"I would lead you and bring you Into the house of my mother, who used to instruct me; I would give you spiced wine to drink from the juice of my pomegranates. |
| 3His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me! | 3"Let his left hand be under my head And his right hand embrace me." |
| 4I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases. | 4"I want you to swear, O daughters of Jerusalem, Do not arouse or awaken my love Until she pleases." |
| 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. | 5"Who is this coming up from the wilderness Leaning on her beloved?" "Beneath the apple tree I awakened you; There your mother was in labor with you, There she was in labor 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. | 6"Put me like a seal over your heart, Like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, Jealousy is as severe as Sheol; Its flashes are flashes of fire, The very flame of the LORD. |
| 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. | 7"Many waters cannot quench love, Nor will rivers overflow it; If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, It would be utterly despised." |
| 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? | 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? |
| 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. | 9"If she is a wall, We will build on her a battlement of silver; But if she is a door, We will barricade her with planks of cedar." |
| 10I was a wall, and my breasts were like towers; then I was in his eyes as one who finds peace. | 10"I was a wall, and my breasts were like towers; Then I became in his eyes as 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. | 11"Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; He entrusted the vineyard to caretakers. Each one was to bring a thousand shekels of silver for its fruit. |
| 12My vineyard, my very own, is before me; you, O Solomon, may have the thousand, and the keepers of the fruit two hundred. | 12"My very own vineyard is at my disposal; The thousand shekels are for you, Solomon, And two hundred are for those who take care of its fruit." |
| 13O you who dwell in the gardens, with companions listening for your voice; let me hear it. | 13"O you who sit in the gardens, My companions are listening for your voice-- Let me hear it!" |
| 14Make haste, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices. | 14"Hurry, my beloved, 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. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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