1 Oh 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.

2 I would lead you and *ch. 3:4bring you

into the house of my mother—

she who used to teach me.

I would give you *[Prov. 9:2,5]spiced wine to drink,

the juice of my pomegranate.

3 *ch. 2:6,7His left hand is under my head,

and his right hand embraces me!

4 I *See ch. 2:7adjure you, O *See ch. 1:5daughters of Jerusalem,

*[ch. 2:7]that you not stir up or awaken love

until it pleases.

5 *See ch. 3:6Who 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.

6 Set me as a seal upon your heart,

as *Isa. 49:16;Jer. 22:24;Hag. 2:23a seal upon your arm,

for *[Rom. 8:35] love is strong as death,

*[Ex. 34:14]; Deut. 4:24jealousy*8:6 Or ardor is fierce as the grave.*8:6 Hebrew as Sheol

Its flashes are flashes of fire,

the very *[Job 1:16]flame of the Lord.

7 Many waters cannot quench love,

neither can floods drown it.

If a man offered for love

all the wealth of his *Prov. 6:35house,

he*8:7 Or it would be utterly despised.

Others

8 We have a little sister,

and she *[Ezek. 16:7]has no breasts.

What shall we do for our sister

on the day when she is spoken for?

9 If she is a wall,

we will build on her a battlement of silver,

but if she is a door,

we will enclose her with *[1 Kgs. 6:15]boards of cedar.

She

10 *[ch. 4:12,13] I was a wall,

and my *[ch. 4:5;7:3]breasts were like towers;

then I was in his eyes

as one who finds*8:10 Or brings out peace.

11 Solomon had *Eccles. 2:4a vineyard at Baal-hamon;

he *[Matt. 21:33] let out the vineyard to *ch. 1:6keepers;

each one was to bring for its fruit *[Isa. 7:23]a thousand pieces of silver.

12 My vineyard, my very own, is before me;

you, O Solomon, may have the thousand,

and *See Prov. 27:18the keepers of the fruit two hundred.

He

13 *[ch. 5:1] O you who dwell in the gardens,

with *ch. 1:7companions listening for your voice;

*ch. 2:14let me hear it.

She

14 *[Rev. 22:17,20] Make haste, my beloved,

and be *See ch. 2:9like a gazelle

or a young stag

on *[ch. 4:6]the mountains of spices.