Song of Solomon 8

New American Standard Bible 1995

⁴ “^[a](C)I want you to swear, O daughters of Jerusalem,
^[b]Do not arouse or awaken my love
Until ^[c]she pleases.”

⁵ “^[d](D)Who is this coming up from the wilderness
Leaning on her beloved?”

“^[e]Beneath the ^[f](E)apple tree I awakened you;
There your mother was in labor with you,
There she was in labor and gave you birth.
⁶ “Put me like a ^[g]seal over your heart,
Like a ^(F)seal on your arm.
For love is as strong as death,
^[h](G)Jealousy is as severe as Sheol;
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
^[i]The very flame of the Lord.
⁷ “Many waters cannot quench love,
Nor will rivers overflow it;
^(H)If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love,
It would be utterly despised.”

⁸ “^[j]We have a little sister,
And she ^(I)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 barricade her with ^(J)planks of cedar.”

¹⁰ “^[k]I was a wall, and ^(K)my breasts were like towers;
Then I became in his eyes as one who finds peace.
¹¹ “Solomon had a ^(L)vineyard at Baal-hamon;
He ^(M)entrusted the vineyard to ^(N)caretakers.
Each one was to bring a ^(O)thousand shekels of silver for its ^(P)fruit.
¹² “My very own vineyard is ^[l]at my disposal;
The thousand shekels are for you, Solomon,
And two hundred are for those who take care of its fruit.”

¹³ “^[m]O you who sit in the gardens,
My ^(Q)companions are listening for your voice—
^(R)Let me hear it!”

¹⁴ “^[n][o]Hurry, my beloved,
And be ^(S)like a gazelle or a young ^[p]stag
On the ^(T)mountains of spices.”