Longing for Her Beloved

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 1bring you into the house of my mother—she who used to teach me. I would give you 2spiced wine to drink, the juice of my pomegranate.
3 3His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me!
4 I 4adjure you, O 5daughters of Jerusalem, 6that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases.
5 7Who 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 8a seal upon your arm, for 9love is strong as death, 10jealousya is fierce as the grave. b Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very 11flame 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 12house, hec would be utterly despised.

Final Advice

Others

8 We have a little sister, and she 13has 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 14boards of cedar.

She

10 15I was a wall, and my 16breasts were like towers; then I was in his eyes as one who findsd peace.
11 Solomon had 17a vineyard at Baal-hamon; he 18let out the vineyard to 19keepers; each one was to bring for its fruit 20a thousand pieces of silver.
12 My vineyard, my very own, is before me; you, O Solomon, may have the thousand, and 21the keepers of the fruit two hundred.

He

13 22O you who dwell in the gardens, with 23companions listening for your voice; 24let me hear it.

She

14 25Make haste, my beloved, and be 26like a gazelle or a young stag on 27the mountains of spices.