1 O that thou {wert} as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! {when} I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised. {I should not...: Heb. they should not despise me}
2 I would lead thee, {and} bring thee into my mother's house, {who} would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate.
3 His left hand {should be} under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.
4 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake {my} love, until he please. {that...: Heb. why should ye stir up, or, why, etc}
5 Who {is} this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth {that} bare thee.
6 Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love {is} strong as death; jealousy {is} cruel as the grave: the coals thereof {are} coals of fire, {which hath a} most vehement flame. {cruel: Heb. hard}
7 Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if {a} man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.
8 We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for?
9 If she {be} a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she {be} a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar.
10 I {am} a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour. {favour: Heb. peace}
11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon; he let out the vineyard unto keepers; every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand {pieces} of silver.
12 My vineyard, which {is} mine, {is} before me: thou, O Solomon, {must have} a thousand, and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred.
13 Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear {it}.
14 Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices. {Make...: Heb. Flee away}