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Song of Solomon 8
New King James Version

### Lovers Reunited at Their Country Home

8 Oh, that you were like my brother,
Who nursed at my mother’s breasts!
If I should find you outside,
I would kiss you;
I would not be despised.
2 I would lead you and bring you
Into the (A)house of my mother,
She who used to instruct me.
I would cause you to drink of (B)spiced wine,
Of the juice of my pomegranate.

#### (To the Daughters of Jerusalem)

3 (C)His left hand is under my head,
And his right hand embraces me.
4 (D)I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
Do not stir up nor awaken love
Until it pleases.

### Love Renewed in Lebanon

#### A Relative

5 (E)Who is this coming up from the wilderness,
Leaning upon her beloved?

I awakened you under the apple tree.
There your mother brought you forth;
There she who bore you brought you forth.

#### The Shulamite to Her Beloved

6 (F)Set me as a seal upon your heart,
As a seal upon your arm;
For love is as strong as death,
(G)Jealousy as [a]cruel as [b]the grave;
Its flames are flames of fire,
[c]A most vehement flame.

7 Many waters cannot quench love,
Nor can the floods drown it.
(H)If a man would give for love
All the wealth of his house,
It would be utterly despised.

#### The Shulamite’s Brothers

8 (I)We have a little sister,
And she has no breasts.
What shall we do for our sister
In the day when she is spoken for?
9 If she is a wall,
We will build upon her
A battlement of silver;
And if she is a door,
We will enclose her
With boards of cedar.

#### The Shulamite

10 I am a wall,
And my breasts like towers;
Then I became in his eyes
As one who found peace.
11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal Hamon;
(J)He leased the vineyard to keepers;
Everyone was to bring for its fruit
A thousand silver coins.

#### (To Solomon)

12 My own vineyard is before me.
You, O Solomon, may have a thousand,
And those who tend its fruit two hundred.

#### The Beloved

13 You who dwell in the gardens,
The companions listen for your voice—
(K)Let me hear it!

#### The Shulamite

14 (L)Make[d] haste, my beloved,
And (M)be like a gazelle
Or a young stag
On the mountains of spices.

#### Footnotes

1. Song of Solomon 8:6 severe, lit. hard
2. Song of Solomon 8:6 Or Sheol
3. Song of Solomon 8:6 Lit. A flame of Yah, poetic form of YHWH, the Lord
4. Song of Solomon 8:14 Hurry, lit. Flee

#### Cross references

1. Song of Solomon 8:2 : Song 3:4
2. Song of Solomon 8:2 : Prov. 9:2
3. Song of Solomon 8:3 : Song 2:6
4. Song of Solomon 8:4 : Song 2:7; 3:5
5. Song of Solomon 8:5 : Song 3:6
6. Song of Solomon 8:6 : Is. 49:16; Jer. 22:24; Hag. 2:23
7. Song of Solomon 8:6 : Prov. 6:34, 35
8. Song of Solomon 8:7 : Prov. 6:35
9. Song of Solomon 8:8 : Ezek. 23:33
10. Song of Solomon 8:11 : Matt. 21:33
11. Song of Solomon 8:13 : Song 2:14
12. Song of Solomon 8:14 : Rev. 22:17, 20
13. Song of Solomon 8:14 : Song 2:7, 9, 17

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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