8:1 Oh that thou wert as my brother, That sucked the breasts of my mother! (When) I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; Yea, and none would despise me.
8:1 "Oh that you were like a brother to me Who nursed at my mother's breasts. [If] I found you outdoors, I would kiss you; No one would despise me, either.

8:2 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.
8:2 "I would lead you [and] bring you Into the house of my mother, who used to instruct me; I would give you spiced wine to drink from the juice of my pomegranates.

8:3 His left hand (should be) under my head, And his right hand should embrace me.
8:3 "Let his left hand be under my head, And his right hand embrace me."

8:4 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, That ye stir not up, nor awake (my) love, Until he please.
8:4 "I want you to swear, O daughters of Jerusalem, Do not arouse or awaken [my] love, Until she pleases."

8:5 Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, Leaning upon her beloved? Under the apple-tree I awakened thee: There thy mother was in travail with thee, There was she in travail that brought thee forth.
8:5 "Who is this coming up from the wilderness, Leaning on her beloved?" "Beneath the apple tree I awakened you; There your mother was in labor with you, There she was in labor [and] gave you birth.

8:6 Set me as a seal upon thy heart, As a seal upon thine arm: For love is strong as death; Jealousy is cruel as Sheol; The flashes thereof are flashes of fire, A very flame of Jehovah.
8:6 "Put me like a seal over your heart, Like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, Jealousy is as severe as Sheol; Its flashes are flashes of fire, The [very] flame of the LORD.

8:7 Many waters cannot quench love, Neither can floods drown it: If a man would give all the substance of his house for love, He would utterly be contemned.
8:7 "Many waters cannot quench love, Nor will rivers overflow it; If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, It would be utterly despised."

8:8 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?
8:8 "We have a little sister, And she has no breasts; What shall we do for our sister On the day when she is spoken for?

8:9 If she be a wall, We will build upon her a turret of silver: And if she be a door, We will inclose her with boards of cedar.
8:9 "If she is a wall, We shall build on her a battlement of silver; But if she is a door, We shall barricade her with planks of cedar."

8:10 I am a wall, and my breasts like the towers (thereof) Then was I in his eyes as one that found peace.
8:10 "I was a wall, and my breasts were like towers; Then I became in his eyes as one who finds peace.

8:11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; He let out the vineyard unto keepers; Every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand (pieces) of silver.
8:11 "Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; He entrusted the vineyard to caretakers; Each one was to bring a thousand [shekels] of silver for its fruit.

8:12 My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: Thou, O Solomon, shalt have the thousand, And those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred.
8:12 "My very own vineyard is at my disposal; The thousand [shekels] are for you, Solomon, And two hundred are for those who take care of its fruit."

8:13 Thou that dwellest in the gardens, The companions hearken for thy voice: Cause me to hear it.
8:13 "O you who sit in the gardens, [My] companions are listening for your voice-- Let me hear it!"

8:14 Make haste, my beloved, And be thou like to a roe or to a young hart Upon the mountains of spices.
8:14 "Hurry, my beloved, And be like a gazelle or a young stag On the mountains of spices."