1 Oh that thou were as my brother, who sucked the breasts of my mother! [When] I should find thee outside, I would kiss thee. Yes, and none would 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 under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.
4 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake love, until it please.
5 Who is this who comes up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? Under the apple tree I awoke thee. There thy mother was in travail with thee. There she who brought thee forth was in travail.
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 of it are flashes of fire, a most vehement flame.
7 Many waters cannot quench love, nor can floods drown it. If a man would give all the substance of his house for love, he would be utterly scorned.
8 We have a little sister, and she has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for?
9 If she is a wall, we will build upon her a turret of silver. And if she is a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar.
10 I am a wall, and my breasts like the towers. Then I was in his eyes as one who found peace.
11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon. He let out the vineyard to keepers. Every one for the fruit of it was to bring a thousand [pieces] of silver.
12 My vineyard, which is mine, is before me. Thou, O Solomon, shall have the thousand, and those who keep the fruit of it, two hundred.
14 Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.