Song of Solomon 8:5-14

New American Standard Bible 1995

⁵ “^[a](A)Who is this coming up from the wilderness
Leaning on her beloved?”

“^[b]Beneath the ^[c](B)apple tree I awakened you;
There your mother was in labor with you,
There she was in labor and gave you birth.
⁶ “Put me like a ^[d]seal over your heart,
Like a ^(C)seal on your arm.
For love is as strong as death,
^[e](D)Jealousy is as severe as Sheol;
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
^[f]The very flame of the Lord.
⁷ “Many waters cannot quench love,
Nor will rivers overflow it;
^(E)If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love,
It would be utterly despised.”

⁸ “^[g]We have a little sister,
And she ^(F)has 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 barricade her with ^(G)planks of cedar.”

¹⁰ “^[h]I was a wall, and ^(H)my breasts were like towers;
Then I became in his eyes as one who finds peace.
¹¹ “Solomon had a ^(I)vineyard at Baal-hamon;
He ^(J)entrusted the vineyard to ^(K)caretakers.
Each one was to bring a ^(L)thousand shekels of silver for its ^(M)fruit.
¹² “My very own vineyard is ^[i]at my disposal;
The thousand shekels are for you, Solomon,
And two hundred are for those who take care of its fruit.”

¹³ “^[j]O you who sit in the gardens,
My ^(N)companions are listening for your voice—
^(O)Let me hear it!”

¹⁴ “^[k][l]Hurry, my beloved,
And be ^(P)like a gazelle or a young ^[m]stag
On the ^(Q)mountains of spices.”