1 ARST I wish that you were like my brother, my own brother, who nursed from my mother’ s breasts when he was a baby. Because then, whenever I met you outside the house, I could kiss you, and no one would criticize me. BSB BSB: O that you were to me like a brother who nursed at my mother’s breasts! If I found you outdoors, I would kiss you, and no one would despise me.
2 ARST I would like to bring you to my mother’ s house, to where my mother, who taught me so many things, lives. I would like to take you to my mother’ s house so I could have sexual relations with you there. Having sexual relations with you would be as if I were giving you spiced wine to drink, as if I were giving you sweet pomegranate wine. BSB BSB: I would lead you and bring you to the house of my mother who taught me. I would give you spiced wine to drink, the nectar of my pomegranates.
3 ARST The man I love has placed his left arm under my head and he holds me close with his right arm. The woman speaking to the women of Jerusalem BSB BSB: His left hand is under my head, and his right arm embraces me.
4 ARST You young women of Jerusalem, I want you to solemnly promise me, that you will not cause people to love romantically until it is the right time. The women of Jerusalem speaking BSB BSB: O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you: Do not arouse or awaken love until the time is right.
5 ARST Look at this woman who is coming up from the wilderness, the woman who is leaning on the man she loves! The young woman speaking to the man she loves I woke you up when you were under the apple tree at the place where your mother was in labor with you, the place where you were born. BSB BSB: Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning on her beloved? I roused you under the apple tree; there your mother conceived you; there she travailed and brought you forth.
7 ARST We love each other so deeply, that how we love each other can be compared to a strong fire that no river or flood can put out. If a man tried to cause a woman to love him by saying he would give her everything that he owns, she would refuse. The young woman’ s brothers speaking among themselves BSB BSB: Mighty waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If a man were to give all the wealth of his house for love, his offer would be utterly scorned.
8 ARST We have a young sister, and her breasts are not large yet. What should we do for her at the time that we promise some young man that he can marry her? BSB BSB: We have a little sister, and her breasts are not yet grown. What shall we do for our sister on the day she is spoken for?
9 ARST We will protect her virginity, as if we were soldiers building a battlement of silver to protect a wall. We will protect her virginity, like we would protect a door from intruders by covering it with boards made of cedar wood. The woman speaking BSB BSB: If she is a wall, we will build a tower of silver upon her. If she is a door, we will enclose her with panels of cedar.
10 ARST Like a wall that allows no one to enter, I have remained a virgin and let no man come into me; but now my breasts are large like towers. So I am delightful to my beloved. BSB BSB: I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers. So I have become in his eyes like one who brings peace.
11 ARST King Solomon had a vineyard at a place called Baal Hamon, and he rented it to people for them to farm it. He required each one to pay him one thousand pieces of silver each year for the grapes that they harvested. BSB BSB: Solomon had a vineyard in Baal-hamon. He leased it to the tenants. For its fruit, each was to bring a thousand shekels of silver.
12 ARST But my body is like my own vineyard, which is mine to give to the man whom I choose. Solomon can keep the one thousand pieces of silver that he receives from renting his vineyard, and the farmers who take care of it for him can keep the two hundred pieces of silver he pays them. The man speaking to the woman he loves BSB BSB: But my own vineyard is mine to give; the thousand shekels are for you, O Solomon, and two hundred are for those who tend its fruit.
13 ARST You, the woman I love, who are staying in the gardens, my friends are eagerly listening so that they can hear you speak; speak to me! The young woman speaking to the man she loves BSB BSB: You who dwell in the gardens, my companions are listening for your voice. Let me hear it!
14 ARST You who I love, come to me quickly! Run to me like a gazelle or a young male deer runs across mountains where spices grow. BSB BSB: Come away, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.