The Song of Songs
A Study of the Divine Drama of Love
Revealing the Greater Solomon and His Bride
Do not try to awaken or arouse love until it feels inclined.
An inspired poetic dialogue that unveils, through symbols of human affection and loyalty, the sacred relationship between Jehovah’s appointed King—Christ Jesus—and those who respond to his call with a pure and faithful heart.
Preface to the Song of Songs
Introduction
This chapter is the result of my personal research on the Song of Songs.
Among all the inspired writings, this one stands apart for its delicate beauty and its profound spiritual depth. Yet, it also presents a unique challenge—determining which expressions belong to which speaker. The dialogue flows like a song within a song, a poetic exchange that intertwines affection, loyalty, and devotion. Because of its lyrical nature, it is not surprising that sincere researchers may sometimes divide the text differently, each striving to capture the harmony intended by the divine Author.
Throughout this book, I have often expressed that my research rests upon the foundation of what has already been published on JW.org. To me, it is the only modern source of interpretation that bears unmistakable evidence of Jehovah’s spirit. As the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “the spirit searches into all things, even the deep things of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:10) I am convinced that the studies released through JW.org reflect the careful work of those guided by that same spirit.
Therefore, my examination of the Song of Songs begins from that foundation.
What follows is the complete text of the book, arranged according to how JW.org identifies the individuals who take part in this sacred drama—the Shulammite, the shepherd, King Solomon, the daughters of Jerusalem, and others.
For the sake of clarity and reverence, I distinguish between the inspired text and my reflections:
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The biblical text appears in dark red, representing the inspired expressions that flow from Jehovah through his Word.
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My personal commentary is presented in a different color, allowing you, dear reader, to easily discern between what is divinely expressed and what is the product of my meditation or insights drawn from other sources.
Through this approach, I hope to preserve the purity of the sacred text while sharing the thoughts that have helped me perceive its spiritual beauty—an intimate conversation between Jehovah and His people, expressed in the language of love, faithfulness, and longing.
Foundational Reflections on the Purpose of the Song
Before approaching the text itself, it is vital to understand what place this poetic drama occupies within the inspired Scriptures and how it reveals Jehovah’s purpose. The Song of Songs is not merely a love poem but a prophetic allegory of the greatest love story ever told—the relationship between Jehovah, his appointed King, and the people who come to belong to Him. The following thoughts form the foundation for how I understand this book.
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Solomon as a Prophetic Figure of Christ the King
Solomon prophetically foreshadows Jesus Christ, the greater Solomon, who will bring lasting peace to the earth under his righteous reign. The name Solomon itself derives from shalom, meaning “peaceful.” His forty-year reign, free from war, reflected Jehovah’s promise of rest and foreshadowed the peaceful rule of Christ’s Kingdom. Thus, Solomon’s kingship becomes a prophetic model of the Messiah’s role as the Prince of Peace. -
The Royal Household and Its Symbolic Meaning
Solomon’s royal court included wives from many foreign nations, a diplomatic arrangement designed to secure peace with surrounding kingdoms. Symbolically, this reflects how the greater Solomon—Christ Jesus—draws to himself “virgin-like” individuals from all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues. These ones, through a process of spiritual cleansing and refinement, become worthy to share in his royal arrangement. In them, Jehovah’s purpose to unite all things under Christ begins to find its fulfillment. -
Solomon’s Imperfection and His Role in the Divine Drama
Unlike Jesus, Solomon did not fully adhere to Jehovah’s commands. His later compromises are recorded as a warning example. Yet, Jehovah chose him to play a significant role in the divine drama—a symbolic vessel through whom deeper truths would be encoded. His life’s pattern helps us perceive the distinction between the faithful, loyal bride class and the foolish virgins who fail to prepare themselves with dignity and faith for their heavenly calling. -
Solomon’s Confession and the Shulammite’s Faithfulness
In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon humbly admitted that among a thousand women he had not found even one truly righteous. This statement echoes his longing for a kind of purity that eluded him—a purity he glimpsed in the Shulammite but could not possess. Her heart belonged to her shepherd, symbolically representing the true Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Thus, the Shulammite’s loyalty becomes a prophetic picture of the faithful congregation of Christ, whose devotion remains undivided. -
The Calling and the Gradual Awakening of Understanding
A key moment in the Song of Songs is the theme of calling. The daughters of Jerusalem can fittingly represent those associated with the royal court of the higher, spiritual Jerusalem—the “Jerusalem above,” the mother of the anointed ones. Yet the shepherd in the song stands apart from Solomon, and the Shulammite must discern this difference. Her repeated expression, “Do not awaken love until it feels inclined,” reflects the tender process of spiritual awakening—the gradual rebirth and maturing of those whom Jehovah calls. Such ones require time and reflection before fully recognizing the voice of their true Shepherd.
The Two Voices Seeking the Heart
This point deserves special attention. The compliments and expressions of affection directed toward the Shulammite come from two distinct sources—King Solomon, along with the daughters of Jerusalem who echo his royal admiration, and her beloved shepherd, whose words reach her heart with genuine tenderness. Both voices occupy her thoughts, and she recalls them repeatedly throughout the song.
This dynamic reflects a profound spiritual reality. Our own inner world can also be filled with competing influences—each striving to capture our affection and devotion. Just as the Shulammite had to discern whose voice truly reflected love rooted in truth and purity, we too must learn to recognize the difference between the admiration of men and the approval of our true Shepherd.
It is essential to distinguish between Jerusalem under the Mosaic Law and the Jerusalem above, just as it is vital to discern between Solomon and the greater Solomon, Christ Jesus. Even within Jehovah’s modern organization, where theocratic assignments, privileges, and commendations are given sincerely and lovingly, there remains a higher voice—the one belonging to “the shepherd of our souls.” (1 Peter 2:25) Words of appreciation from fellow servants may refresh and encourage us, but only the voice of Christ can fully satisfy the heart.
At the same time, Jehovah’s organization is unique—His arrangement on earth is sacred, and every place within it has holy purpose. Nothing in this reflection is meant to challenge the sacredness of that arrangement. Rather, it highlights the importance of personal perception. Each of us must guard against allowing our sacred service to become mechanical or routine. When we spread ourselves too thin or serve only out of habit, our activity may lose the warmth of the spirit that once moved it. In that state, even sincere compliments or responsibilities could resemble the polished yet distant admiration offered by Solomon and the daughters of Jerusalem to the Shulammite—honorable, yet lacking the intimate life of the Shepherd’s voice.
For all whose devotion is centered on Christ, this discernment is crucial. They must be willing to decline even the most prestigious invitation to join a “royal court” within the visible organization if its tone does not harmonize with the voice of the Great Shepherd. The Shulammite’s faithfulness illustrates this integrity of heart—her affection could not be swayed by royal splendor or human prominence, for her spirit resonated only with the call of her true beloved.
In more recent times, Jehovah’s organization has shown increasing care not to substitute or imitate the voice that rightly belongs to Christ. Since 1935, our publications have gradually moved away from expressions that directly speak of the heavenly calling—recognizing that such calling proceeds only through Christ Himself, not through any human channel. This humility protects the sacred boundary of that invitation, preserving it as a personal act of Christ’s choosing. Yet it also means that today we hear less of the language once used by the “daughters of Jerusalem”—the awakening outcry that stirs hearts toward that calling. The silence reminds us that the voice from above must do its own work, and that those who are called will discern it not by public announcement, but by spiritual recognition from heaven itself.
This mirrors the time when John the Baptist identified himself as “a voice crying out in the wilderness.” (John 1:23) His mission was to bear witness to the one upon whom the holy spirit would come down and remain. That event did not take place in Jerusalem or within the temple courts but along the Jordan, far from the city’s religious center. Later, when the anointing of Jesus’ followers began, some of it occurred in Jerusalem, yet even then, it happened outside the temple enclosure. This pattern shows that while special theocratic gatherings can be moments of great outpouring of holy spirit, Jehovah’s direction is not confined to any physical location or organizational setting.
Likewise, the Shulammite’s temporary separation from her shepherd and their periodic reunions illustrate the unseen presence of Christ and the progressive development of His relationship with His anointed ones. Their love matures through intervals of testing and renewal—just as the Bridegroom’s invisible presence refines the faith and longing of those who belong to Him.
This understanding aligns with how John the Baptist perceived Christ. He described himself as “the friend of the bridegroom” who rejoices at hearing the Bridegroom’s voice. (John 3:29) John recognized that his role was preparatory—to help form a cleansed, expectant people ready to meet their spiritual Husband. Through baptism in water, he symbolically purified those who would later be invited into covenant relationship with Christ. Yet John himself humbly stepped aside, saying, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30) His joy was not in prominence but in witnessing the union between the Bridegroom and those drawn to Him.
Jesus continued this theme, identifying Himself as the Bridegroom and His followers as prospective members of the bride class. When questioned about fasting, He responded, “The friends of the bridegroom cannot mourn while the bridegroom is with them. But days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.” (Matthew 9:15) Those “days” correspond prophetically to the night period described in the Song of Songs—a time when the Bridegroom is not visibly present, yet love and longing remain alive in the hearts of His anointed ones.
Just as the Shulammite experienced intervals of separation and reunion with her beloved, the anointed followers of Christ endure times of testing, purification, and renewed closeness. The imagery of searching for her dear one “by night” reflects the collective experience of the bride class during the long interval of the Bridegroom’s invisible presence. Through this process, their love is refined, and their loyalty becomes unwavering, awaiting the moment when the call is finally heard, “Here is the bridegroom! Go out to meet him!” (Matthew 25:6)
This prophetic relationship is further illuminated by the miracle at the wedding in Cana, where Jesus performed His first sign. (John 2:1-11) It was at a marriage feast—symbolically pointing to His role as the Bridegroom—that He transformed water used for ceremonial cleansing into fine wine. This act marked the transition from external purification, represented by the water jars of the Mosaic Law, to the internal joy and spiritual refreshment that flow from Christ’s ransom. The Song of Songs repeatedly mentions wine as a symbol of love, joy, and the vitality that comes from union with the beloved. The new wine Jesus provided at Cana thus prefigures the abundant spiritual life He would pour out upon His disciples through holy spirit—an invitation to share in the joy of the marriage covenant itself.
The six stone jars at Cana, used for ceremonial purification, had to be filled to the brim before Jesus transformed their contents into fine wine. (John 2:7) In the same way, the heart of the Shulammite was already filled—with purity, loyalty, and undivided love for her shepherd. Her readiness of heart parallels the readiness of those who are chosen for the marriage covenant with the Lamb. Only when the vessel is filled with sincerity and faith can Jehovah’s spirit transform what is ordinary into something sacred and overflowing with joy.
Thus, the miracle at Cana does more than mark the beginning of Jesus’ signs—it illuminates the mystery behind the Song of Songs. The wine of that feast prefigures the wine of the new covenant, shared between the Bridegroom and His faithful ones. Likewise, the wine repeatedly mentioned by the Shulammite symbolizes the same joy and unity that flow from this divine marriage. Her love, pure and steadfast, becomes the vessel through which the greater wine of heaven is poured—the wine of everlasting fellowship with Christ.
The same transformation continues in all who respond to that call. As the apostle Peter wrote: “For you have been given a new birth, not by corruptible seed, but by incorruptible, through the word of the living and enduring God.” (1 Peter 1:23) This new birth is not produced by human effort or ritual, but by the living Word that penetrates the heart and awakens divine life within. It replaces mere ceremony with spirit and truth—the very essence of the love celebrated in the Song of Songs.
In this light, every reference to wine in the Song of Songs gains prophetic warmth. It speaks not of intoxication, but of the joy produced by divine fellowship—the overflowing happiness of those who partake of the love that comes only from the true Bridegroom.
Transition to the Song
Now, with these thoughts in mind, the Song of Songs opens before us—not as a simple ancient poem, but as a spiritual composition filled with prophetic depth. It speaks of longing, separation, and reunion; of testing, loyalty, and the joy that springs from divine love. Each verse carries the fragrance of truth that flows from the living Word, the same Word through which we have been given new birth—“not by corruptible seed, but by incorruptible, through the word of the living and enduring God.” (1 Peter 1:23)
Let us now listen to this inspired dialogue. Within its tender language, the discerning heart can hear the call of the true Bridegroom, the greater Solomon, whose voice awakens faith, renews purity, and invites those who belong to Him into everlasting fellowship.
SONG OF SOLOMON — CONTINUOUS TEXT WITH SPEAKERS
1:1 The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.
Young Woman (1:2–7)
May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for your expressions of affection are better than wine.
The fragrance of your perfumes is soothing; your name is like a perfume poured out.
That is why the young women love you. Draw me after you—let us run!
The king has brought me into his interior rooms.
Let us be joyful and rejoice in you; let us praise your expressions of affection more than wine.
Rightly they love you.
I am dark, but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the tent cloths of Solomon.
Do not stare at me because I am dark, because the sun has gazed upon me.
The sons of my mother burned with anger against me; they appointed me keeper of the vineyards,
But my own vineyard I did not keep.
Tell me, O you whom I love, where do you pasture your flock?
Where do you have them lie down at noon?
For why should I be like a woman wrapped in a veil among the flocks of your companions?
Daughters of Jerusalem (1:8)
If you do not know, O most beautiful of women, follow the tracks of the flock and pasture your young goats beside the tents of the shepherds.
King Solomon (1:9–11)
To a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots I compare you, my dear one.
Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, your neck with strings of beads.
We will make for you ornaments of gold with studs of silver.
Young Woman (1:12–14)
While the king sits at his round table, my perfume gives off its fragrance.
My dear one is like a bag of myrrh that lies between my breasts.
My beloved is to me like a cluster of henna blossoms in the vineyards of En-gedi.
Shepherd (1:15)
You are beautiful, my beloved; you are beautiful—your eyes are like doves.
Young Woman (1:16–17)
You are beautiful, my dear one, pleasant indeed.
The green grass is our couch; the beams of our houses are cedars, our rafters are junipers.
Young Woman (2:1)
I am but a saffron of the coastal plain, a lily of the valleys.
Shepherd (2:2)
Like a lily among thorns, so is my beloved among the daughters.
Young Woman (2:3–14)
Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my dear one among the sons.
In his shade I delighted to sit, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
He brought me into the house of wine, and his banner over me was love.
Strengthen me with raisin cakes; refresh me with apples, for I am lovesick.
His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me.
I put you under oath, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles and the does of the field:
Do not try to awaken or arouse love until it feels inclined.
The sound of my dear one! Look! Here he comes, leaping upon the mountains, skipping over the hills.
My dear one is like a gazelle or a young stag.
Look! There he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice.
Shepherd (quoted by the Young Woman — 2:10b–14)
Rise up, my beautiful one, come away with me.
Look! The winter has passed; the rains are over and gone.
Blossoms have appeared in the land; the time of pruning has arrived,
And the song of the turtledove is heard in our land.
The fig tree has ripened its early figs, the vines in bloom give off their fragrance.
Rise up, my beautiful one, come away with me.
O my dove, in the clefts of the crag, in the hiding place of the mountain crags,
Let me see your form, let me hear your voice,
For your voice is pleasant and your form is lovely.
Young Woman’s Brothers (2:15)
Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, for our vineyards are in bloom.
Young Woman (2:16–17)
My dear one is mine and I am his; he pastures among the lilies.
Until the day grows breezy and the shadows flee,
Turn, my dear one, be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of separation.
Young Woman (3:1–5)
On my bed during the nights I sought the one I love.
I sought him, but I did not find him.
I will rise and go about in the city, in the streets and in the public squares.
I will seek the one I love.
I sought him, but I did not find him.
The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me.
‘Have you seen the one I love?’ I asked.
Hardly had I passed from them when I found the one I love.
I grabbed hold of him and would not let him go until I brought him into my mother’s house,
Into the interior room of her who conceived me.
I put you under oath, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles and the does of the field:
Do not try to awaken or arouse love until it feels inclined.
Daughters of Zion (3:6–11)
Who is this coming up from the wilderness like columns of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all sorts of fragrant powders of the merchant?
Look! It is the litter of Solomon.
Sixty mighty men are all around it, the mighty men of Israel.
All of them trained in warfare, each with his sword at his side because of the dread of the night.
King Solomon made for himself a litter from the trees of Lebanon.
He made its pillars of silver, its supports of gold, its seat of purple wool,
Its interior lovingly fitted out by the daughters of Jerusalem.
Come out and look, O daughters of Zion, on King Solomon wearing the crown
That his mother placed on him on the day of his wedding, the day of his heart’s rejoicing.
Shepherd (4:1–5)
You are beautiful, my beloved. You are beautiful—your eyes are like doves behind your veil.
Your hair is like a flock of goats streaming down the slopes of Gilead.
Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn ewes that have come up from the washing,
All of them bearing twins, and not one has lost her young.
Your lips are like a scarlet thread, and your speech is delightful.
Your temples behind your veil are like a segment of pomegranate.
Your neck is like the tower of David, built in courses of stone,
Upon which are hung a thousand shields—all the circular shields of the mighty men.
Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, that feed among the lilies.
Young Woman (4:6)
Until the day grows breezy and the shadows flee,
I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense.
Shepherd (4:7–16a)
You are altogether beautiful, my beloved, and there is no blemish in you.
Come with me from Lebanon, my bride; come with me from Lebanon.
Descend from the peak of Amana, from the peaks of Senir and Hermon, from the lairs of lions, from the mountains of leopards.
You have captured my heart, my sister, my bride; you have captured my heart with one glance of your eyes,
With one pendant from your necklace.
How beautiful your expressions of affection are, my sister, my bride!
Better than wine are your expressions of affection, and the fragrance of your perfumes surpasses all spices.
Your lips drip sweetness, my bride; honey and milk are under your tongue,
And the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.
A locked garden is my sister, my bride, a locked spring, a sealed fountain.
Your shoots are a paradise of pomegranates, with the choicest fruits, henna along with spikenard,
Spikenard and saffron, cane and cinnamon, with all sorts of trees of frankincense, myrrh, and aloes, along with all the finest perfumes.
You are a garden spring, a well of fresh water, and streams flowing down from Lebanon.
Young Woman (4:16b)
Awake, O north wind, come in, O south wind. Blow upon my garden; let its perfumes spread out.
Let my dear one come into his garden and eat its choicest fruits.
Shepherd (5:1a)
I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride. I have gathered my myrrh and my spice, I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey, I have drunk my wine with my milk.
Women of Jerusalem (5:1b)
Eat, O friends! Drink and become intoxicated with affection!
Young Woman (5:2–8)
I was asleep, but my heart was awake. The sound of my dear one knocking!
‘Open to me, my sister, my beloved, my dove, my flawless one! For my head is wet with dew, my locks with the drops of the night.’
I have taken off my robe; how can I put it back on?
I have washed my feet; how can I soil them?
My dear one thrust his hand through the opening, and my feelings for him were stirred.
I rose to open to my dear one, and my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh, upon the handles of the bolt.
I opened to my dear one, but my dear one himself had turned away—he was gone!
My soul failed me when he spoke.
I sought him, but I did not find him; I called him, but he did not answer me.
The watchmen found me, those making the rounds in the city.
They struck me, they wounded me; they took away my cloak, the watchmen of the walls.
I put you under oath, O daughters of Jerusalem: If you find my dear one, tell him that I am lovesick.
Daughters of Jerusalem (5:9)
How is your dear one better than any other, O most beautiful among women?
Young Woman (5:10–16)
My dear one stands out among ten thousand.
His head is refined gold, his locks wavy, black as the raven.
His eyes are like doves by streams of water, bathing themselves in milk.
His cheeks are like beds of spice, his lips lilies dripping with liquid myrrh.
His hands are rods of gold set with chrysolite.
His abdomen is polished ivory overlaid with sapphires.
His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of fine gold.
His appearance is like Lebanon, majestic as the cedars.
His mouth is sweetness itself, and everything about him is desirable.
This is my dear one, this is my beloved, O daughters of Jerusalem.
Daughters of Jerusalem (6:1)
Where has your dear one gone, O most beautiful among women?
Young Woman (6:2–3)
My dear one has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spice, to feed in the gardens and to gather lilies.
I am my dear one’s, and my dear one is mine; he pastures among the lilies.
King Solomon (6:4–10)
You are as beautiful as Tirzah, my beloved, as lovely as Jerusalem, as awe-inspiring as companies with banners.
Turn your eyes away from me, for they overwhelm me.
Your hair is like a flock of goats streaming down the slopes of Gilead.
Your teeth are like a flock of ewes that have come up from the washing, all of them bearing twins.
Your temples behind your veil are like a segment of pomegranate.
There may be sixty queens and eighty concubines, but only one is my dove, my flawless one.
She is the only one of her mother, the favorite of the one who bore her.
The daughters saw her and pronounced her happy; queens and concubines praised her.
Who is this who looks down like the dawn, beautiful as the full moon, pure as the sun, awe-inspiring as companies with banners?
Young Woman (6:11–12)
I went down to the garden of nut trees to see the blossoms of the valley, to see whether the vine had budded, whether the pomegranates were in bloom.
I did not know my soul had set me among the chariots of my noble people.
King and Others (6:13)
Come back, come back, O Shulammite! Come back, come back, that we may gaze upon you!
Young Woman (6:13b)
Why should you gaze upon the Shulammite as upon the dance of two camps?
King (7:1–9a)
How beautiful are your steps in sandals, O noble daughter!
The curves of your thighs are like ornaments, the work of a master craftsman.
Your navel is a round bowl that does not lack mixed wine.
Your abdomen is a heap of wheat, fenced about with lilies.
Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle.
Your neck is like an ivory tower.
Your eyes are the pools of Heshbon by the gate of Bath-rabbim.
Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon, looking toward Damascus.
Your head crowns you like Carmel, and the locks of your head are like purple thread.
How beautiful you are, how pleasant you are, O beloved girl, with your delights!
This stature of yours is like a palm tree, and your breasts are clusters.
I said, “I will climb the palm tree, I will take hold of its clusters.”
May your breasts be like clusters of the vine, the fragrance of your breath like apples, and your mouth like the best wine.
Young Woman (7:9b–13)
It goes down smoothly for my dear one, flowing gently over the lips of those asleep.
I am my dear one’s, and his desire is for me.
Come, my dear one, let us go out to the field; let us lodge among the henna plants.
Let us rise early and go to the vineyards to see whether the vine has budded,
Whether the blossom has opened, whether the pomegranates are in bloom.
There I will give you my expressions of affection.
The mandrakes have given off fragrance, and at our doors are all sorts of choice fruits, new as well as old,
Which I have kept in store for you, my dear one.
Young Woman (8:1–4)
If only you were like my brother, who nursed at my mother’s breasts!
If I found you outside, I would kiss you, and no one would despise me.
I would lead you and bring you into the house of my mother.
I would give you spiced wine to drink, the fresh juice of my pomegranates.
His left hand would be under my head, and his right hand would embrace me.
I put you under oath, O daughters of Jerusalem:
Do not try to awaken or arouse love until it feels inclined.
Young Woman’s Brothers (8:5a)
Who is this, leaning upon her dear one, coming up from the wilderness?
Young Woman (8:5b–7)
Under the apple tree I awakened you.
Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm;
For love is as strong as death is, and exclusive devotion as unyielding as the Grave.
Its blazings are the blazings of a fire, the flame of Jah.
Surging waters cannot extinguish love, nor can rivers wash it away.
If a man would give all the wealth of his house for love, he would be utterly despised.
Young Woman’s Brothers (8:8–9)
We have a little sister, and she has no breasts.
What will we do for our sister on the day when she is spoken for?
If she is a wall, we will build upon her a battlement of silver;
But if she is a door, we will board her up with a cedar plank.
Young Woman (8:10–12)
I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers.
So in his eyes I have become one finding peace.
Solomon had a vineyard in Baal-hamon; he entrusted the vineyard to caretakers.
Each one would bring in for its fruit a thousand pieces of silver.
My own vineyard is before me; the thousand belongs to you, O Solomon,
And two hundred to those who care for its fruit.
Shepherd (8:13)
O you who are dwelling in the gardens, the companions are listening for your voice; let me hear it.
Young Woman (8:14)
Be swift, my dear one, and be like a gazelle or a young stag upon the mountains of spices.
Would you like me to prepare a print-ready version of this (for example: compact, verse-numbered, and visually balanced with paragraph spacing and bold speaker names) for inclusion in your manuscript or website?