American Standard Version of 1901
Versliste
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.
I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, {Or, That thou mightest}Who would instruct me;I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine,Of the {Or, sweet wine}juice of my pomegranate.
His left hand should be under my head,And his right hand should embrace me.
I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, {Hebrew: Why should ye stir up? or why &c.}That ye stir not up, nor awake my love,Until {Or, it Or, she}he please.
I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,By the {Or, gazelles}roes, or by the hinds of the field,That ye stir not up, nor awake my love,Until {Or, it Or, she}he please.
I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,By the roes, or by the hinds of the field,That ye stir not up, nor awake my love,Until {Or, it Or, she}he please.
Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother:
and they played the harlot in Egypt; they played the harlot in their youth; there were their breasts pressed, and there was handled the bosom of their virginity.
And the names of them were Oholah the elder, and Oholibah her sister: and they became mine, and they bare sons and daughters. And as for their names, Samaria is {That is, Her tent.}Oholah, and Jerusalem {That is, My tent is in her.}Oholibah.
who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
whose are the fathers, and of whom is Christ as concerning the {Or, flesh; he who is over all, God, be blessed for ever.}flesh, who is over all, God blessed {Greek: unto the ages.}for ever. Amen.
Thou hast {Or, given me courage}ravished my heart, my sister, my bride;Thou hast {Or, given me courage}ravished my heart with {Or, one look from thine eyes}one of thine eyes,With one chain of thy neck.
How fair is thy love, my sister, my bride!How much better is thy love than wine!And the fragrance of thine oils than all manner of spices!
A garden {Hebrew: barred.}shut up is my sister, my bride;A spring shut up, a fountain sealed.
I am come into my garden, my sister, my bride:I have gathered my myrrh with my {Or, balsam}spice;I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey;I have drunk my wine with my milk.Eat, O friends;Drink, yea, drink abundantly, {Or, of love}O beloved.
I {Or, sleep, but my heart waketh}was asleep, but my heart waked:It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying,Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my {Hebrew: perfect.}undefiled;For my head is filled with dew,My locks with the drops of the night.
For it is written, {Genesis 16:15.}that Abraham had two sons, one by the handmaid, and one by the freewoman.
{Genesis 21:2}Howbeit the son by the handmaid is born after the flesh; but the son by the freewoman is born through promise.
Which things contain an allegory: for these women are two covenants; one from mount Sinai, bearing children unto bondage, which is Hagar.
{Many ancient authorities read For Sinai is a mountain in Arabia.}Now this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth to the Jerusalem that now is: for she is in bondage with her children.
But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is our mother.
For it is written, {Isaiah 54:1}Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not;Break forth and cry, thou that travailest not:For more are the children of the desolate than of her that hath the husband.
Now {Many ancient authorities read ye.}we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.
but ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, {Or, and to innumerable hosts, the general assembly of angels, and the church &c.}and to {Greek: myriads of angels.}innumerable hosts of angels,
For the grace of God {Or, hath appeared to all men, bringing salvation}hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men,
instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present {Or, age}world;
{Or, Let his left hand be &c.}His left hand is under my head,And his right hand doth embrace me.
and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works;