Judges 5
1 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
And Debbora and Barac son of Abineem sang in that day, saying,
2 “When the princes take the lead in Israel, when the people volunteer, bless the LORD.
A revelation was made in Israel when the people were made willing: Praise you the Lord.
3 Listen, O kings! Give ear, O princes! I will sing to the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel.
Hear, you kings, and listen, rulers: I will sing, it is I [who will sing] to the Lord, it is I, I will sing a psalm to the Lord the god of Israel.
4 O LORD, when You went out from Seir, when You marched from the land of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens poured out rain, and the clouds poured down water.
O Lord, in your going forth on Seir, when you went forth out of the land of Edom, the earth quaked and the heaven dropped dews, and the clouds dropped water.
5 The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel.
The mountains were shaken before the face of the Lord Eloi, this Sina before the face of the Lord God of Israel.
6 In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were deserted and the travelers took the byways.
In the days of Samegar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, they deserted the ways, and went in by-ways; they went in crooked paths.
7 Life in the villages ceased; it ended in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose, a mother in Israel.
The mighty men in Israel failed, they failed until Debbora arose, until she arose a mother in Israel.
8 When they chose new gods, then war came to their gates. Not a shield or spear was found among forty thousand in Israel.
They chose new gods; then the cities of rulers fought; there was not a shield or spear seen amongst forty thousand in Israel.
9 My heart is with the princes of Israel, with the volunteers among the people. Bless the LORD!
My heart [inclines] to the orders given in Israel; you that are willing amongst the people, bless the Lord.
10 You who ride white donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, and you who travel the road, ponder
You that mount a she-ass at noon-day, you that sit on the judgement-seat, and walk by the roads of them that sit in judgement by the way; declare
11 the voices of the singers at the watering places. There they shall recount the righteous acts of the LORD, the righteous deeds of His villagers in Israel. Then the people of the LORD went down to the gates:
[you that are delivered] from the noise of disturbers amongst the drawers of water; there shall they relate righteous acts: O Lord, increase righteous acts in Israel: then the people of the Lord went down to the cities.
12 ‘Awake, awake, O Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, O Barak, and take hold of your captives, O son of Abinoam!’
Awake, awake, Debbora; awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barac, and lead your captivity captive, son of Abineem.
13 Then the survivors came down to the nobles; the people of the LORD came down to me against the mighty.
Then went down the remnant to the strong, the people of the Lord went down for him amongst the mighty ones from me.
14 Some came from Ephraim, with their roots in Amalek; Benjamin came with your people after you. The commanders came down from Machir, the bearers of the marshal’s staff from Zebulun.
Ephraim rooted them out in Amalec, behind you was Benjamin amongst your people: the inhabitants of Machir came down with me searching out the enemy, and from Zabulon came they that draw with the scribe's pen of record.
15 The princes of Issachar were with Deborah, and Issachar was with Barak, rushing into the valley at his heels. In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.
And princess in Issachar were with Debbora and Barac, thus she sent Barac on his feet in the valleys into the portions of Ruben; great [pangs] reached to the heart.
16 Why did you sit among the sheepfolds to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.
Why did they sit between the sheepfolds to hear the bleating of flocks for the divisions of Ruben? [there were] great searchings of heart.
17 Gilead remained beyond the Jordan. Dan, why did you linger by the ships? Asher stayed at the coast and remained in his harbors.
Galaad [is] on the other side of Jordan where he pitched his tents; and why does Dan remain in ships? Aser sat down on the sea-coasts, and he will tabernacle at his ports.
18 Zebulun was a people who risked their lives; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the battlefield.
The people Zabulon exposed their soul to death, and Nephthali came to the high places of their land.
19 Kings came and fought; then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they took no plunder of silver.
Kings set themselves in array, then the kings of Chanaan fought in Thanaach at the water of Mageddo; they took no gift of money.
20 From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera.
The stars from heaven set themselves in array, they set themselves [to fight] with Sisara out of their paths.
21 The River Kishon swept them away, the ancient river, the River Kishon. March on, O my soul, in strength!
The brook of Kison swept them away, the ancient brook, the brook Kison: my mighty soul will trample him down.
22 Then the hooves of horses thundered— the mad galloping of his stallions.
When the hoofs of the horse were entangled, his mighty ones earnestly hasted
23 ‘Curse Meroz,’ says the angel of the LORD. ‘Bitterly curse her inhabitants; for they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.’
to curse Meroz: Curse you [it], said the angel of the Lord; cursed [is] every one that dwells in it, because they came not to the help of the Lord, to his help amongst the mighty.
24 Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
Blessed amongst women be Jael wife of Chaber the Kenite; let her be blessed above women in tents.
25 He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.
He asked for water, she gave him milk in a dish; she brought butter of princes.
26 She reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman’s hammer. She struck Sisera and crushed his skull; she shattered and pierced his temple.
She stretched forth her left hand to the nail, and her right to the hand workman's hammer, and she struck Sisara with it, she nailed through his head and struck him; she nailed through his temples.
27 At her feet he collapsed, he fell, there he lay still; at her feet he collapsed, he fell; where he collapsed, there he fell dead.
He rolled down between her feet; he fell and lay between her feet; he bowed and fell: where he bowed, there he fell dead.
28 Sisera’s mother looked through the window; she peered through the lattice and lamented: ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? What has delayed the clatter of his chariots?’
The mother of Sisara looked down through the window out of the loophole, [saying], Why was his chariot ashamed? why did the wheels of his chariots wait?
29 Her wisest ladies answer; indeed she keeps telling herself,
Her wise ladies answered her, and she returned answers to herself, [saying],
30 ‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoil— a girl or two for each warrior, a plunder of dyed garments for Sisera, the spoil of embroidered garments for the neck of the looter?’
Will they not find him dividing the spoil? he will surely be gracious to every man: [there are] spoils of dyed garments for Sisara, spoils of various dyed garments, dyed embroidered garments, they [are] the spoils for his neck.
31 So may all your enemies perish, O LORD! But may those who love You shine like the sun at its brightest.” And the land had rest for forty years.
Thus let all your enemies perish, O Lord: and they that love him shall be as the going forth of the sun in his strength. And the land had rest forty years.
