Judges 5
1 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
In that day, Deborah and Barak, the son of Abinoam, sang out, saying:
2 “When the princes take the lead in Israel, when the people volunteer, bless the LORD.
“All you of Israel who have willingly offered your lives to danger, bless 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.
Listen, O kings! Pay attention, O princes! It is I, it is I, who will sing to the Lord. 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, when you departed from Seir, and you crossed through the regions of Edom, the earth and the heavens were moved, and the clouds rained down water.
5 The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel.
The mountains flowed away before the face of the Lord, and Sinai, 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 Shamgar, the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the paths were quiet. And whoever entered by them, walked along rough byways.
7 Life in the villages ceased; it ended in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose, a mother in Israel.
The strong men ceased, and they rested in Israel, until Deborah rose up, until a mother rose up 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.
The Lord chose new wars, and he himself overturned the gates of the enemies. A shield with a spear was not seen among the forty thousand of Israel.
9 My heart is with the princes of Israel, with the volunteers among the people. Bless the LORD!
My heart loves the leaders of Israel. All you who, of your own free will, offered yourselves during a crisis, bless the Lord.
10 You who ride white donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, and you who travel the road, ponder
You who ride upon donkeys laboring, and you who sit in judgment, and you who walk along the way, speak out.
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:
Where the chariots were struck together, and the army of the enemies was choked, in that place, let the justices of the Lord be described, and let his clemency be for the brave of Israel. Then did the people of the Lord descend to the gates, and obtain leadership.
12 ‘Awake, awake, O Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, O Barak, and take hold of your captives, O son of Abinoam!’
Rise up, rise up, O Deborah! Rise up, rise up, and speak a canticle! Rise up, Barak, and seize your captives, O son of Abinoam.
13 Then the survivors came down to the nobles; the people of the LORD came down to me against the mighty.
The remnants of the people were saved. The Lord contended with the strong.
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.
Out of Ephraim, he destroyed those with Amalek, and after him, out of Benjamin, those of your people, O Amalek. From Machir, there descended leaders, and from Zebulun, those who led the army to war.
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.
The commanders of Issachar were with Deborah, and they followed the steps of Barak, who endangered himself, like one rushing headlong into a chasm. Reuben was divided against himself. Contention was found among great souls.
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 do you live between two borders, so that you hear the bleating of the flocks? Reuben was divided against himself. Contention was found among great souls.
17 Gilead remained beyond the Jordan. Dan, why did you linger by the ships? Asher stayed at the coast and remained in his harbors.
Gilead rested beyond the Jordan, and Dan was occupied with ships. Asher was living on the shore of the sea, and dwelling in the ports.
18 Zebulun was a people who risked their lives; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the battlefield.
Yet truly, Zebulun and Naphtali offered their lives to death in the region of Merom.
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.
The kings came and fought; the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach, beside the waters of Megiddo. And yet they took no spoils.
20 From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera.
The conflict against them was from heaven. The stars, remaining in their order and courses, fought against Sisera.
21 The River Kishon swept them away, the ancient river, the River Kishon. March on, O my soul, in strength!
The torrent of Kishon dragged away their carcasses, the onrushing torrent, the torrent of Kishon. O my soul, tread upon the stalwart!
22 Then the hooves of horses thundered— the mad galloping of his stallions.
The hoofs of the horses were broken, while the strongest of the enemies fled away with fury, and rushed on to ruin.
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.’
‘Cursed be the land of Meroz!’ said the Angel of the Lord. ‘Cursed be its inhabitants! For they did not come to the aid of the Lord, to the assistance of his most valiant men.’
24 Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
Blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. And blessed is she in her tabernacle.
25 He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.
He begged her for water, and she gave him milk, and she offered him butter in a dish fit for 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 put her left hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workman’s mallet. And she struck Sisera, seeking in his head a place for the wound, and strongly piercing 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.
Between her feet, he was ruined. He fainted away and passed on. He curled up before her feet, and he lay there lifeless and miserable.
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?’
His mother gazed through a window and wailed. And she spoke from an upper room: ‘Why does his chariot delay in returning? Why are the feet of his team of horses so slow?’
29 Her wisest ladies answer; indeed she keeps telling herself,
One who was wiser than the rest of his wives responded to her mother-in-law with this:
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?’
‘Perhaps he is now dividing the spoils, and the most beautiful among the women is being selected for him. Garments of diverse colors are being delivered to Sisera as spoils, and various goods are being collected for the adornment of necks.’
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.
O Lord, so may all your enemies perish! But may those who love you shine with splendor, as the sun shines at its rising.” And the land rested for forty years.
