Judges 5
1 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
And Deborah sings—also Barak son of Abinoam—on that day, saying,
2 “When the princes take the lead in Israel, when the people volunteer, bless the LORD.
“For freeing leaders in Israel, For a people willingly offering themselves, Bless YHWH.
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; give ear, you princes, I sing to YHWH, I sing praise to YHWH, 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.
YHWH, in Your going forth out of Seir, In Your stepping out of the field of Edom, The earth trembled and the heavens dropped, And thick clouds dropped water.
5 The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel.
Hills flowed from the face of YHWH, This one—Sinai—From the face of YHWH, 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 son of Anath—In the days of Jael—The ways have ceased, And those going in the paths go [in] crooked ways.
7 Life in the villages ceased; it ended in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose, a mother in Israel.
Villages ceased in Israel—they ceased, Until I arose—Deborah, That I 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.
He chooses new gods, Then war [is] at the gates! A shield is not seen—and a spear Among forty thousand in Israel.
9 My heart is with the princes of Israel, with the volunteers among the people. Bless the LORD!
My heart [is] to the lawgivers of Israel, Who are offering themselves willingly among the people, Bless YHWH!
10 You who ride white donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, and you who travel the road, ponder
Riders on white donkeys—Sitters on a long robe—And walkers by the way—meditate!
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:
By the voice of shouters Between the places of drawing water, There they give out righteous acts of YHWH, Righteous acts of His villages in Israel, Then the people of YHWH have gone down to the gates.
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, Deborah; Awake, awake, utter a song; Rise, Barak, and take your captivity captive, Son of Abinoam.
13 Then the survivors came down to the nobles; the people of the LORD came down to me against the mighty.
Then him who is left of the majestic ones He caused to rule the people of YHWH, He caused me to rule among the mighty.
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.
From Ephraim [are] those whose root [is] in Amalek, After you, Benjamin, among your peoples, From Machir lawgivers came down, And from Zebulun those drawing with the reed of a writer.
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 princes in Issachar [are] with Deborah, Indeed, Issachar [is] right with Barak, Into the valley he was sent on his feet. In the divisions of Reuben, The decrees of heart [are] great!
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 have you abided between the boundaries, To hear lowings of herds? For the divisions of Reuben, The searchings of heart [are] great!
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 dwelt beyond the Jordan, And why does Dan sojourn [in] ships? Asher has abided at the haven of the seas, And dwells by his creeks.
18 Zebulun was a people who risked their lives; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the battlefield.
Zebulun [is] a people who exposed its soul to death, Naphtali also—on high places of the field.
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 came—they fought; Then kings of Canaan fought, In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; They did not take gain of money!
20 From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera.
They fought from the heavens: The stars fought with Sisera from their highways.
21 The River Kishon swept them away, the ancient river, the River Kishon. March on, O my soul, in strength!
The Brook of Kishon swept them away, The most ancient brook—the Brook of Kishon. You tread down strength, O my soul!
22 Then the hooves of horses thundered— the mad galloping of his stallions.
Then the horse-heels were broken, By gallopings—gallopings of its mighty ones.
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.’
Curse Meroz, said a messenger of YHWH, Cursing, curse its inhabitants! For they did not come to the help of YHWH, To the help of YHWH among the mighty!
24 Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
Above women is Jael, The wife of Heber the Kenite, She is blessed above women in the tent.
25 He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.
He asked for water—she gave milk; She brought butter near in a lordly dish.
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 sends forth her hand to the pin, And her right hand to the laborers’ hammer, And she hammered Sisera—she struck his head, Indeed, she struck, and it passed through his temple.
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 bowed between her feet—He fell, he lay down; He bowed between her feet, he fell; Where he bowed, there he fell—destroyed.
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?’
She has looked out through the window—Indeed, she cries out—the mother of Sisera, Through the lattice: Why is his chariot delaying to come? Why have the steps of his chariot tarried?
29 Her wisest ladies answer; indeed she keeps telling herself,
The wise ones, her princesses, answer her, Indeed, she returns her sayings to herself:
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?’
Do they not find? They apportion spoil, A female—two females—for every head, Spoil of finger-work for Sisera, Spoil of embroidered finger-work, Finger-work—a pair of embroidered things, For the necks of the spoil!
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.
So do all Your enemies perish, O YHWH, And those loving Him [are] As the going out of the sun in its might!” And the land rests [for] forty years.
