Judges 5
1 At that time Deborah and Barak, the son of Abinoam, made this song, saying:
That day Deborah and Barak, son of Abinoam, sang this song:
2 Because of the flowing hair of the fighters in Israel, because the people gave themselves freely, give praise to the Lord.
“Israel's leaders took charge, and the people were totally committed. Praise the Lord!
3 Give attention, O kings; give ear, O rulers; I, even I, will make a song to the Lord; I will make melody to the Lord, the God of Israel.
Listen, kings! Pay attention, rulers! I, yes I, will sing to the Lord; I will praise the Lord, the God of Israel, in song.
4 Lord, when you went out from Seir, moving like an army from the field of Edom, the earth was shaking and the heavens were troubled, and the clouds were dropping water.
Lord, when you set off from Seir, when you marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, rain fell from the skies, the clouds poured down water.
5 The mountains were shaking before the Lord, before the Lord, the God of Israel.
The mountains melted in the presence of the Lord, the God of Sinai, in the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel.
6 In the days of Shamgar, the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were not used, and travellers went by side roads.
In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, in the days of Jael, people didn't use the main highways and stayed on winding paths.
7 Country towns were no more in Israel, were no more, till you, Deborah, came up, till you came up as a mother in Israel.
Village life in Israel was abandoned until I, Deborah, came on the scene as a mother in Israel.
8 They had no one to make arms, there were no more armed men in the towns; was there a body-cover or a spear to be seen among forty thousand in Israel?
When the people chose new gods, then war arrived at their gates. Not even a shield or spear could be found among forty thousand warriors in Israel.
9 Come, you rulers of Israel, you who gave yourselves freely among the people: give praise to the Lord.
My thoughts are with the Israelite commanders and those people who volunteered. Praise the Lord!
10 Let them give thought to it, who go on white asses, and those who are walking on the road.
You people riding white donkeys, sitting on comfortable blankets, traveling down the road, notice
11 Give ear to the women laughing by the water-springs; there they will give again the story of the upright acts of the Lord, all the upright acts of his arm in Israel.
what people are talking about as they gather at the watering holes. They describe the Lord's just acts and those of his warriors in Israel. Then the people of the Lord went to the town gates.
12 Awake! awake! Deborah: awake! awake! give a song: Up! Barak, and take prisoner those who took you prisoner, O son of Abinoam.
‘Wake up, Deborah, wake up! Wake up, wake up, sing a song! Get up, Barak! Capture your prisoners, son of Abinoam.’
13 Then the chiefs went down to the doors; the Lord's people went down among the strong ones.
The survivors went to attack the nobles, the people of the Lord went to attack the powerful.
14 Out of Ephraim they came down into the valley; after you, Benjamin, among your tribesmen; from Machir came down the captains, and from Zebulun those in whose hand is the ruler's rod.
Some came from Ephraim, a land that used to belong to the Amalekites; the tribe of Benjamin followed you with its men. Commanders came Makir; from Zebulun came those who carry a military officer's staff.
15 Your chiefs, Issachar, were with Deborah; and Naphtali was true to Barak; into the valley they went rushing out at his feet. In Reuben there were divisions, and great searchings of heart.
The leaders of Issachar supported Deborah and Barak; they raced into the valley following Barak. But the tribe of Reuben was very undecided.
16 Why did you keep quiet among the sheep, hearing nothing but the watchers piping to the flocks?
Why did you stay at home in the sheepfolds, listening to shepherds whistling for their flocks? The tribe of Reuben really couldn't decide what to do.
17 Gilead was living over Jordan; and Dan was waiting in his ships; Asher kept in his place by the sea's edge, living by his inlets.
Gilead remained on the other side of Jordan. Dan stayed with his ships. Asher sat still on the seacoast, not moving from his ports.
18 It was the people of Zebulun who put their lives in danger, even to death, with Naphtali on the high places of the field.
The people of Zebulun risked their lives; as did Naphtali on the high battlefields.
19 The kings came on to the fight, the kings of Canaan were warring; in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo: they took no profit in money.
Kings came and fought, the Canaanite kings fought at Taanach near the waters of Megiddo, but they didn't get any silver plunder.
20 The stars from heaven were fighting; from their highways they were fighting against Sisera.
The stars fought from heaven. The stars in their courses fought against Sisera.
21 The river Kishon took them violently away, stopping their flight, the river Kishon. Give praise, O my soul, to the strength of the Lord!
The Kishon River swept them away—the old river turned into a raging torrent! I bravely march on!
22 Then loudly the feet of the horses were sounding with the stamping, the stamping of their war-horses.
Then the horses' hooves flailed loudly, his stallions stampeded.
23 A curse, a curse on Meroz! said the angel of the Lord. A bitter curse on her townspeople! Because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord among the strong ones.
‘Curse Meroz,’ says the angel of the Lord. ‘Totally curse those who live there, for they refused to come help the Lord, to help the Lord against the powerful enemies.’
24 Blessings be on Jael, more than on all women! Blessings greater than on any in the tents!
Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite is to be praised the most among women. She deserves praise above all other women who live in tents.
25 His request was for water, she gave him milk; she put butter before him on a fair plate.
He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a bowl fit for nobles she brought him buttermilk.
26 She put out her hand to the tent-pin, and her right hand to the workman's hammer; and she gave Sisera a blow, crushing his head, wounding and driving through his brow.
With one hand she picked up the tent peg, and with her right hand she held a workman's hammer. She hit Sisera and smashed his skull; she shattered and pierced his temple.
27 Bent at her feet he went down, he was stretched out; bent at her feet he went down; where he was bent down, there he went down in death.
At her feet he collapsed, he fell, he lay motionless. At her feet he collapsed, he fell; where he collapsed, there he fell, his life plundered from him.
28 Looking out from the window she gave a cry, the mother of Sisera was crying out through the window, Why is his carriage so long in coming? When will the noise of his wheels be sounding?
Sisera's mother looked out from the window. Through the latticed window she cried out, ‘Why is his chariot taking so long to come? Why is the sound of his chariot arriving so delayed?’
29 Her wise women gave answer to her, yes, she made answer again to herself,
The wisest of her ladies tells her, and she repeats the same words to herself,
30 Are they not getting, are they not parting the goods among them: a young girl or two to every man; and to Sisera robes of coloured needlework, worked in fair colours on this side and on that, for the neck of the queen?
‘They're busy dividing up the plunder and assigning a girl or two for each man. There'll be colorful clothes for Sisera as plunder; beautifully embroidered colorful clothes as plunder; double-embroidered clothing reaching to the neck as plunder.’
31 So may destruction come on all your haters, O Lord; but let your lovers be like the sun going out in his strength. And for forty years the land had peace.
May all your enemies die like this, Lord, but may those who love you shine like the sun in all its brilliance!” The land was at peace for forty years.
