Judges 5
1 At that time Deborah and Barak, the son of Abinoam, made this song, saying:
Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,
2 Because of the flowing hair of the fighters in Israel, because the people gave themselves freely, give praise to the Lord.
Praise you the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.
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.
Hear, O you kings; give ear, O you princes; I, even I, will sing to the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.
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 went out of Seir, when you marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water.
5 The mountains were shaking before the Lord, before the Lord, the God of Israel.
The mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the LORD 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 the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travelers walked through byways.
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.
The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose 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?
They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?
9 Come, you rulers of Israel, you who gave yourselves freely among the people: give praise to the Lord.
My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless you the LORD.
10 Let them give thought to it, who go on white asses, and those who are walking on the road.
Speak, you that ride on white asses, you that sit in judgment, and walk by the way.
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.
They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of the LORD go down to the gates.
12 Awake! awake! Deborah: awake! awake! give a song: Up! Barak, and take prisoner those who took you prisoner, O son of Abinoam.
Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead your captivity captive, you son of Abinoam.
13 Then the chiefs went down to the doors; the Lord's people went down among the strong ones.
Then he made him that remains have dominion over the nobles among the people: the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty.
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.
Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after you, Benjamin, among your people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.
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.
And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart.
16 Why did you keep quiet among the sheep, hearing nothing but the watchers piping to the flocks?
Why stayed you among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
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 stayed beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and stayed in his breaches.
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.
Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that risked their lives to the death in the high places of the field.
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.
The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.
20 The stars from heaven were fighting; from their highways they were fighting against Sisera.
They 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 river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, you have trodden down strength.
22 Then loudly the feet of the horses were sounding with the stamping, the stamping of their war-horses.
Then were the horse hoofs broken by the means of the prancings, the prancings of their mighty ones.
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 you Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse you bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.
24 Blessings be on Jael, more than on all women! Blessings greater than on any in the tents!
Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.
25 His request was for water, she gave him milk; she put butter before him on a fair plate.
He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.
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.
She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen’s hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.
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 bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead.
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?
The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots?
29 Her wise women gave answer to her, yes, she made answer again to herself,
Her wise ladies answered her, yes, she returned answer 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?
Have they not sped? have they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colors, a prey of divers colors of needlework, of divers colors of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil?
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.
So let all your enemies perish, O LORD: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goes forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.
