Judges 5
1 At that time Deborah and Barak, the son of Abinoam, made this song, saying:
And Debbora and Barac son of Abineem sang in 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.
A revelation was made in Israel when the people were made willing: Praise you 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.
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 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.
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 were shaking before the Lord, 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, the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were not used, and travellers went by side roads.
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 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 mighty men in Israel failed, they failed until Debbora arose, until she 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 the cities of rulers fought; there was not 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 [inclines] to the orders given in Israel; you that are willing among the people, bless the Lord.
10 Let them give thought to it, who go on white asses, and those who are walking on the road.
You that mount a she-ass at noon-day, you that sit on the judgment-seat, and walk by the roads of them that sit in judgment by the way; declare
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.
[you that are delivered] from the noise of disturbers among 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! Deborah: awake! awake! give a song: Up! Barak, and take prisoner those who took you prisoner, 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 chiefs went down to the doors; the Lord's people went down among the strong ones.
Then went down the remnant to the strong, the people of the Lord went down for him among the mighty ones from me.
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.
Ephraim rooted them out in Amalec, behind you was Benjamin among 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 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 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 keep quiet among the sheep, hearing nothing but the watchers piping to the flocks?
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 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.
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 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 Zabulon exposed their soul to death, and Nephthali came to the high places of their land.
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 set themselves in array, then the kings of Chanaan fought in Thanaach at the water of Mageddo; they took no gift of money.
20 The stars from heaven were fighting; from their highways they were fighting 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 took them violently away, stopping their flight, the river Kishon. Give praise, O my soul, to the strength of the Lord!
The brook of Kison swept them away, the ancient brook, the brook Kison: my mighty soul will trample him down.
22 Then loudly the feet of the horses were sounding with the stamping, the stamping of their war-horses.
When the hoofs of the horse were entangled, his mighty ones earnestly hasted
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.
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 among the mighty.
24 Blessings be on Jael, more than on all women! Blessings greater than on any in the tents!
Blessed among women be Jael wife of Chaber the Kenite; let her be blessed above women 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, she gave him milk in a dish; she brought butter of princes.
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 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 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.
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 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 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 wise women gave answer to her, yes, she made answer again to herself,
Her wise ladies answered her, and she returned answers to herself, [saying],
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?
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 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.
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.
