Judges 5
1 At that time Deborah and Barak, the son of Abinoam, made this song, saying:
Then sang Deborah, and Barak, 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.
For the leadership of leaders in Israel, For the volunteering of the people, —Bless ye Yahweh!
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, ye kings! Give ear, ye princes! I, unto Yahweh, —I, will sing, Will make melody to Yahweh, 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 Yahweh! When thou didst come forth out of Seir, When thou didst march along out of the field of Edom, Earth, trembled, Heaven also, poured forth, —Yea, dark clouds, poured forth waters;
5 The mountains were shaking before the Lord, before the Lord, the God of Israel.
From, mountains, came down streams In presence of Yahweh, —From this Sinai, In presence of Yahweh, 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, the roads were forsaken, —and, the frequenters of highways, betook them to roundabout 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.
There was a failure of rulers, in Israel, a failure, —until I arose, a Deborah, 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 gods that were new, Then, —war at the gates! Was there, a shield, to be seen? or a spear? 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 [saith] —for the governors of Israel, for the volunteers among the people, Bless ye Yahweh!
10 Let them give thought to it, who go on white asses, and those who are walking on the road.
Ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit on carpets, and ye that walk upon the road, speak!
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.
In the place of the noise of bowmen among the wells, there, laud ye—the righteous acts of Yahweh, the righteous acts of his rule over Israel. Then, had come down to the gates the people of Yahweh.
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 words of song, —Arise! Barak, and bind fast thy captives, O son of Abinoam!
13 Then the chiefs went down to the doors; the Lord's people went down among the strong ones.
Then, came down a remnant to the nobles—a people, —Yahweh, came down with me against 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, [came down] they whose root was in Amalek, After thee, Benjamin, among thy tribes, —Out of Machir, had come down governors, And, out of Zebulun, such as bear aloft the staff of the marshal;
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, my princes in Issachar, were with Deborah, yea, Issachar, was the support of Barak, Into the vale rushed they forth at his feet. Among the divisions of Reuben, great were the resolves of the heart:
16 Why did you keep quiet among the sheep, hearing nothing but the watchers piping to the flocks?
Wherefore abodes thou among the folds? To hear the mocking of the flocks? The divisions of Reuben, had great counsellings 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, beyond the Jordan, took his rest, but, Dan, wherefore remained he with the ships? Asher, abode by the shore of the seas, and, by his creeks, must needs rest.
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—a people that scorned their souls unto death; and, Naphtali, —upon the heights 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.
On came kings, they fought, Then, fought the kings of Canaan, In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo, —Plunder of silver, they took not away!
20 The stars from heaven were fighting; from their highways they were fighting against Sisera.
From heaven, was the battle fought, —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 torrent of Kishon, swept them away, the torrent of olden times, the torrent of Kishon! Let my soul march along, with victorious strength!
22 Then loudly the feet of the horses were sounding with the stamping, the stamping of their war-horses.
Then, stamped hoofs of horses, With the gallopings, gallopings of his mighty steeds.
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 ye Meroz, saith the messenger of Yahweh, Curse ye with a curse, the inhabitants thereof, —because they came not in to the help of Yahweh, to the help of Yahweh, 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 be Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, —Above women in the tent, be blessed:
25 His request was for water, she gave him milk; she put butter before him on a fair plate.
Water, he asked, Milk, she gave, —In a bowl for nobles, presented cream:
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.
Her hand, to the tent-pin, put she forth, and, her right hand, to the toilers’ mallet, —Then smote she Sisera, She shattered his head, Yea she split open and pierced 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.
Between her feet, he bowed—he fell, he lay, —Between her feet, he bowed—he fell, Where he bowed, There, he fell—destroyed!
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?
Through the window, looked out and shrilly cried, The mother of Sisera, through the lattice, —Why is his chariot ashamed to come? Why delay the wheels of his chariot?
29 Her wise women gave answer to her, yes, she made answer again to herself,
The wise ladies, her princesses, responded, —Nay! 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?
Is it not They keep finding—dividing spoil, One damsel, two damsels, to every several hero, Spoil, of divers coloured raiment for Sisera, Spoil, of divers coloured raiment, embroidered, Coloured raiment richly embroidered, on the necks of them who are taken as 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, perish all thine enemies, O Yahweh, But be, they who love him, as the going forth of the sun, in his might! And the land had rest forty years.
