Judges 5
1 In that day, Deborah and Barak, the son of Abinoam, sang out, saying:
Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying:
2 “All you of Israel who have willingly offered your lives to danger, bless the Lord!
When men let grow their hair in Israel, when the people offer themselves willingly, bless ye the LORD.
3 Listen, O kings! Pay attention, O princes! It is I, it is I, who will sing to the Lord. I will sing a psalm to the Lord, the God of Israel!
Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, unto the LORD will I sing; I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel.
4 O Lord, when you departed from Seir, and you crossed through the regions of Edom, the earth and the heavens were moved, and the clouds rained down water.
LORD, when Thou didst go forth out of Seir, when Thou didst march out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens also dropped, yea, the clouds dropped water.
5 The mountains flowed away before the face of the Lord, and Sinai, before the face of the Lord God of Israel.
The mountains quaked at the presence of the LORD, even yon Sinai at 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 paths were quiet. And whoever entered by them, walked along rough byways.
In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways ceased, and the travellers walked through byways.
7 The strong men ceased, and they rested in Israel, until Deborah rose up, until a mother rose up in Israel.
The rulers ceased in Israel, they ceased, until that thou didst arise, Deborah, that thou didst arise a mother in Israel.
8 The Lord chose new wars, and he himself overturned the gates of the enemies. A shield with a spear was not seen among the forty thousand of Israel.
They chose new gods; then was war in the gates; was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?
9 My heart loves the leaders of Israel. All you who, of your own free will, offered yourselves during a crisis, bless the Lord.
My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD.
10 You who ride upon donkeys laboring, and you who sit in judgment, and you who walk along the way, speak out.
Ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit on rich cloths, and ye that walk by the way, tell of it;
11 Where the chariots were struck together, and the army of the enemies was choked, in that place, let the justices of the Lord be described, and let his clemency be for the brave of Israel. Then did the people of the Lord descend to the gates, and obtain leadership.
Louder than the voice of archers, by the watering-troughs! there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, even the righteous acts of His rulers in Israel. Then the people of the LORD went down to the gates.
12 Rise up, rise up, O Deborah! Rise up, rise up, and speak a canticle! Rise up, Barak, and seize your captives, O son of Abinoam.
Awake, awake, Deborah; awake, awake, utter a song; arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.
13 The remnants of the people were saved. The Lord contended with the strong.
Then made He a remnant to have dominion over the nobles and the people; the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty.
14 Out of Ephraim, he destroyed those with Amalek, and after him, out of Benjamin, those of your people, O Amalek. From Machir, there descended leaders, and from Zebulun, those who led the army to war.
Out of Ephraim came they whose root is in Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy peoples; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the marshal's staff.
15 The commanders of Issachar were with Deborah, and they followed the steps of Barak, who endangered himself, like one rushing headlong into a chasm. Reuben was divided against himself. Contention was found among great souls.
And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; as was Issachar, so was Barak; into the valley they rushed forth at his feet. Among the divisions of Reuben there were great resolves of heart.
16 Why do you live between two borders, so that you hear the bleating of the flocks? Reuben was divided against himself. Contention was found among great souls.
Why sattest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the pipings for the flocks? At the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
17 Gilead rested beyond the Jordan, and Dan was occupied with ships. Asher was living on the shore of the sea, and dwelling in the ports.
Gilead abode beyond the Jordan; and Dan, why doth he sojourn by the ships? Asher dwelt at the shore of the sea, and abideth by its bays.
18 Yet truly, Zebulun and Naphtali offered their lives to death in the region of Merom.
Zebulun is a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death, and Naphtali, upon the high places of the field.
19 The kings came and fought; the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach, beside the waters of Megiddo. And yet they took no spoils.
The kings came, they fought; then fought the kings of Canaan, in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.
20 The conflict against them was from heaven. The stars, remaining in their order and courses, fought against Sisera.
They fought from heaven, the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.
21 The torrent of Kishon dragged away their carcasses, the onrushing torrent, the torrent of Kishon. O my soul, tread upon the stalwart!
The brook Kishon swept them away, that ancient brook, the brook Kishon. O my soul, tread them down with strength.
22 The hoofs of the horses were broken, while the strongest of the enemies fled away with fury, and rushed on to ruin.
Then did the horsehoofs stamp by reason of the prancings, the prancings of their mighty ones.
23 ‘Cursed be the land of Meroz!’ said the Angel of the Lord. ‘Cursed be its inhabitants! For they did not come to the aid of the Lord, to the assistance of his most valiant men.’
'Curse ye Meroz', said the angel of the LORD, 'Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof, because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.'
24 Blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. And blessed is she in her tabernacle.
Blessed above women shall Jael be, the wife of Heber the Kenite, above women in the tent shall she be blessed.
25 He begged her for water, and she gave him milk, and she offered him butter in a dish fit for princes.
Water he asked, milk she gave him; in a lordly bowl she brought him curd.
26 She put her left hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workman’s mallet. And she struck Sisera, seeking in his head a place for the wound, and strongly piercing his temples.
Her hand she put to the tent-pin, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote through his head, yea, she pierced and struck through his temples.
27 Between her feet, he was ruined. He fainted away and passed on. He curled up before her feet, and he lay there lifeless and miserable.
At her feet he sunk, he fell, he lay; at her feet he sunk, he fell; where he sunk, there he fell down dead.
28 His mother gazed through a window and wailed. And she spoke from an upper room: ‘Why does his chariot delay in returning? Why are the feet of his team of horses so slow?’
Through the window she looked forth, and peered, the mother of Sisera, through the lattice: 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the wheels of his chariots?
29 One who was wiser than the rest of his wives responded to her mother-in-law with this:
The wisest of her princesses answer her, yea, she returneth answer to herself:
30 ‘Perhaps he is now dividing the spoils, and the most beautiful among the women is being selected for him. Garments of diverse colors are being delivered to Sisera as spoils, and various goods are being collected for the adornment of necks.’
'Are they not finding, are they not dividing the spoil? A damsel, two damsels to every man; to Sisera a spoil of dyed garments, a spoil of dyed garments of embroidery, two dyed garments of broidery for the neck of every spoiler?'
31 O Lord, so may all your enemies perish! But may those who love you shine with splendor, as the sun shines at its rising.” And the land rested for forty years.
So perish all Thine enemies, O LORD; but they that love Him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.
