Judges 5
1 In that day, Deborah and Barak, the son of Abinoam, sang out, saying:
And Deborah sings—also Barak son of Abinoam—on that day, saying,
2 “All you of Israel who have willingly offered your lives to danger, bless the Lord!
“For freeing leaders in Israel, For a people willingly offering themselves, Bless YHWH.
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, you kings; give ear, you princes, I sing to YHWH, I sing praise to YHWH, 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.
YHWH, in Your going forth out of Seir, In Your stepping out of the field of Edom, The earth trembled and the heavens dropped, And thick 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.
Hills flowed from the face of YHWH, This one—Sinai—From the face of YHWH, 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 son of Anath—In the days of Jael—The ways have ceased, And those going in the paths go [in] crooked ways.
7 The strong men ceased, and they rested in Israel, until Deborah rose up, until a mother rose up in Israel.
Villages ceased in Israel—they ceased, Until I arose—Deborah, That I arose, 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.
He chooses new gods, Then war [is] at the gates! A shield is not seen—and a spear 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] to the lawgivers of Israel, Who are offering themselves willingly among the people, Bless YHWH!
10 You who ride upon donkeys laboring, and you who sit in judgment, and you who walk along the way, speak out.
Riders on white donkeys—Sitters on a long robe—And walkers by the way—meditate!
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.
By the voice of shouters Between the places of drawing water, There they give out righteous acts of YHWH, Righteous acts of His villages in Israel, Then the people of YHWH have gone 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; Rise, Barak, and take your captivity captive, Son of Abinoam.
13 The remnants of the people were saved. The Lord contended with the strong.
Then him who is left of the majestic ones He caused to rule the people of YHWH, He caused me to rule among 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.
From Ephraim [are] those whose root [is] in Amalek, After you, Benjamin, among your peoples, From Machir lawgivers came down, And from Zebulun those drawing with the reed of a writer.
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 princes in Issachar [are] with Deborah, Indeed, Issachar [is] right with Barak, Into the valley he was sent on his feet. In the divisions of Reuben, The decrees of heart [are] great!
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 have you abided between the boundaries, To hear lowings of herds? For the divisions of Reuben, The searchings of heart [are] great!
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 dwelt beyond the Jordan, And why does Dan sojourn [in] ships? Asher has abided at the haven of the seas, And dwells by his creeks.
18 Yet truly, Zebulun and Naphtali offered their lives to death in the region of Merom.
Zebulun [is] a people who exposed its soul to death, Naphtali also—on 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.
Kings came—they fought; Then kings of Canaan fought, In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; They did not take 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 the heavens: The stars fought with Sisera from their highways.
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 of Kishon swept them away, The most ancient brook—the Brook of Kishon. You tread down strength, O my soul!
22 The hoofs of the horses were broken, while the strongest of the enemies fled away with fury, and rushed on to ruin.
Then the horse-heels were broken, By gallopings—gallopings of its 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 Meroz, said a messenger of YHWH, Cursing, curse its inhabitants! For they did not come to the help of YHWH, To the help of YHWH among the mighty!
24 Blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. And blessed is she in her tabernacle.
Above women is Jael, The wife of Heber the Kenite, She is blessed above women in the tent.
25 He begged her for water, and she gave him milk, and she offered him butter in a dish fit for princes.
He asked for water—she gave milk; She brought butter near in a lordly dish.
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.
She sends forth her hand to the pin, And her right hand to the laborers’ hammer, And she hammered Sisera—she struck his head, Indeed, she struck, and it passed through his temple.
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.
He bowed between her feet—He fell, he lay down; He bowed between her feet, he fell; Where he bowed, there he fell—destroyed.
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?’
She has looked out through the window—Indeed, she cries out—the mother of Sisera, Through the lattice: Why is his chariot delaying to come? Why have the steps of his chariot tarried?
29 One who was wiser than the rest of his wives responded to her mother-in-law with this:
The wise ones, her princesses, answer her, Indeed, she returns her sayings 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.’
Do they not find? They apportion spoil, A female—two females—for every head, Spoil of finger-work for Sisera, Spoil of embroidered finger-work, Finger-work—a pair of embroidered things, For the necks of the spoil!
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 do all Your enemies perish, O YHWH, And those loving Him [are] As the going out of the sun in its might!” And the land rests [for] forty years.
