Judges 5
1 In that day, Deborah and Barak, the son of Abinoam, sang out, saying:
On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
2 “All you of Israel who have willingly offered your lives to danger, bless the Lord!
“When the leaders take the lead in Israel, when the people gladly volunteer for war— we praise Yahweh!
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!
Listen, you kings! Pay attention, you leaders! I, I will sing to Yahweh; I will sing praises to Yahweh, 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.
Yahweh, when you went out from Seir, when you marched from Edom, the earth shook, and the skies also trembled; also the clouds poured down 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 before the face of Yahweh; even Mount Sinai quaked before the face of Yahweh, 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 (son of Anath), in the days of Jael, the main roads were abandoned, and those who walked only used the winding paths.
7 The strong men ceased, and they rested in Israel, until Deborah rose up, until a mother rose up in Israel.
There were few rural people in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose—arose as 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.
When they chose new gods, there was fighting at the city gates and yet there were no shields or spears 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 goes out to the commanders of Israel, along with the people who gladly volunteered— we bless Yahweh for them!
10 You who ride upon donkeys laboring, and you who sit in judgment, and you who walk along the way, speak out.
Think about this—you who ride on white donkeys sitting on rugs for saddles, and you who walk along the road.
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.
Hear the voices of those who sing at the watering places. There they tell again of Yahweh's righteous deeds, and the righteous actions of his warriors in Israel. Then the people of Yahweh went down to the city 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, sing a song! Get up, Barak, and capture your prisoners, you son of Abinoam.
13 The remnants of the people were saved. The Lord contended with the strong.
Then the survivors came down to the nobles; the people of Yahweh came down to me with the warriors.
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.
They came from Ephraim, whose root is in Amalek; the people of Benjamin followed you. From Machir commanders came down, and from Zebulun those who carry an officer'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.
My princes in Issachar were with Deborah; and Issachar was with Barak rushing after him into the valley under his command. Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings 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 did you sit between the fireplaces, listening to the shepherds playing their pipes for their flocks? As for the clans 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 stayed on the other side of the Jordan; and Dan, why did he wander about on ships? Asher remained on the coast and lived close to his harbors.
18 Yet truly, Zebulun and Naphtali offered their lives to death in the region of Merom.
Zebulun was a tribe who would risk their lives to the point of death, and Naphtali, also, on the field of battle.
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; the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo. But they took away no silver as plunder.
20 The conflict against them was from heaven. The stars, remaining in their order and courses, fought against Sisera.
From heaven the stars fought, from their paths across the heavens they 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 Kishon River swept them away, that old river, the Kishon River. March on my soul, be strong!
22 The hoofs of the horses were broken, while the strongest of the enemies fled away with fury, and rushed on to ruin.
Then came the sound of horses' hooves— galloping, the galloping of his 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!' says the angel of Yahweh. 'Surely curse its inhabitants!— because they did not come to help Yahweh— to help Yahweh in the battle against the mighty warriors.'
24 Blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. And blessed is she in her tabernacle.
Jael is blessed more than all other women, Jael (the wife of Heber the Kenite), she is more blessed than all the women who live in tents.
25 He begged her for water, and she gave him milk, and she offered him butter in a dish fit for princes.
The man asked for water, and she gave him milk; she brought him butter in a dish fit for princes.
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 put her hand to the tent peg, and her right hand to the workman's hammer; with the hammer she struck Sisera, she crushed his head. She smashed his skull into pieces when she pierced him through the side of his head.
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 collapsed between her feet, he fell and he lay there. Between her feet he fell limp. The place he collapsed is where he was violently killed.
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?’
Out of a window she looked— the mother of Sisera looked through the lattice and she called out in sadness, 'Why has it taken his chariot so long to come? Why have the hoofbeats of the horses that pull his chariots been delayed?'
29 One who was wiser than the rest of his wives responded to her mother-in-law with this:
Her wisest princesses replied, and she gave herself the same answer:
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.’
'Have they not found and divided up the plunder? —A womb, two wombs for every man; the plunder of dyed fabric for Sisera, the plunder of dyed fabric embroidered, two pieces of dyed fabric embroidered for the necks of those who plunder?'
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 may all your enemies perish, Yahweh! But your friends be like the sun when it rises in its might.” Then the land had peace for forty years.
