< Judges 5 >
1 In that day, Deborah and Barak, the son of Abinoam, sang out, saying:
And Deborah singeth — 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 freemen in Israel, For a people willingly offering themselves Bless ye Jehovah.
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, ye kings; give ear, ye princes, I, to Jehovah, I — I do sing, I sing praise to Jehovah, 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.
Jehovah, in Thy going forth out of Seir, In Thy stepping out of the field of Edom, Earth trembled, also the heavens dropped, Also 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 Jehovah, This one — Sinai — From the face of Jehovah, 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, Till that 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 chooseth 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 ye Jehovah!
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 asses — 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 Jehovah, Righteous acts of His villages in Israel, Then ruled in the gates have the people of Jehovah.
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 captive thy captivity, Son of Abinoam.
13 The remnants of the people were saved. The Lord contended with the strong.
Then him who is left of the honourable ones He caused to rule the people of Jehovah, 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.
Out of Ephraim their root [is] against Amalek. After thee, Benjamin, among thy peoples. Out of Machir came down lawgivers, And out of 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, Yea, Issachar [is] right with Barak, Into the valley he was sent on his feet. In the divisions of Reuben, Great [are] the decrees 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 hast thou abode between the boundaries, To hear lowings of herds? For the divisions of Reuben, Great [are] the 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 beyond the Jordan did tabernacle, And Dan — why doth he sojourn [in] ships? Asher hath abode at the haven of the seas, And by his creeks doth tabernacle.
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 fought kings of Canaan, In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; Gain of money they took not!
20 The conflict against them was from heaven. The stars, remaining in their order and courses, fought against Sisera.
From the heavens they fought: The stars from their highways fought with 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, The brook most ancient — the brook Kishon. Thou dost 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 broken were the horse-heels, By pransings — pransings 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 Jehovah, Cursing, curse ye its inhabitants, For they came not to the help of Jehovah, To the help of Jehovah among the mighty!
24 Blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. And blessed is she in her tabernacle.
Blessed above women is Jael, Wife of Heber the Kenite, Above women in the tent she is 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; In a lordly dish she brought near butter.
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 to the pin she sendeth forth, And her right hand to the labourers' hammer, And she hammered Sisera — she smote his head, Yea, she smote, 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.
Between her feet he bowed — He fell, he lay down; Between her feet he bowed, 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?’
Through the window she hath looked out — Yea, she crieth out — the mother of Sisera, Through the lattice: Wherefore is his chariot delaying to come? Wherefore tarried have the steps of his chariot?
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, Yea, she returneth 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 Thine enemies perish, O Jehovah, And those loving Him [are] As the going out of the sun in its might!' and the land resteth forty years.