Judges 5
1 Then sang Deborah and Barak, the son of Abinoam, on that day, saying,
On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
2 For that leaders led in Israel, For that the people willingly offered themselves, Bless Jehovah!
“When the princes take the lead in Israel, when the people volunteer, bless the LORD.
3 Hear, ye kings; give ear, ye princes, I, [even] I, will sing to Jehovah; I will hymn to Jehovah the God of Israel.
Listen, O kings! Give ear, O princes! I will sing to the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel.
4 Jehovah, when thou wentest forth from Seir, When thou marchedst out of the fields of Edom, The earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, Yea, the clouds dropped water.
O LORD, when You went out from Seir, when You marched from the land of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens poured out rain, and the clouds poured down water.
5 The mountains quaked before the face of Jehovah, That Sinai, from before Jehovah the God of Israel.
The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel.
6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, The roads were unused, and the travellers on highways went by crooked paths.
In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were deserted and the travelers took the byways.
7 The villages ceased in Israel, Ceased until that I Deborah arose, That I arose a mother in Israel.
Life in the villages ceased; it ended in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose, a mother in Israel.
8 They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: Was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?
When they chose new gods, then war came to their gates. Not a shield or spear was found among forty thousand in Israel.
9 My heart is toward the governors of Israel, who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless Jehovah!
My heart is with the princes of Israel, with the volunteers among the people. Bless the LORD!
10 Ye that ride on white she-asses, ye that sit on carpets, and ye that walk by the way, consider.
You who ride white donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, and you who travel the road, ponder
11 Because of the voice of those who divide [the spoil] in the midst of the places of drawing water; There they rehearse the righteous acts of Jehovah, His righteous acts toward his villages in Israel. Then the people of Jehovah went down to the gates.
the voices of the singers at the watering places. There they shall recount the righteous acts of the LORD, the righteous deeds of His villagers in Israel. Then the people of the LORD went down to the gates:
12 Awake, awake, Deborah! awake, awake, utter a song! Arise, Barak, and lead captive thy captives, thou son of Abinoam!
‘Awake, awake, O Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, O Barak, and take hold of your captives, O son of Abinoam!’
13 Then come down, thou, the remnant of nobles, [as his] people; Jehovah! come down with me in the midst of the mighty ones.
Then the survivors came down to the nobles; the people of the LORD came down to me against the mighty.
14 Out of Ephraim [came] those whose root was in Amalek; After thee was Benjamin among thy peoples. Out of Machir came down governors, And out of Zebulun they that handled the staff of the ruler.
Some came from Ephraim, with their roots in Amalek; Benjamin came with your people after you. The commanders came down from Machir, the bearers of the marshal’s staff from Zebulun.
15 And the princes in Issachar were with Deborah; And Issachar, like Barak; They were sent into the valley at his feet. In the divisions of Reuben there were great resolves of heart!
The princes of Issachar were with Deborah, and Issachar was with Barak, rushing into the valley at his heels. In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.
16 Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, To hear the bleating of the flocks? In the divisions of Reuben there were great deliberations of heart!
Why did you sit among the sheepfolds to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.
17 Gilead abode beyond Jordan; And Dan, why did he remain in ships? Asher sat on the sea-shore, And abode in his creeks.
Gilead remained beyond the Jordan. Dan, why did you linger by the ships? Asher stayed at the coast and remained in his harbors.
18 Zebulun is a people [that] jeoparded their lives unto death, Naphtali also, on the high places of the field.
Zebulun was a people who risked their lives; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the battlefield.
19 Kings came, — they fought; Then fought the kings of Canaan; At Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; They took no spoil of silver.
Kings came and fought; then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they took no plunder of silver.
20 From heaven was the fight; The stars from their courses fought with Sisera.
From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 The torrent of Kishon swept them away, That ancient torrent, the torrent Kishon. My soul, thou hast trodden down strength!
The River Kishon swept them away, the ancient river, the River Kishon. March on, O my soul, in strength!
22 Then did the horse-hoofs clatter with the coursings, The coursings of their steeds.
Then the hooves of horses thundered— the mad galloping of his stallions.
23 Curse Meroz, saith the Angel of Jehovah; Curse, curse the inhabitants thereof; For they came not to the help of Jehovah, To the help of Jehovah among the mighty.
‘Curse Meroz,’ says the angel of the LORD. ‘Bitterly curse her inhabitants; for they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.’
24 Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, Blessed above women in the tent!
Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
25 He asked water, she gave milk; In the nobles' bowl she brought forth cream.
He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.
26 She put her hand to the tent-pin, And her right hand to the workmen's hammer; And she smote Sisera, she struck through his head, Shattered and pierced through his temples.
She reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman’s hammer. She struck Sisera and crushed his skull; she shattered and pierced his temple.
27 Between her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: Between her feet he bowed, he fell; Where he bowed, there he fell, overcome.
At her feet he collapsed, he fell, there he lay still; at her feet he collapsed, he fell; where he collapsed, there he fell dead.
28 Them other of Sisera looketh out at the window, And crieth through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the trampings of his chariots?
Sisera’s mother looked through the window; she peered through the lattice and lamented: ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? What has delayed the clatter of his chariots?’
29 The wise amongst her ladies answer [her], Yea, she returneth answer to herself,
Her wisest ladies answer; indeed she keeps telling herself,
30 Have they not found, divided the booty, A damsel, two damsels, to each? A booty of dyed stuffs for Sisera, A booty of dyed stuffs of embroidery, Dyed stuff of double embroidery for the neck of a spoiler?
‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoil— a girl or two for each warrior, a plunder of dyed garments for Sisera, the spoil of embroidered garments for the neck of the looter?’
31 So let all thine enemies perish, Jehovah! But let them that love him be as the rising of the sun in its might. And the land had rest forty years.
So may all your enemies perish, O LORD! But may those who love You shine like the sun at its brightest.” And the land had rest for forty years.
