Judges 5
1 In that day Debbora and Barac son of Abinoem sung, and said:
And Deborah sings—also Barak son of Abinoam—on that day, saying,
2 O you of Israel, that have willingly offered your lives to danger, bless the Lord.
“For freeing leaders in Israel, For a people willingly offering themselves, Bless YHWH.
3 Hear, O ye kings, give ear, ye princes: It is I, it is I, that will sing to the Lord, I will sing 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 thou wentest out of Seir, and passedst by the regions of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped 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 melted before the face of the Lord, and Sinai before the face of the Lord the 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 Samgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jahel the paths rested: and they that went by them, walked through by-ways.
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 valiant men ceased, and rested in Israel: until Debbora arose, a mother arose 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 overthrew the gates of the enemies: a shield and spear was not seen among 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 loveth the princes of Israel: O you that of your own good will offered yourselves to danger, bless the Lord.
My heart [is] to the lawgivers of Israel, Who are offering themselves willingly among the people, Bless YHWH!
10 Speak, you that ride upon fair asses, and you that sit in judgment, and walk in the way.
Riders on white donkeys—Sitters on a long robe—And walkers by the way—meditate!
11 Where the chariots were dashed together, and the army of the enemies was choked, there let the justices of the Lord be rehearsed, and his clemency towards the brave men of Israel: then the people of the Lord went down to the gates, and obtained the sovereignty.
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 Arise, arise, O Debbora, arise, arise, and utter a canticle. Arise, Barac, and take hold of thy captives, O son of Abinoem.
Awake, awake, Deborah; Awake, awake, utter a song; Rise, Barak, and take your captivity captive, Son of Abinoam.
13 The remnants of the people are saved, the Lord hath fought among the valiant ones.
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 them into Amalec, and after him out of Benjamin into thy people, O Amalec: Out of Machir there came down princes, and out of Zabulon they that led the army to fight.
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 captains of Issachar were with Debbora, and followed the steps of Barac, who exposed himself to danger, as one going headlong, and into a pit. Ruben being divided against himself, there was found a strife of courageous men.
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 dwellest thou between two borders, that thou mayest hear the bleatings of the flocks? Ruben being divided against himself, there was found a strife of courageous men.
Why have you abided between the boundaries, To hear lowings of herds? For the divisions of Reuben, The searchings of heart [are] great!
17 Galaad rested beyond the Jordan, and Dan applied himself to ships: Aser dwelt on the sea shore, and abode in the havens.
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 But Zabulon and Nephtali offered their lives to death in the region of Merome.
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 Chanaan fought in Thanach by the waters of Mageddo, 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 War from heaven was made against them, the stars remaining in their order and courses fought against Sisara.
They fought from the heavens: The stars fought with Sisera from their highways.
21 The torrent of Cison dragged their carcasses, the torrent of Cadumim, the torrent of Cisoii: tread thou, my soul, upon the strong ones.
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 whilst the stoutest of the enemies fled amain, and fell headlong down.
Then the horse-heels were broken, By gallopings—gallopings of its mighty ones.
23 Curse ye the land of Meroz, said the angel of the Lord: curse the inhabitants thereof, because they came not to the help of the Lord, to help 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 be Jahel the wife of Haber the Cinite, and blessed be she in her tent.
Above women is Jael, The wife of Heber the Kenite, She is blessed above women in the tent.
25 He asked her water and she gave him milk, and 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 hammer, and she struck Sisara, seeking in his head a place for the wound, and strongly piercing through 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 At her feet he fell: he fainted, and he died: he rolled before her feet, and he lay lifeless and wretched.
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 looked out at a window, and howled: and she spoke from the dining room: Why is his chariot so long in coming back? Why are the feet of his 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 that was wiser than the rest of his wives, returned this answer to her mother in law:
The wise ones, her princesses, answer her, Indeed, she returns her sayings to herself:
30 Perhaps he is now dividing the spoils, and the fairest of the women is chosen out for him: garments of divers colours are given to Sisara for his prey, and furniture of different kinds is heaped together to adorn the 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 So let all thy enemies perish, O Lord: but let them that love thee shine, as the sun shineth in his 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.
