Judges 5
1 That day Deborah and Barak, son of Abinoam, sang this song:
Then sang Deborah, and Barak the sonne of Abinoam the same day, saying,
2 “Israel's leaders took charge, and the people were totally committed. Praise the Lord!
Praise ye the Lord for the auenging of Israel, and for the people that offred themselues willingly.
3 Listen, kings! Pay attention, rulers! I, yes I, will sing to the Lord; I will praise the Lord, the God of Israel, in song.
Heare, ye Kings, hearken ye princes: I, euen I will sing vnto the Lord: I will sing praise vnto the Lord God of Israel.
4 Lord, when you set off from Seir, when you marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, rain fell from the skies, the clouds poured down water.
Lord, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou departedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heauens rained, the cloudes also dropped water.
5 The mountains melted in the presence of the Lord, the God of Sinai, in the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel.
The mountaines melted before the Lord, as did that Sinai before the Lord God of Israel.
6 In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, in the days of Jael, people didn't use the main highways and stayed on winding paths.
In the dayes of Shamgar the sonne of Anath, in the dayes of Iael the hie wayes were vnoccupied, and the trauelers walked through by wayes.
7 Village life in Israel was abandoned until I, Deborah, came on the scene as a mother in Israel.
The townes were not inhabited: they decayed, I say, in Israel, vntill I Deborah came vp, which rose vp a mother in Israel.
8 When the people chose new gods, then war arrived at their gates. Not even a shield or spear could be found among forty thousand warriors in Israel.
They chose new gods: then was warre in the gates. Was there a shielde or speare seene among fourtie thousand of Israel?
9 My thoughts are with the Israelite commanders and those people who volunteered. Praise the Lord!
Mine heart is set on the gouernours of Israel, and on them that are willing among the people: praise ye the Lord.
10 You people riding white donkeys, sitting on comfortable blankets, traveling down the road, notice
Speake ye that ride on white asses, yee that dwel by Middin, and that walke by the way.
11 what people are talking about as they gather at the watering holes. They describe the Lord's just acts and those of his warriors in Israel. Then the people of the Lord went to the town gates.
For the noyse of the archers appaised among the drawers of water: there shall they rehearse the righteousnesse of the Lord, his righteousnesse of his townes in Israel: then did the people of the Lord goe downe to the gates.
12 ‘Wake up, Deborah, wake up! Wake up, wake up, sing a song! Get up, Barak! Capture your prisoners, son of Abinoam.’
Vp Deborah, vp, arise, and sing a song: arise Barak, and leade thy captiuitie captiue, thou sonne of Abinoam.
13 The survivors went to attack the nobles, the people of the Lord went to attack the powerful.
For they that remaine, haue dominio ouer the mightie of the people: the Lord hath giuen me dominion ouer the strong.
14 Some came from Ephraim, a land that used to belong to the Amalekites; the tribe of Benjamin followed you with its men. Commanders came Makir; from Zebulun came those who carry a military officer's staff.
Of Ephraim their roote arose against Amalek: and after thee, Beniamin shall fight against thy people, O Amalek: of Machir came rulers, and of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.
15 The leaders of Issachar supported Deborah and Barak; they raced into the valley following Barak. But the tribe of Reuben was very undecided.
And the Princes of Issachar were with Deborah, and Issachar, and also Barak: he was set on his feete in the valley: for the diuisions of Reuben were great thoughts of heart.
16 Why did you stay at home in the sheepfolds, listening to shepherds whistling for their flocks? The tribe of Reuben really couldn't decide what to do.
Why abodest thou among the sheepefolds, to heare the bleatings of the flockes? for the diuisions of Reuben were great thoughts of heart.
17 Gilead remained on the other side of Jordan. Dan stayed with his ships. Asher sat still on the seacoast, not moving from his ports.
Gilead abode beyonde Iorden: and why doeth Dan remayne in shippes? Asher sate on the sea shoare, and taryed in his decayed places.
18 The people of Zebulun risked their lives; as did Naphtali on the high battlefields.
But the people of Zebulun and Naphtali haue ieopard their liues vnto the death in the hie places of the field.
19 Kings came and fought, the Canaanite kings fought at Taanach near the waters of Megiddo, but they didn't get any silver plunder.
The Kings came and fought: then fought the Kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo: they receiued no gaine of money.
20 The stars fought from heaven. The stars in their courses fought against Sisera.
They fought from heauen, euen the starres in their courses fought against Sisera.
21 The Kishon River swept them away—the old river turned into a raging torrent! I bravely march on!
The Riuer Kishon swepe them away, that ancient riuer the riuer Kishon. O my soule, thou hast marched valiantly.
22 Then the horses' hooves flailed loudly, his stallions stampeded.
Then were the horsehooues broken with the oft beating together of their mightie men.
23 ‘Curse Meroz,’ says the angel of the Lord. ‘Totally curse those who live there, for they refused to come help the Lord, to help the Lord against the powerful enemies.’
Curse ye Meroz: (sayd the Angel of the Lord) curse the inhabitantes thereof, because they came not to helpe the Lord, to helpe the Lord against the mighty.
24 Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite is to be praised the most among women. She deserves praise above all other women who live in tents.
Iael the wife of Heber the Kenite shall be blessed aboue other women: blessed shall she be aboue women dwelling in tentes.
25 He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a bowl fit for nobles she brought him buttermilk.
He asked water, and shee gaue him milke: she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.
26 With one hand she picked up the tent peg, and with her right hand she held a workman's hammer. She hit Sisera and smashed his skull; she shattered and pierced his temple.
She put her hand to the naile, and her right hand to the workemans hammer: with the hammer smote she Sisera: she smote off his head, after she had wounded, and pearsed his temples.
27 At her feet he collapsed, he fell, he lay motionless. At her feet he collapsed, he fell; where he collapsed, there he fell, his life plundered from him.
He bowed him downe at her feete, he fell downe, and lay still: at her feete hee bowed him downe, and fell: and when he had sunke downe, he lay there dead.
28 Sisera's mother looked out from the window. Through the latticed window she cried out, ‘Why is his chariot taking so long to come? Why is the sound of his chariot arriving so delayed?’
The mother of Sisera looked out at a windowe, and cryed thorowe the lattesse, Why is his charet so long a comming? why tary the wheeles of his charets?
29 The wisest of her ladies tells her, and she repeats the same words to herself,
Her wise ladies answered her, Yea. Shee answered her selfe with her owne wordes,
30 ‘They're busy dividing up the plunder and assigning a girl or two for each man. There'll be colorful clothes for Sisera as plunder; beautifully embroidered colorful clothes as plunder; double-embroidered clothing reaching to the neck as plunder.’
Haue they not gotten, and they deuide the spoyle? euery man hath a mayde or two. Sisera hath a praye of diuers coloured garmentes, a pray of sundry colours made of needle worke: of diuers colours of needle worke on both sides, for the chiefe of the spoyle.
31 May all your enemies die like this, Lord, but may those who love you shine like the sun in all its brilliance!” The land was at peace for forty years.
So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord: but they that loue him, shall be as the Sunne when he riseth in his might, and the lande had rest fourtie yeres.
