Judges 5
1 That day Deborah and Barak, son of Abinoam, sang this song:
Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying:
2 “Israel's leaders took charge, and the people were totally committed. Praise the Lord!
When men let grow their hair in Israel, when the people offer themselves willingly, bless ye the LORD.
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.
Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, unto the LORD will I sing; I will sing praise to the LORD, the 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 didst go forth out of Seir, when Thou didst march out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens also dropped, yea, the clouds 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 mountains quaked at the presence of the LORD, even yon Sinai at the presence of the LORD, the 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 days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways ceased, and the travellers walked through byways.
7 Village life in Israel was abandoned until I, Deborah, came on the scene as a mother in Israel.
The rulers ceased in Israel, they ceased, until that thou didst arise, Deborah, that thou didst arise 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 war in the gates; was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?
9 My thoughts are with the Israelite commanders and those people who volunteered. Praise the Lord!
My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD.
10 You people riding white donkeys, sitting on comfortable blankets, traveling down the road, notice
Ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit on rich cloths, and ye that walk by the way, tell of it;
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.
Louder than the voice of archers, by the watering-troughs! there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, even the righteous acts of His rulers in Israel. Then the people of the LORD went down 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.’
Awake, awake, Deborah; awake, awake, utter a song; arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.
13 The survivors went to attack the nobles, the people of the Lord went to attack the powerful.
Then made He a remnant to have dominion over the nobles and the people; the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty.
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.
Out of Ephraim came they whose root is in Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy peoples; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the marshal's staff.
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; as was Issachar, so was Barak; into the valley they rushed forth at his feet. Among the divisions of Reuben there were great resolves 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 sattest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the pipings for the flocks? At the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings 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 beyond the Jordan; and Dan, why doth he sojourn by the ships? Asher dwelt at the shore of the sea, and abideth by its bays.
18 The people of Zebulun risked their lives; as did Naphtali on the high battlefields.
Zebulun is a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death, and Naphtali, upon the high 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, they fought; then fought the kings of Canaan, in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.
20 The stars fought from heaven. The stars in their courses fought against Sisera.
They fought from heaven, the stars 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 brook Kishon swept them away, that ancient brook, the brook Kishon. O my soul, tread them down with strength.
22 Then the horses' hooves flailed loudly, his stallions stampeded.
Then did the horsehoofs stamp by reason of the prancings, the prancings of their mighty ones.
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', said the angel of the LORD, 'Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof, because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of 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.
Blessed above women shall Jael be, the wife of Heber the Kenite, above women in the tent shall she be blessed.
25 He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a bowl fit for nobles she brought him buttermilk.
Water he asked, milk she gave him; in a lordly bowl she brought him curd.
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.
Her hand she put to the tent-pin, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote through his head, yea, she pierced and struck through 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.
At her feet he sunk, he fell, he lay; at her feet he sunk, he fell; where he sunk, there he fell down 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?’
Through the window she looked forth, and peered, the mother of Sisera, through the lattice: 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the wheels of his chariots?
29 The wisest of her ladies tells her, and she repeats the same words to herself,
The wisest of her princesses answer her, yea, she returneth answer to herself:
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.’
'Are they not finding, are they not dividing the spoil? A damsel, two damsels to every man; to Sisera a spoil of dyed garments, a spoil of dyed garments of embroidery, two dyed garments of broidery for the neck of every spoiler?'
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 perish all Thine enemies, O LORD; but they that love Him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.
