Judges 5
1 That day Deborah and Barak, son of Abinoam, sang this song:
On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
2 “Israel's leaders took charge, and the people were totally committed. Praise the Lord!
“When the leaders take the lead in Israel, when the people gladly volunteer for war— we praise Yahweh!
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.
Listen, you kings! Pay attention, you leaders! I, I will sing to Yahweh; I will sing praises to Yahweh, 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.
Yahweh, when you went out from Seir, when you marched from Edom, the earth shook, and the skies also trembled; also the clouds poured down 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 before the face of Yahweh; even Mount Sinai quaked before the face of Yahweh, 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 (son of Anath), in the days of Jael, the main roads were abandoned, and those who walked only used the winding paths.
7 Village life in Israel was abandoned until I, Deborah, came on the scene as a mother in Israel.
There were few rural people in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose—arose as 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.
When they chose new gods, there was fighting at the city gates and yet there were no shields or spears seen among forty thousand in Israel.
9 My thoughts are with the Israelite commanders and those people who volunteered. Praise the Lord!
My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel, along with the people who gladly volunteered— we bless Yahweh for them!
10 You people riding white donkeys, sitting on comfortable blankets, traveling down the road, notice
Think about this—you who ride on white donkeys sitting on rugs for saddles, and you who walk along the road.
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.
Hear the voices of those who sing at the watering places. There they tell again of Yahweh's righteous deeds, and the righteous actions of his warriors in Israel. Then the people of Yahweh went down to the city 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, sing a song! Get up, Barak, and capture your prisoners, you son of Abinoam.
13 The survivors went to attack the nobles, the people of the Lord went to attack the powerful.
Then the survivors came down to the nobles; the people of Yahweh came down to me with the warriors.
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.
They came from Ephraim, whose root is in Amalek; the people of Benjamin followed you. From Machir commanders came down, and from Zebulun those who carry an officer'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.
My princes in Issachar were with Deborah; and Issachar was with Barak rushing after him into the valley under his command. Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings 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 did you sit between the fireplaces, listening to the shepherds playing their pipes for their flocks? As for the clans 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 stayed on the other side of the Jordan; and Dan, why did he wander about on ships? Asher remained on the coast and lived close to his harbors.
18 The people of Zebulun risked their lives; as did Naphtali on the high battlefields.
Zebulun was a tribe who would risk their lives to the point of death, and Naphtali, also, on the field of battle.
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; the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo. But they took away no silver as plunder.
20 The stars fought from heaven. The stars in their courses fought against Sisera.
From heaven the stars fought, from their paths across the heavens they fought against Sisera.
21 The Kishon River swept them away—the old river turned into a raging torrent! I bravely march on!
The Kishon River swept them away, that old river, the Kishon River. March on my soul, be strong!
22 Then the horses' hooves flailed loudly, his stallions stampeded.
Then came the sound of horses' hooves— galloping, the galloping of his 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 Meroz!' says the angel of Yahweh. 'Surely curse its inhabitants!— because they did not come to help Yahweh— to help Yahweh in the battle against the mighty warriors.'
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.
Jael is blessed more than all other women, Jael (the wife of Heber the Kenite), she is more blessed than all the women who live in tents.
25 He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a bowl fit for nobles she brought him buttermilk.
The man asked for water, and she gave him milk; she brought him butter in a dish fit for princes.
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 tent peg, and her right hand to the workman's hammer; with the hammer she struck Sisera, she crushed his head. She smashed his skull into pieces when she pierced him through the side of his head.
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 collapsed between her feet, he fell and he lay there. Between her feet he fell limp. The place he collapsed is where he was violently killed.
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?’
Out of a window she looked— the mother of Sisera looked through the lattice and she called out in sadness, 'Why has it taken his chariot so long to come? Why have the hoofbeats of the horses that pull his chariots been delayed?'
29 The wisest of her ladies tells her, and she repeats the same words to herself,
Her wisest princesses replied, and she gave herself the same answer:
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.’
'Have they not found and divided up the plunder? —A womb, two wombs for every man; the plunder of dyed fabric for Sisera, the plunder of dyed fabric embroidered, two pieces of dyed fabric embroidered for the necks of those who plunder?'
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 may all your enemies perish, Yahweh! But your friends be like the sun when it rises in its might.” Then the land had peace for forty years.
