Judges 5
1 Then sang Deborah, and Barak the sonne of Abinoam the same day, saying,
In that day, Deborah and Barak, the son of Abinoam, sang out, saying:
2 Praise ye the Lord for the auenging of Israel, and for the people that offred themselues willingly.
“All you of Israel who have willingly offered your lives to danger, bless the Lord!
3 Heare, ye Kings, hearken ye princes: I, euen I will sing vnto the Lord: I will sing praise vnto the Lord God of Israel.
Listen, O kings! Pay attention, O princes! It is I, it is I, who will sing to the Lord. I will sing a psalm to the Lord, the God of Israel!
4 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.
O Lord, when you departed from Seir, and you crossed through the regions of Edom, the earth and the heavens were moved, and the clouds rained down water.
5 The mountaines melted before the Lord, as did that Sinai before the Lord God of Israel.
The mountains flowed away before the face of the Lord, and Sinai, before the face of the Lord God of Israel.
6 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.
In the days of Shamgar, the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the paths were quiet. And whoever entered by them, walked along rough byways.
7 The townes were not inhabited: they decayed, I say, in Israel, vntill I Deborah came vp, which rose vp a mother in Israel.
The strong men ceased, and they rested in Israel, until Deborah rose up, until a mother rose up in Israel.
8 They chose new gods: then was warre in the gates. Was there a shielde or speare seene among fourtie thousand of Israel?
The Lord chose new wars, and he himself overturned the gates of the enemies. A shield with a spear was not seen among the forty thousand of Israel.
9 Mine heart is set on the gouernours of Israel, and on them that are willing among the people: praise ye the Lord.
My heart loves the leaders of Israel. All you who, of your own free will, offered yourselves during a crisis, bless the Lord.
10 Speake ye that ride on white asses, yee that dwel by Middin, and that walke by the way.
You who ride upon donkeys laboring, and you who sit in judgment, and you who walk along the way, speak out.
11 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.
Where the chariots were struck together, and the army of the enemies was choked, in that place, let the justices of the Lord be described, and let his clemency be for the brave of Israel. Then did the people of the Lord descend to the gates, and obtain leadership.
12 Vp Deborah, vp, arise, and sing a song: arise Barak, and leade thy captiuitie captiue, thou sonne of Abinoam.
Rise up, rise up, O Deborah! Rise up, rise up, and speak a canticle! Rise up, Barak, and seize your captives, O son of Abinoam.
13 For they that remaine, haue dominio ouer the mightie of the people: the Lord hath giuen me dominion ouer the strong.
The remnants of the people were saved. The Lord contended with the strong.
14 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.
Out of Ephraim, he destroyed those with Amalek, and after him, out of Benjamin, those of your people, O Amalek. From Machir, there descended leaders, and from Zebulun, those who led the army to war.
15 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.
The commanders of Issachar were with Deborah, and they followed the steps of Barak, who endangered himself, like one rushing headlong into a chasm. Reuben was divided against himself. Contention was found among great souls.
16 Why abodest thou among the sheepefolds, to heare the bleatings of the flockes? for the diuisions of Reuben were great thoughts of heart.
Why do you live between two borders, so that you hear the bleating of the flocks? Reuben was divided against himself. Contention was found among great souls.
17 Gilead abode beyonde Iorden: and why doeth Dan remayne in shippes? Asher sate on the sea shoare, and taryed in his decayed places.
Gilead rested beyond the Jordan, and Dan was occupied with ships. Asher was living on the shore of the sea, and dwelling in the ports.
18 But the people of Zebulun and Naphtali haue ieopard their liues vnto the death in the hie places of the field.
Yet truly, Zebulun and Naphtali offered their lives to death in the region of Merom.
19 The Kings came and fought: then fought the Kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo: they receiued no gaine of money.
The kings came and fought; the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach, beside the waters of Megiddo. And yet they took no spoils.
20 They fought from heauen, euen the starres in their courses fought against Sisera.
The conflict against them was from heaven. The stars, remaining in their order and courses, fought against Sisera.
21 The Riuer Kishon swepe them away, that ancient riuer the riuer Kishon. O my soule, thou hast marched valiantly.
The torrent of Kishon dragged away their carcasses, the onrushing torrent, the torrent of Kishon. O my soul, tread upon the stalwart!
22 Then were the horsehooues broken with the oft beating together of their mightie men.
The hoofs of the horses were broken, while the strongest of the enemies fled away with fury, and rushed on to ruin.
23 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.
‘Cursed be the land of Meroz!’ said the Angel of the Lord. ‘Cursed be its inhabitants! For they did not come to the aid of the Lord, to the assistance of his most valiant men.’
24 Iael the wife of Heber the Kenite shall be blessed aboue other women: blessed shall she be aboue women dwelling in tentes.
Blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. And blessed is she in her tabernacle.
25 He asked water, and shee gaue him milke: she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.
He begged her for water, and she gave him milk, and she offered him butter in a dish fit for princes.
26 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.
She put her left hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workman’s mallet. And she struck Sisera, seeking in his head a place for the wound, and strongly piercing his temples.
27 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.
Between her feet, he was ruined. He fainted away and passed on. He curled up before her feet, and he lay there lifeless and miserable.
28 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?
His mother gazed through a window and wailed. And she spoke from an upper room: ‘Why does his chariot delay in returning? Why are the feet of his team of horses so slow?’
29 Her wise ladies answered her, Yea. Shee answered her selfe with her owne wordes,
One who was wiser than the rest of his wives responded to her mother-in-law with this:
30 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.
‘Perhaps he is now dividing the spoils, and the most beautiful among the women is being selected for him. Garments of diverse colors are being delivered to Sisera as spoils, and various goods are being collected for the adornment of necks.’
31 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.
O Lord, so may all your enemies perish! But may those who love you shine with splendor, as the sun shines at its rising.” And the land rested for forty years.
