Judges 5
1 THEN sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,
Then sang Deborah with Barak the son of Abino'am on that day, saying,
2 Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.
When depravity had broken out in Israel, then did the people offer themselves willingly; [therefore] praise ye the Lord.
3 Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.
Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes; I—unto the Lord will I sing; I will sing praise to the Lord, the God of Israel.
4 Lord, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water.
Lord, at thy going forth out of Seir, at thy marching along out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, also the heavens dropped, also the clouds dropped water.
5 The mountains melted from before the Lord, even that Sinai from before the Lord God of Israel.
The mountains melted away because of the presence of the Lord, yonder Sinai, because of the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel.
6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.
In the days of Shamgar the son of 'Anath, in the days of Ja'el, the highways were unoccupied, and those who travelled on roads walked through crooked by-paths.
7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.
Desolate were the open towns in Israel, they were desolate, until that I arose, Deborah, that I arose a mother in Israel.
8 They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?
They chose new gods, then was there war in the gates: was there a shield seen or a spear among forty thousand in Israel?
9 My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the Lord.
My heart [belongeth] to the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people: praise ye the Lord.
10 Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way.
Ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and ye who walk on the way, utter praise!
11 They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of the Lord go down to the gates.
[Urged on] by the voice of those who divide [the flocks] between the watering wells, there shall they rehearse the benefits of the Lord, the benefits toward his open towns in Israel; [for] now go down [again] to the gates the people of the Lord.
12 Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.
Awake, awake, Deborah! awake, awake, utter a song! up, Barak, and lead away thy captives, son of Abino'am.
13 Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the Lord made me have dominion over the mighty.
Then obtained dominion a few that had escaped for the nobles among the people—the Lord gave me dominion over the mighty.
14 Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.
They whose root is out of Ephraim were against 'Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, with thy armies; out of Machir came down lawgivers, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.
15 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart.
And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; yea Issachar, the support of Barak; into the valley he hastened down in his train; [but] at the streams of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart.
16 Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
Why didst thou sit among the sheepfolds to hear the bleatings of the flocks? At the streams of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
17 Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches.
Gil'ad abode beyond the Jordan; and Dan—why would he tarry in ships? Asher remained on the seashore, and abode near his bays.
18 Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.
Zebulun is a people that jeoparded its life unto death, and Naphtali—on the high places of the [battle] field.
19 The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.
There came kings, [and] fought, then fought the kings of Canaan, in Ta'anach by the waters of Megiddo: gain of money they took not away.
20 They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.
From heaven they fought—the stars in their courses fought against Sissera.
21 The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.
The stream of Kishon swept them away, that ancient stream, the stream of Kishon: step along, O my soul, in victorious strength.
22 Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.
Then were crushed the hoofs of the horses, through the prancings, the prancings of their mighty ones.
23 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.
Curse ye Meroz, saith the messenger of the Lord, yea, curse ye bitterly its inhabitants; because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord among the mighty.
24 Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.
Blessed above [other] women shall be Ja'el the wife of Cheber the Kenite, above [other] women [dwelling] in the tent may she be blessed.
25 He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.
Water he asked, milk she gave [him]: in a lordly dish she brought him cream.
26 She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen’s hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.
Her hand she put forth to the nail, and her right hand to the laborious workmen's hammer; and she hammered Sissera, she struck his head, and crushed and smote through his temple.
27 At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead.
Between her feet he bent, he fell, he lay; between her feet he bent, he fell: where he had bent, there he fell down, bereft of life.
28 The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots?
Out of the window looked and moaned the mother of Sissera, through the lattice, Why tarrieth his chariot so long in coming? why lag the wheels of his chariot?
29 Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself,
The wise among her ladies answered her, she also returned a reply to herself.
30 Have they not sped? have they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colours, a prey of divers colours of needlework, of divers colours of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil?
Will they not find, —divide booty? one maiden, two maidens for every man, a booty of colored garments for Sissera, a booty of colored embroidered garments, colored, double-worked garments round the necks of the captives!
31 So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.
Thus may perish all thy enemies, O Lord; but may those that love him be as the rising of the sun in his might. And the land had rest forty years.
