Judges 5
1 Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,
On that day, Deborah sang this song, along with Barak:
2 Praise ye YHWH for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.
“When the leaders of the Israeli people really lead them, and the people follow them, [it is time to] praise Yahweh!
3 Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto YHWH; I will sing praise to YHWH Elohim of Israel.
Listen, you kings! Pay attention, you leaders! I will sing to Yahweh. With this song I will praise Yahweh, the God we Israelis worship.
4 YHWH, 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.
O Yahweh, when you came from Seir, when you marched from that land [better known as] Edom, the earth shook, and rain poured down from the skies.
5 The mountains melted from before YHWH, even that Sinai from before YHWH Elohim of Israel.
The mountains shook when you came, just like Sinai Mountain shook when you appeared there, because you are Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis worship.
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.
“When Shamgar was our leader and when Jael ruled us, [we were afraid to walk on] the main roads; instead, caravans of travelers walked on winding [less traveled] roads [to avoid being molested].
7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.
People left their small villages, [and moved into the walled cities] until I, Deborah, became their leader. [I became like] a mother to the Israeli people.
8 They chose new elohim; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?
When the Israeli people [abandoned Yahweh and] chose new gods, enemies attacked the gates of the cities, and then [they took away] the shields and spears from 40,000 Israeli soldiers. Not one shield or spear was left.
9 My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye YHWH.
I am thankful for the leaders and soldiers who volunteered [to fight]. Praise Yahweh [for them!]
10 Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way.
“You wealthy people who ride on donkeys, sitting on nice padded saddles, and you people who just walk on the road, you all listen!
11 They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of YHWH, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of YHWH go down to the gates.
Listen to the voices of the singers who gather at the places where [the animals drink] water. They tell about how Yahweh acted righteously when he enabled the Israeli warriors to conquer [their enemies]. “Yahweh’s people marched down to the gates of our city.
12 Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.
The people came to my house and shouted, ‘Deborah, wake up! Wake up and start singing!’ They also shouted, ‘Barak, son of Abinoam, get up, and capture our enemies!’
13 Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: YHWH made me have dominion over the mighty.
Later, some of the Israeli people came down [from Tabor Mountain] with us, their leaders. These men who belonged to Yahweh came with me to fight their strong enemies.
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.
Some came from the tribe descended from Ephraim. They came from land that once belonged to the descendants of Amalek. And men from the tribe descended from Benjamin followed them. Troops from the group descended from Makir also came down, and officers from the tribe descended from Zebulun came down, carrying staffs.
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.
Leaders from the tribes descended from Issachar joined Barak and me. They followed Barak, rushing down into the valley. But men from the tribe descended from Reuben could not decide whether or not to join us.
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 did you men stay at your sheep pens, waiting to hear the shepherds whistle for their flocks of sheep to come to the pens? Men in the tribe descended from Reuben could not decide whether they would join us to fight our enemies, or not.
17 Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches.
Similarly, the men living in the Gilead area stayed at home, east of the Jordan River. And the men from the tribe descended from Dan, why did they stay home? The tribe descended from Asher sat by the seashore. They stayed in their coves.
18 Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.
But men from the tribe descended from Zebulun risked (their lives/were ready to die fighting) on the battlefield, and men descended from Naphtali were ready to do that, also.
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.
“The kings of Canaan fought us at Taanach, near the springs in Megiddo [Valley]. [But since they did not defeat us], they did not carry away any silver or other treasures from the battle.
20 They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.
[It was as though] the stars in the sky fought for us [and as though] those stars in their paths fought against Sisera.
21 The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.
The Kishon River swept them away— that river that has been there for ages. I will tell myself to be brave and continue marching on.
22 Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.
The hooves of the horses of Sisera’s [army] pounded the ground. Those powerful horses kept galloping along.
23 Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of YHWH, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of YHWH, to the help of YHWH against the mighty.
The angel sent by Yahweh said, ‘Curse the people of Meroz [town], because they did not come to help Yahweh to defeat the mighty warriors [of Canaan].’
24 Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.
“But God is very pleased with Jael, the wife of Heber from the Ken people-group. He is more pleased with her than with all the other women who live in tents.
25 He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a noble dish.
Sisera asked for some water, but Jael gave him some milk. She brought him some yogurt/curds in a bowl that was suitable for kings.
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.
Then, [when he was asleep], she reached for a tent peg with her left hand, and she reached for a hammer with her right hand. She hit Sisera hard with it and crushed his head. She pounded the tent peg right through his head.
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.
He collapsed and fell dead at her feet.
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?
“Sisera’s mother looked out from her window. She waited for him to return. She said, ‘Why is he taking so long to come home in his chariot? Why don’t I hear the sound of the wheels of his chariot?’
29 Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself,
One wise woman replied to her, and she [kept consoling herself by] repeating those words:
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?
‘Perhaps they are dividing up the things and the people they captured after the battle. Each soldier will get one or two women. Sisera will get some beautiful robes, and some beautiful embroidered robes for me.’
31 So let all thine enemies perish, O YHWH: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.
But [that is not what happened]! Yahweh, I hope that all your enemies will die as Sisera did! And I desire that all those who love you will be as strong as the sun when it rises!
