Judges 5
1 Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,
Then sang Deborah, and Barak, son of Abinoam, —on that day, saying: —
2 Praise ye Yhwh for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.
For the leadership of leaders in Israel, For the volunteering of the people, —Bless ye Yahweh!
3 Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto Yhwh; I will sing praise to Yhwh God of Israel.
Hear, ye kings! Give ear, ye princes! I, unto Yahweh, —I, will sing, Will make melody to Yahweh, God of Israel.
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 thou didst come forth out of Seir, When thou didst march along out of the field of Edom, Earth, trembled, Heaven also, poured forth, —Yea, dark clouds, poured forth waters;
5 The mountains melted from before Yhwh, even that Sinai from before Yhwh God of Israel.
From, mountains, came down streams In presence of Yahweh, —From this Sinai, In presence of Yahweh, 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 son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the roads were forsaken, —and, the frequenters of highways, betook them to roundabout paths:
7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.
There was a failure of rulers, in Israel, a failure, —until I arose, a Deborah, 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 gods that were new, Then, —war at the gates! Was there, a shield, to be 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 Yhwh.
My heart [saith] —for the governors of Israel, for the volunteers among the people, Bless ye Yahweh!
10 Speak, ye that ride on white donkeys, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way.
Ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit on carpets, and ye that walk upon the road, speak!
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.
In the place of the noise of bowmen among the wells, there, laud ye—the righteous acts of Yahweh, the righteous acts of his rule over Israel. Then, had come down to the gates the people of Yahweh.
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 words of song, —Arise! Barak, and bind fast thy captives, O son of Abinoam!
13 Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: Yhwh made me have dominion over the mighty.
Then, came down a remnant to the nobles—a people, —Yahweh, came down with me against 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.
Out of Ephraim, [came down] they whose root was in Amalek, After thee, Benjamin, among thy tribes, —Out of Machir, had come down governors, And, out of Zebulun, such as bear aloft the staff of the marshal;
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, my princes in Issachar, were with Deborah, yea, Issachar, was the support of Barak, Into the vale rushed they forth at his feet. Among the divisions of Reuben, great were the resolves of the 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.
Wherefore abodes thou among the folds? To hear the mocking of the flocks? The divisions of Reuben, had great counsellings 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.
Gilead, beyond the Jordan, took his rest, but, Dan, wherefore remained he with the ships? Asher, abode by the shore of the seas, and, by his creeks, must needs rest.
18 Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.
Zebulun—a people that scorned their souls unto death; and, Naphtali, —upon the heights of the 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.
On came kings, they fought, Then, fought the kings of Canaan, In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo, —Plunder of silver, they took not away!
20 They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.
From heaven, was the battle fought, —The stars in their courses, 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 torrent of Kishon, swept them away, the torrent of olden times, the torrent of Kishon! Let my soul march along, with victorious strength!
22 Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.
Then, stamped hoofs of horses, With the gallopings, gallopings of his mighty steeds.
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.
Curse ye Meroz, saith the messenger of Yahweh, Curse ye with a curse, the inhabitants thereof, —because they came not in to the help of Yahweh, to the help of Yahweh, against 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 women, shall be Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, —Above women in the tent, 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, —In a bowl for nobles, presented 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, to the tent-pin, put she forth, and, her right hand, to the toilers’ mallet, —Then smote she Sisera, She shattered his head, Yea she split open and pierced through his temples:
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 bowed—he fell, he lay, —Between her feet, he bowed—he fell, Where he bowed, There, he fell—destroyed!
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?
Through the window, looked out and shrilly cried, The mother of Sisera, through the lattice, —Why is his chariot ashamed to come? Why delay the wheels of his chariot?
29 Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself,
The wise ladies, her princesses, responded, —Nay! she, returned answer 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?
Is it not They keep finding—dividing spoil, One damsel, two damsels, to every several hero, Spoil, of divers coloured raiment for Sisera, Spoil, of divers coloured raiment, embroidered, Coloured raiment richly embroidered, on the necks of them who are taken as spoil?
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.
So, perish all thine enemies, O Yahweh, But be, they who love him, as the going forth of the sun, in his might! And the land had rest forty years.
