Judges 5
1 And Debbora and Barac son of Abineem sang in that day, saying,
Then sang Deborah with Barak the son of Abino'am on that day, saying,
2 A revelation was made in Israel when the people were made willing: Praise you the Lord.
When depravity had broken out in Israel, then did the people offer themselves willingly; [therefore] praise ye the Lord.
3 Hear, you kings, and listen, rulers: I will sing, it is I [who will sing] to the Lord, it is I, I will sing a psalm to the Lord the 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 O Lord, in your going forth on Seir, when you went forth out of the land of Edom, the earth quaked and the heaven dropped dews, and the clouds 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 were shaken before the face of the Lord Eloi, this Sina before the face of 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 Samegar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, they deserted the ways, and went in by-ways; they went in crooked paths.
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 mighty men in Israel failed, they failed until Debbora arose, until she 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 the cities of rulers fought; there was not 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 [inclines] to the orders given in Israel; you that are willing among the people, bless the Lord.
My heart [belongeth] to the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people: praise ye the Lord.
10 You that mount a she-ass at noon-day, you that sit on the judgment-seat, and walk by the roads of them that sit in judgment by the way; declare
Ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and ye who walk on the way, utter praise!
11 [you that are delivered] from the noise of disturbers among the drawers of water; there shall they relate righteous acts: O Lord, increase righteous acts in Israel: then the people of the Lord went down to the cities.
[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, Debbora; awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barac, and lead your captivity captive, son of Abineem.
Awake, awake, Deborah! awake, awake, utter a song! up, Barak, and lead away thy captives, son of Abino'am.
13 Then went down the remnant to the strong, the people of the Lord went down for him among the mighty ones from me.
Then obtained dominion a few that had escaped for the nobles among the people—the Lord gave me dominion over the mighty.
14 Ephraim rooted them out in Amalec, behind you was Benjamin among your people: the inhabitants of Machir came down with me searching out the enemy, and from Zabulon came they that draw with the scribe's pen of record.
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 princess in Issachar were with Debbora and Barac, thus she sent Barac on his feet in the valleys into the portions of Ruben; great [pangs] reached to the 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 did they sit between the sheepfolds to hear the bleating of flocks for the divisions of Ruben? [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 Galaad [is] on the other side of Jordan where he pitched his tents; and why does Dan remain in ships? Aser sat down on the sea-coasts, and he will tabernacle at his ports.
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 The people Zabulon exposed their soul to death, and Nephthali came to the high places of their land.
Zebulun is a people that jeoparded its life unto death, and Naphtali—on the high places of the [battle] field.
19 Kings set themselves in array, then the kings of Chanaan fought in Thanaach at the water of Mageddo; they took no gift 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 The stars from heaven set themselves in array, they set themselves [to fight] with Sisara out of their paths.
From heaven they fought—the stars in their courses fought against Sissera.
21 The brook of Kison swept them away, the ancient brook, the brook Kison: my mighty soul will trample him down.
The stream of Kishon swept them away, that ancient stream, the stream of Kishon: step along, O my soul, in victorious strength.
22 When the hoofs of the horse were entangled, his mighty ones earnestly hasted
Then were crushed the hoofs of the horses, through the prancings, the prancings of their mighty ones.
23 to curse Meroz: Curse you [it], said the angel of the Lord; cursed [is] every one that dwells in it, because they came not to the help of the Lord, to his help among 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 among women be Jael wife of Chaber the Kenite; let her be blessed above women in tents.
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 for water, she gave him milk in a dish; she brought butter of princes.
Water he asked, milk she gave [him]: in a lordly dish she brought him cream.
26 She stretched forth her left hand to the nail, and her right to the hand workman's hammer, and she struck Sisara with it, she nailed through his head and struck him; she nailed 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 He rolled down between her feet; he fell and lay between her feet; he bowed and fell: where he bowed, there he fell 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 Sisara looked down through the window out of the loophole, [saying], Why was his chariot ashamed? why did the wheels of his chariots wait?
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, and she returned answers to herself, [saying],
The wise among her ladies answered her, she also returned a reply to herself.
30 Will they not find him dividing the spoil? he will surely be gracious to every man: [there are] spoils of dyed garments for Sisara, spoils of various dyed garments, dyed embroidered garments, they [are] the spoils for his neck.
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 Thus let all your enemies perish, O Lord: and they that love him shall be as the going forth of the sun in his strength. 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.
