Judges 5
1 Then sang Deborah with Barak the son of Abino'am on that day, saying,
On that day, Deborah sang this song, along with Barak:
2 When depravity had broken out in Israel, then did the people offer themselves willingly; [therefore] praise ye the Lord.
“When the leaders of the Israeli people really lead them, and the people follow them, [it is time to] praise Yahweh!
3 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.
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 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.
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 away because of the presence of the Lord, yonder Sinai, because of the presence of the Lord, the God 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 Ja'el, the highways were unoccupied, and those who travelled on roads walked through crooked by-paths.
“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 Desolate were the open towns in Israel, they were desolate, until that I arose, Deborah, 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 gods, then was there war in the gates: was there a shield seen or a spear 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 [belongeth] to the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people: praise ye the Lord.
I am thankful for the leaders and soldiers who volunteered [to fight]. Praise Yahweh [for them!]
10 Ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and ye who walk on the way, utter praise!
“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 [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.
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! up, Barak, and lead away thy captives, son of Abino'am.
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 obtained dominion a few that had escaped for the nobles among the people—the Lord gave me 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 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.
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; 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.
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 didst thou sit among the sheepfolds to hear the bleatings of the flocks? At the streams 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 Gil'ad abode beyond the Jordan; and Dan—why would he tarry in ships? Asher remained on the seashore, and abode near his bays.
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 is a people that jeoparded its life unto death, and Naphtali—on the high places of the [battle] 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 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.
“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 From heaven they fought—the stars in their courses fought against Sissera.
[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 stream of Kishon swept them away, that ancient stream, the stream of Kishon: step along, O my soul, in victorious 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 crushed the hoofs of the horses, through the prancings, the prancings 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, 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.
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 [other] women shall be Ja'el the wife of Cheber the Kenite, above [other] women [dwelling] in the tent may she be blessed.
“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 Water he asked, milk she gave [him]: in a lordly dish she brought him cream.
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 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.
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 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.
He collapsed and fell dead at her feet.
28 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?
“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 The wise among her ladies answered her, she also returned a reply to herself.
One wise woman replied to her, and she [kept consoling herself by] repeating those words:
30 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!
‘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 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.
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!
