Judges 5
1 And Deborah sings—also Barak son of Abinoam—on that day, saying,
On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
2 “For freeing leaders in Israel, For a people willingly offering themselves, Bless YHWH.
“When the princes take the lead in Israel, when the people volunteer, bless the LORD.
3 Hear, you kings; give ear, you princes, I sing to YHWH, I sing praise to YHWH, God of Israel.
Listen, O kings! Give ear, O princes! I will sing to the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel.
4 YHWH, in Your going forth out of Seir, In Your stepping out of the field of Edom, The earth trembled and the heavens dropped, And thick clouds dropped water.
O LORD, when You went out from Seir, when You marched from the land of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens poured out rain, and the clouds poured down water.
5 Hills flowed from the face of YHWH, This one—Sinai—From the face of YHWH, God of Israel.
The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel.
6 In the days of Shamgar son of Anath—In the days of Jael—The ways have ceased, And those going in the paths go [in] crooked ways.
In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were deserted and the travelers took the byways.
7 Villages ceased in Israel—they ceased, Until I arose—Deborah, That I arose, a mother in Israel.
Life in the villages ceased; it ended in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose, a mother in Israel.
8 He chooses new gods, Then war [is] at the gates! A shield is not seen—and a spear Among forty thousand in Israel.
When they chose new gods, then war came to their gates. Not a shield or spear was found among forty thousand in Israel.
9 My heart [is] to the lawgivers of Israel, Who are offering themselves willingly among the people, Bless YHWH!
My heart is with the princes of Israel, with the volunteers among the people. Bless the LORD!
10 Riders on white donkeys—Sitters on a long robe—And walkers by the way—meditate!
You who ride white donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, and you who travel the road, ponder
11 By the voice of shouters Between the places of drawing water, There they give out righteous acts of YHWH, Righteous acts of His villages in Israel, Then the people of YHWH have gone down to the gates.
the voices of the singers at the watering places. There they shall recount the righteous acts of the LORD, the righteous deeds of His villagers in Israel. Then the people of the LORD went down to the gates:
12 Awake, awake, Deborah; Awake, awake, utter a song; Rise, Barak, and take your captivity captive, Son of Abinoam.
‘Awake, awake, O Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, O Barak, and take hold of your captives, O son of Abinoam!’
13 Then him who is left of the majestic ones He caused to rule the people of YHWH, He caused me to rule among the mighty.
Then the survivors came down to the nobles; the people of the LORD came down to me against the mighty.
14 From Ephraim [are] those whose root [is] in Amalek, After you, Benjamin, among your peoples, From Machir lawgivers came down, And from Zebulun those drawing with the reed of a writer.
Some came from Ephraim, with their roots in Amalek; Benjamin came with your people after you. The commanders came down from Machir, the bearers of the marshal’s staff from Zebulun.
15 And princes in Issachar [are] with Deborah, Indeed, Issachar [is] right with Barak, Into the valley he was sent on his feet. In the divisions of Reuben, The decrees of heart [are] great!
The princes of Issachar were with Deborah, and Issachar was with Barak, rushing into the valley at his heels. In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.
16 Why have you abided between the boundaries, To hear lowings of herds? For the divisions of Reuben, The searchings of heart [are] great!
Why did you sit among the sheepfolds to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.
17 Gilead dwelt beyond the Jordan, And why does Dan sojourn [in] ships? Asher has abided at the haven of the seas, And dwells by his creeks.
Gilead remained beyond the Jordan. Dan, why did you linger by the ships? Asher stayed at the coast and remained in his harbors.
18 Zebulun [is] a people who exposed its soul to death, Naphtali also—on high places of the field.
Zebulun was a people who risked their lives; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the battlefield.
19 Kings came—they fought; Then kings of Canaan fought, In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; They did not take gain of money!
Kings came and fought; then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they took no plunder of silver.
20 They fought from the heavens: The stars fought with Sisera from their highways.
From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 The Brook of Kishon swept them away, The most ancient brook—the Brook of Kishon. You tread down strength, O my soul!
The River Kishon swept them away, the ancient river, the River Kishon. March on, O my soul, in strength!
22 Then the horse-heels were broken, By gallopings—gallopings of its mighty ones.
Then the hooves of horses thundered— the mad galloping of his stallions.
23 Curse Meroz, said a messenger of YHWH, Cursing, curse its inhabitants! For they did not come to the help of YHWH, To the help of YHWH among the mighty!
‘Curse Meroz,’ says the angel of the LORD. ‘Bitterly curse her inhabitants; for they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.’
24 Above women is Jael, The wife of Heber the Kenite, She is blessed above women in the tent.
Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
25 He asked for water—she gave milk; She brought butter near in a lordly dish.
He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.
26 She sends forth her hand to the pin, And her right hand to the laborers’ hammer, And she hammered Sisera—she struck his head, Indeed, she struck, and it passed through his temple.
She reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman’s hammer. She struck Sisera and crushed his skull; she shattered and pierced his temple.
27 He bowed between her feet—He fell, he lay down; He bowed between her feet, he fell; Where he bowed, there he fell—destroyed.
At her feet he collapsed, he fell, there he lay still; at her feet he collapsed, he fell; where he collapsed, there he fell dead.
28 She has looked out through the window—Indeed, she cries out—the mother of Sisera, Through the lattice: Why is his chariot delaying to come? Why have the steps of his chariot tarried?
Sisera’s mother looked through the window; she peered through the lattice and lamented: ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? What has delayed the clatter of his chariots?’
29 The wise ones, her princesses, answer her, Indeed, she returns her sayings to herself:
Her wisest ladies answer; indeed she keeps telling herself,
30 Do they not find? They apportion spoil, A female—two females—for every head, Spoil of finger-work for Sisera, Spoil of embroidered finger-work, Finger-work—a pair of embroidered things, For the necks of the spoil!
‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoil— a girl or two for each warrior, a plunder of dyed garments for Sisera, the spoil of embroidered garments for the neck of the looter?’
31 So do all Your enemies perish, O YHWH, And those loving Him [are] As the going out of the sun in its might!” And the land rests [for] forty years.
So may all your enemies perish, O LORD! But may those who love You shine like the sun at its brightest.” And the land had rest for forty years.
