< Judges 5 >

1 And Deborah sings—also Barak son of Abinoam—on that day, saying,
On that day, Deborah sang this song, along with Barak:
2 “For freeing leaders in Israel, For a people willingly offering themselves, Bless YHWH.
“When the leaders of the Israeli people really lead them, and the people follow them, [it is time to] praise Yahweh!
3 Hear, you kings; give ear, you princes, I sing to YHWH, I sing praise to YHWH, 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 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 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 Hills flowed from the face of YHWH, This one—Sinai—From the face of YHWH, 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 son of Anath—In the days of Jael—The ways have ceased, And those going in the paths go [in] crooked ways.
“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 Villages ceased in Israel—they ceased, Until 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 He chooses new gods, Then war [is] at the gates! A shield is not seen—and 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 [is] to the lawgivers of Israel, Who are offering themselves willingly among the people, Bless YHWH!
I am thankful for the leaders and soldiers who volunteered [to fight]. Praise Yahweh [for them!]
10 Riders on white donkeys—Sitters on a long robe—And walkers by the way—meditate!
“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 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.
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; Rise, Barak, and take your captivity captive, 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 him who is left of the majestic ones He caused to rule the people of YHWH, He caused me to rule among 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 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 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 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!
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 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 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 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.
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 who exposed its soul to death, Naphtali also—on 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 Kings came—they fought; Then kings of Canaan fought, In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; They did not take 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 the heavens: The stars fought with Sisera from their highways.
[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 Brook of Kishon swept them away, The most ancient brook—the Brook of Kishon. You tread down strength, O my soul!
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 the horse-heels were broken, By gallopings—gallopings of its mighty ones.
The hooves of the horses of Sisera’s [army] pounded the ground. Those powerful horses kept galloping along.
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!
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 Above women is Jael, The wife of Heber the Kenite, She is blessed 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 for water—she gave milk; She brought butter near in a lordly 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 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.
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 He bowed between her feet—He fell, he lay down; He bowed between her feet, he fell; Where he bowed, there he fell—destroyed.
He collapsed and fell dead at her feet.
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 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 ones, her princesses, answer her, Indeed, she returns her sayings to herself:
One wise woman replied to her, and she [kept consoling herself by] repeating those words:
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!
‘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 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.
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!

< Judges 5 >