Judges 5
1 And Deborah sings—also Barak son of Abinoam—on that day, saying,
Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying,
2 “For freeing leaders in Israel, For a people willingly offering themselves, Bless YHWH.
“Because the leaders took the lead in Israel, because the people offered themselves willingly, be blessed, LORD!
3 Hear, you kings; give ear, you princes, I sing to YHWH, I sing praise to YHWH, God of Israel.
“Hear, you kings! Give ear, you princes! I, even 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.
“LORD, when you went out of Seir, when you marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the sky also dropped. Yes, the clouds dropped water.
5 Hills flowed from the face of YHWH, This one—Sinai—From the face of YHWH, God of Israel.
The mountains quaked at the LORD’s presence, even Sinai at the presence of 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 the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied. The travellers walked through byways.
7 Villages ceased in Israel—they ceased, Until I arose—Deborah, That I arose, a mother in Israel.
The rulers ceased in Israel. They ceased until I, Deborah, arose; Until I 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.
They chose new gods. Then war was in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen amongst 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 towards the governors of Israel, who offered themselves willingly amongst the people. Bless the LORD!
10 Riders on white donkeys—Sitters on a long robe—And walkers by the way—meditate!
“Speak, you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit on rich carpets, and you who walk by the way.
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.
Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water, there they will rehearse the LORD’s righteous acts, the righteous acts of his rule in Israel. “Then the LORD’s people 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, Deborah! Awake, awake, utter a song! Arise, Barak, and lead away your captives, you 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 a remnant of the nobles and the people came down. The LORD came down for 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.
Those whose root is in Amalek came out of Ephraim, after you, Benjamin, amongst your peoples. Governors come down out of Machir. Those who handle the marshal’s staff came out of 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. As was Issachar, so was Barak. They rushed into the valley at his feet. By the watercourses of Reuben, there were great resolves of heart.
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 amongst the sheepfolds? To hear the whistling for the flocks? At the watercourses of Reuben, there were great searchings of heart.
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 lived beyond the Jordan. Why did Dan remain in ships? Asher sat still at the haven of the sea, and lived by his creeks.
18 Zebulun [is] a people who exposed its soul to death, Naphtali also—on high places of the field.
Zebulun was a people that jeopardised their lives to the death; Naphtali also, on the high places of the field.
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 came and fought, then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo. They took no plunder of silver.
20 They fought from the heavens: The stars fought with Sisera from their highways.
From the sky 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, that ancient river, the river Kishon. My soul, march on with strength.
22 Then the horse-heels were broken, By gallopings—gallopings of its mighty ones.
Then the horse hoofs stamped because of the prancing, the prancing of their strong ones.
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,’ said the LORD’s angel. ‘Curse bitterly its inhabitants, because they didn’t 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.
“Jael shall be blessed above women, the wife of Heber the Kenite; blessed shall she be above women in the tent.
25 He asked for water—she gave milk; She brought butter near in a lordly dish.
He asked for water. She gave him milk. She brought him butter in a lordly dish.
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 put her hand to the tent peg, and her right hand to the workmen’s hammer. With the hammer she struck Sisera. She struck through his head. Yes, she pierced and struck through his temples.
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 bowed, he fell, he lay. At her feet he bowed, he fell. Where he bowed, there he fell down 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?
“Through the window she looked out, and cried: Sisera’s mother looked through the lattice. ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why do the wheels of his chariots wait?’
29 The wise ones, her princesses, answer her, Indeed, she returns her sayings to herself:
Her wise ladies answered her, Yes, she returned answer to 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!
‘Have they not found, have they not divided the plunder? A lady, two ladies to every man; to Sisera a plunder of dyed garments, a plunder of dyed garments embroidered, of dyed garments embroidered on both sides, on the necks of the plunder?’
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 let all your enemies perish, LORD, but let those who love him be as the sun when it rises in its strength.” Then the land had rest forty years.
