Judges 5
1 Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying,
Then sang Deborah, and Barak, son of Abinoam, —on that day, saying: —
2 "Because the leaders took the lead in Israel, because the people offered themselves willingly, be blessed, YHWH.
For the leadership of leaders in Israel, For the volunteering of the people, —Bless ye Yahweh!
3 "Hear, you kings. Give ear, you princes. I, even I, will sing to YHWH. I will sing praise to YHWH, the God of Israel.
Hear, ye kings! Give ear, ye princes! I, unto Yahweh, —I, will sing, Will make melody to Yahweh, God of Israel.
4 "YHWH, when you went forth out of Seir, when you marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the sky also dropped. Yes, the clouds dropped water.
O Yahweh! When thou didst come forth out of Seir, When thou didst march along out of the field of Edom, Earth, trembled, Heaven also, poured forth, —Yea, dark clouds, poured forth waters;
5 The mountains quaked at the presence of YHWH, even Sinai, at the presence of YHWH, the God of Israel.
From, mountains, came down streams In presence of Yahweh, —From this Sinai, In presence of Yahweh, God of Israel.
6 "In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied. The travelers walked through byways.
In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the roads were forsaken, —and, the frequenters of highways, betook them to roundabout paths:
7 The rulers ceased in Israel. They ceased until I, Deborah, arose; Until I arose a mother in Israel.
There was a failure of rulers, in Israel, a failure, —until I arose, a Deborah, arose, a mother in Israel: —
8 They chose new gods. Then war was in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?
They chose gods that were new, Then, —war at the gates! Was there, a shield, to be seen? or a spear? among forty thousand in Israel?
9 My heart is toward the leaders of Israel, who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless YHWH.
My heart [saith] —for the governors of Israel, for the volunteers among the people, Bless ye Yahweh!
10 "Speak, you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit on saddle blankets, and you who walk by the way.
Ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit on carpets, and ye that walk upon the road, speak!
11 Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water, there they will rehearse the righteous acts of YHWH, the righteous acts of his rule in Israel. "Then the people of YHWH went down to the gates.
In the place of the noise of bowmen among the wells, there, laud ye—the righteous acts of Yahweh, the righteous acts of his rule over Israel. Then, had come down to the gates the people of Yahweh.
12 'Awake, awake, Deborah. Awaken the multitudes of a nation. Awake, awake, sing a song. Be strong. Arise, Barak. And Deborah, strengthen Barak. And lead away your captives, son of Abinoam.'
Awake! awake! Deborah, Awake! awake! utter words of song, —Arise! Barak, and bind fast thy captives, O son of Abinoam!
13 "Then a remnant of the nobles came down. The people of YHWH marched down to me against the mighty.
Then, came down a remnant to the nobles—a people, —Yahweh, came down with me against the mighty.
14 From Ephraim those who uprooted Amalek came out, following you, Benjamin, among your peoples; out of Makir leaders came down, and out of Zebulun those that handle the staff of office.
Out of Ephraim, [came down] they whose root was in Amalek, After thee, Benjamin, among thy tribes, —Out of Machir, had come down governors, And, out of Zebulun, such as bear aloft the staff of the marshal;
15 And 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.
And, my princes in Issachar, were with Deborah, yea, Issachar, was the support of Barak, Into the vale rushed they forth at his feet. Among the divisions of Reuben, great were the resolves of the heart:
16 Why did you sit among the sheepfolds, to hear the piping for the flocks? At the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
Wherefore abodes thou among the folds? To hear the mocking of the flocks? The divisions of Reuben, had great counsellings of heart.
17 Gilead lived beyond the Jordan. Why did Dan remain in ships? Asher sat still at the haven of the sea, and lived by his harbors.
Gilead, beyond the Jordan, took his rest, but, Dan, wherefore remained he with the ships? Asher, abode by the shore of the seas, and, by his creeks, must needs rest.
18 Zebulun was a people that risked their lives even to death; Naphtali also, on the high places of the field.
Zebulun—a people that scorned their souls unto death; and, Naphtali, —upon the heights of the field.
19 The kings came and fought, then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo. They took no plunder of silver.
On came kings, they fought, Then, fought the kings of Canaan, In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo, —Plunder of silver, they took not away!
20 From the sky the stars fought. From their courses, they fought against Sisera.
From heaven, was the battle fought, —The stars in their courses, fought against Sisera.
21 The river Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. My soul, march on with strength.
The torrent of Kishon, swept them away, the torrent of olden times, the torrent of Kishon! Let my soul march along, with victorious strength!
22 Then the horse hoofs pounded because of the galloping, the galloping of their steeds.
Then, stamped hoofs of horses, With the gallopings, gallopings of his mighty steeds.
23 Curse Meroz, said the angel of YHWH. Curse bitterly its inhabitants, because they did not come to help YHWH, to help YHWH against the mighty.
Curse ye Meroz, saith the messenger of Yahweh, Curse ye with a curse, the inhabitants thereof, —because they came not in to the help of Yahweh, to the help of Yahweh, against the mighty.
24 Jael shall be blessed above women, the wife of Heber the Kenite; blessed shall she be above women in the tent.
Blessed above women, shall be Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, —Above women in the tent, be blessed:
25 He asked for water. She gave him milk. She brought him curds in a princely bowl.
Water, he asked, Milk, she gave, —In a bowl for nobles, presented cream:
26 She put her hand to the tent peg, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer. She struck Sisera, she pierced his head; she shattered and struck through his temple.
Her hand, to the tent-pin, put she forth, and, her right hand, to the toilers’ mallet, —Then smote she Sisera, She shattered his head, Yea she split open and pierced through his temples:
27 At her feet he collapsed, he fell, he lay. At her feet he collapsed, he fell. Where he collapsed, there he fell down, destroyed.
Between her feet, he bowed—he fell, he lay, —Between her feet, he bowed—he fell, Where he bowed, There, he fell—destroyed!
28 Through the window she looked out. Sisera's mother cried out through the lattice, 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why are the hoofbeats of his chariots delayed?'
Through the window, looked out and shrilly cried, The mother of Sisera, through the lattice, —Why is his chariot ashamed to come? Why delay the wheels of his chariot?
29 Her wise princesses answered her; indeed, she answers herself,
The wise ladies, her princesses, responded, —Nay! she, returned answer to, herself: —
30 'Have they not found, have they not divided the spoil? A womb or two for every man; to Sisera a spoil of dyed garments, A spoil of dyed garments embroidered, Of dyed garments embroidered on both sides, for the neck of the plunderer?'
Is it not They keep finding—dividing spoil, One damsel, two damsels, to every several hero, Spoil, of divers coloured raiment for Sisera, Spoil, of divers coloured raiment, embroidered, Coloured raiment richly embroidered, on the necks of them who are taken as spoil?
31 So let all your enemies perish, YHWH, but let those who love you be as the sun when it rises forth in its strength." And the land had rest forty years.
So, perish all thine enemies, O Yahweh, But be, they who love him, as the going forth of the sun, in his might! And the land had rest forty years.
