Judges 5
1 Then sang Deborah, and Barak, son of Abinoam, —on that day, saying: —
On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
2 For the leadership of leaders in Israel, For the volunteering of the people, —Bless ye Yahweh!
“When the princes take the lead in Israel, when the people volunteer, bless the LORD.
3 Hear, ye kings! Give ear, ye princes! I, unto Yahweh, —I, will sing, Will make melody to Yahweh, 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 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;
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 From, mountains, came down streams In presence of Yahweh, —From this Sinai, In presence of Yahweh, 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 roads were forsaken, —and, the frequenters of highways, betook them to roundabout paths:
In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were deserted and the travelers took the byways.
7 There was a failure of rulers, in Israel, a failure, —until I arose, a Deborah, arose, a mother in Israel: —
Life in the villages ceased; it ended in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose, a mother in Israel.
8 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?
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 [saith] —for the governors of Israel, for the volunteers among the people, Bless ye Yahweh!
My heart is with the princes of Israel, with the volunteers among the people. Bless the LORD!
10 Ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit on carpets, and ye that walk upon the road, speak!
You who ride white donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, and you who travel the road, ponder
11 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.
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 words of song, —Arise! Barak, and bind fast thy captives, O 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, came down a remnant to the nobles—a people, —Yahweh, came down with me against the mighty.
Then the survivors came down to the nobles; the people of the LORD came down to me against the mighty.
14 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;
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, 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:
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 Wherefore abodes thou among the folds? To hear the mocking of the flocks? The divisions of Reuben, had great counsellings of heart.
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, 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.
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—a people that scorned their souls unto death; and, Naphtali, —upon the heights of the field.
Zebulun was a people who risked their lives; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the battlefield.
19 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!
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 From heaven, was the battle fought, —The stars in their courses, fought against Sisera.
From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 The torrent of Kishon, swept them away, the torrent of olden times, the torrent of Kishon! Let my soul march along, with victorious strength!
The River Kishon swept them away, the ancient river, the River Kishon. March on, O my soul, in strength!
22 Then, stamped hoofs of horses, With the gallopings, gallopings of his mighty steeds.
Then the hooves of horses thundered— the mad galloping of his stallions.
23 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.
‘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 Blessed above women, shall be Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, —Above women in the tent, be blessed:
Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
25 Water, he asked, Milk, she gave, —In a bowl for nobles, presented cream:
He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.
26 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:
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 Between her feet, he bowed—he fell, he lay, —Between her feet, he bowed—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 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?
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 ladies, her princesses, responded, —Nay! she, returned answer to, herself: —
Her wisest ladies answer; indeed she keeps telling herself,
30 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?
‘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, 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.
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.
