Judges 5
1 Then sang Deborah, and Barak, son of Abinoam, —on that day, saying: —
In that day Debbora and Barac son of Abinoem sung, and said:
2 For the leadership of leaders in Israel, For the volunteering of the people, —Bless ye Yahweh!
O you of Israel, that have willingly offered your lives to danger, 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.
Hear, O ye kings, give ear, ye princes: It is I, it is I, that will sing to the Lord, I will sing 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 thou wentest out of Seir, and passedst by the regions of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped water.
5 From, mountains, came down streams In presence of Yahweh, —From this Sinai, In presence of Yahweh, God of Israel.
The mountains melted before the face of the Lord, and Sinai before the face of 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 Samgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jahel the paths rested: and they that went by them, walked through by-ways.
7 There was a failure of rulers, in Israel, a failure, —until I arose, a Deborah, arose, a mother in Israel: —
The valiant men ceased, and rested in Israel: until Debbora arose, a mother arose 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?
The Lord chose new wars, and he himself overthrew the gates of the enemies: a shield and spear was not seen among forty thousand of Israel.
9 My heart [saith] —for the governors of Israel, for the volunteers among the people, Bless ye Yahweh!
My heart loveth the princes of Israel: O you that of your own good will offered yourselves to danger, bless the Lord.
10 Ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit on carpets, and ye that walk upon the road, speak!
Speak, you that ride upon fair asses, and you that sit in judgment, and walk in the way.
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.
Where the chariots were dashed together, and the army of the enemies was choked, there let the justices of the Lord be rehearsed, and his clemency towards the brave men of Israel: then the people of the Lord went down to the gates, and obtained the sovereignty.
12 Awake! awake! Deborah, Awake! awake! utter words of song, —Arise! Barak, and bind fast thy captives, O son of Abinoam!
Arise, arise, O Debbora, arise, arise, and utter a canticle. Arise, Barac, and take hold of thy captives, O son of Abinoem.
13 Then, came down a remnant to the nobles—a people, —Yahweh, came down with me against the mighty.
The remnants of the people are saved, the Lord hath fought among the valiant ones.
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;
Out of Ephraim he destroyed them into Amalec, and after him out of Benjamin into thy people, O Amalec: Out of Machir there came down princes, and out of Zabulon they that led the army to fight.
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 captains of Issachar were with Debbora, and followed the steps of Barac, who exposed himself to danger, as one going headlong, and into a pit. Ruben being divided against himself, there was found a strife of courageous men.
16 Wherefore abodes thou among the folds? To hear the mocking of the flocks? The divisions of Reuben, had great counsellings of heart.
Why dwellest thou between two borders, that thou mayest hear the bleatings of the flocks? Ruben being divided against himself, there was found a strife of courageous men.
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.
Galaad rested beyond the Jordan, and Dan applied himself to ships: Aser dwelt on the sea shore, and abode in the havens.
18 Zebulun—a people that scorned their souls unto death; and, Naphtali, —upon the heights of the field.
But Zabulon and Nephtali offered their lives to death in the region of Merome.
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!
The kings came and fought, the kings of Chanaan fought in Thanach by the waters of Mageddo, and yet they took no spoils.
20 From heaven, was the battle fought, —The stars in their courses, fought against Sisera.
War from heaven was made against them, the stars remaining in their order and courses fought against Sisara.
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 torrent of Cison dragged their carcasses, the torrent of Cadumim, the torrent of Cisoii: tread thou, my soul, upon the strong ones.
22 Then, stamped hoofs of horses, With the gallopings, gallopings of his mighty steeds.
The hoofs of the horses were broken whilst the stoutest of the enemies fled amain, and fell headlong down.
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 ye the land of Meroz, said the angel of the Lord: curse the inhabitants thereof, because they came not to the help of the Lord, to help his most valiant men.
24 Blessed above women, shall be Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, —Above women in the tent, be blessed:
Blessed among women be Jahel the wife of Haber the Cinite, and blessed be she in her tent.
25 Water, he asked, Milk, she gave, —In a bowl for nobles, presented cream:
He asked her water and she gave him milk, and offered him butter in a dish fit for princes.
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 put her left hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workman’s hammer, and she struck Sisara, seeking in his head a place for the wound, and strongly piercing through his temples.
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 fell: he fainted, and he died: he rolled before her feet, and he lay lifeless and wretched.
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?
His mother looked out at a window, and howled: and she spoke from the dining room: Why is his chariot so long in coming back? Why are the feet of his horses so slow?
29 The wise ladies, her princesses, responded, —Nay! she, returned answer to, herself: —
One that was wiser than the rest of his wives, returned this answer to her mother in law:
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?
Perhaps he is now dividing the spoils, and the fairest of the women is chosen out for him: garments of divers colours are given to Sisara for his prey, and furniture of different kinds is heaped together to adorn the necks.
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 let all thy enemies perish, O Lord: but let them that love thee shine, as the sun shineth in his rising. And the land rested for forty years.
