Judges 5
1 Then sang Deborah, and Barak, son of Abinoam, —on that day, saying: —
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!
“Israel's leaders took charge, and the people were totally committed. Praise 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, kings! Pay attention, rulers! I, yes I, will sing to the Lord; I will praise the Lord, the God of Israel, in song.
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;
Lord, when you set off from Seir, when you marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, rain fell from the skies, 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 melted in the presence of the Lord, the God of Sinai, in the presence 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 Shamgar, son of Anath, in the days of Jael, people didn't use the main highways and stayed on winding paths.
7 There was a failure of rulers, in Israel, a failure, —until I arose, a Deborah, arose, a mother in Israel: —
Village life in Israel was abandoned until I, Deborah, came on the scene as 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 the people chose new gods, then war arrived at their gates. Not even a shield or spear could be found among forty thousand warriors in Israel.
9 My heart [saith] —for the governors of Israel, for the volunteers among the people, Bless ye Yahweh!
My thoughts are with the Israelite commanders and those people who volunteered. Praise the Lord!
10 Ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit on carpets, and ye that walk upon the road, speak!
You people riding white donkeys, sitting on comfortable blankets, traveling down the road, notice
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.
what people are talking about as they gather at the watering holes. They describe the Lord's just acts and those of his warriors in Israel. Then the people of the Lord went to the town gates.
12 Awake! awake! Deborah, Awake! awake! utter words of song, —Arise! Barak, and bind fast thy captives, O son of Abinoam!
‘Wake up, Deborah, wake up! Wake up, wake up, sing a song! Get up, Barak! Capture your prisoners, son of Abinoam.’
13 Then, came down a remnant to the nobles—a people, —Yahweh, came down with me against the mighty.
The survivors went to attack the nobles, the people of the Lord went to attack the powerful.
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, a land that used to belong to the Amalekites; the tribe of Benjamin followed you with its men. Commanders came Makir; from Zebulun came those who carry a military officer's staff.
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 leaders of Issachar supported Deborah and Barak; they raced into the valley following Barak. But the tribe of Reuben was very undecided.
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 stay at home in the sheepfolds, listening to shepherds whistling for their flocks? The tribe of Reuben really couldn't decide what to do.
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 on the other side of Jordan. Dan stayed with his ships. Asher sat still on the seacoast, not moving from his ports.
18 Zebulun—a people that scorned their souls unto death; and, Naphtali, —upon the heights of the field.
The people of Zebulun risked their lives; as did Naphtali on the high battlefields.
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, the Canaanite kings fought at Taanach near the waters of Megiddo, but they didn't get any silver plunder.
20 From heaven, was the battle fought, —The stars in their courses, fought against Sisera.
The stars fought from heaven. The stars in their courses 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 Kishon River swept them away—the old river turned into a raging torrent! I bravely march on!
22 Then, stamped hoofs of horses, With the gallopings, gallopings of his mighty steeds.
Then the horses' hooves flailed loudly, his stallions stampeded.
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. ‘Totally curse those who live there, for they refused to come help the Lord, to help the Lord against the powerful enemies.’
24 Blessed above women, shall be Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, —Above women in the tent, be blessed:
Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite is to be praised the most among women. She deserves praise above all other women who live in tents.
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 bowl fit for nobles she brought him buttermilk.
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:
With one hand she picked up the tent peg, and with her right hand she held a workman's hammer. She hit Sisera and smashed 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, he lay motionless. At her feet he collapsed, he fell; where he collapsed, there he fell, his life plundered from him.
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 out from the window. Through the latticed window she cried out, ‘Why is his chariot taking so long to come? Why is the sound of his chariot arriving so delayed?’
29 The wise ladies, her princesses, responded, —Nay! she, returned answer to, herself: —
The wisest of her ladies tells her, and she repeats the same words to 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?
‘They're busy dividing up the plunder and assigning a girl or two for each man. There'll be colorful clothes for Sisera as plunder; beautifully embroidered colorful clothes as plunder; double-embroidered clothing reaching to the neck as plunder.’
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.
May all your enemies die like this, Lord, but may those who love you shine like the sun in all its brilliance!” The land was at peace for forty years.
