Judges 5
1 Then sang Deborah, and Barak, son of Abinoam, —on that day, saying: —
On that day, Deborah sang this song, along with Barak:
2 For the leadership of leaders in Israel, For the volunteering of the people, —Bless ye Yahweh!
“When the leaders of the Israeli people really lead them, and the people follow them, [it is time to] praise Yahweh!
3 Hear, ye kings! Give ear, ye princes! I, unto Yahweh, —I, will sing, Will make melody to Yahweh, God of Israel.
Listen, you kings! Pay attention, you leaders! I will sing to Yahweh. With this song I will praise Yahweh, the God we Israelis worship.
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 Yahweh, when you came from Seir, when you marched from that land [better known as] Edom, the earth shook, and rain poured down from the skies.
5 From, mountains, came down streams In presence of Yahweh, —From this Sinai, In presence of Yahweh, God of Israel.
The mountains shook when you came, just like Sinai Mountain shook when you appeared there, because you are Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis worship.
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:
“When Shamgar was our leader and when Jael ruled us, [we were afraid to walk on] the main roads; instead, caravans of travelers walked on winding [less traveled] roads [to avoid being molested].
7 There was a failure of rulers, in Israel, a failure, —until I arose, a Deborah, arose, a mother in Israel: —
People left their small villages, [and moved into the walled cities] until I, Deborah, became their leader. [I became like] a mother to the Israeli people.
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 Israeli people [abandoned Yahweh and] chose new gods, enemies attacked the gates of the cities, and then [they took away] the shields and spears from 40,000 Israeli soldiers. Not one shield or spear was left.
9 My heart [saith] —for the governors of Israel, for the volunteers among the people, Bless ye Yahweh!
I am thankful for the leaders and soldiers who volunteered [to fight]. Praise Yahweh [for them!]
10 Ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit on carpets, and ye that walk upon the road, speak!
“You wealthy people who ride on donkeys, sitting on nice padded saddles, and you people who just walk on the road, you all listen!
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.
Listen to the voices of the singers who gather at the places where [the animals drink] water. They tell about how Yahweh acted righteously when he enabled the Israeli warriors to conquer [their enemies]. “Yahweh’s people marched down to the gates of our city.
12 Awake! awake! Deborah, Awake! awake! utter words of song, —Arise! Barak, and bind fast thy captives, O son of Abinoam!
The people came to my house and shouted, ‘Deborah, wake up! Wake up and start singing!’ They also shouted, ‘Barak, son of Abinoam, get up, and capture our enemies!’
13 Then, came down a remnant to the nobles—a people, —Yahweh, came down with me against the mighty.
Later, some of the Israeli people came down [from Tabor Mountain] with us, their leaders. These men who belonged to Yahweh came with me to fight their strong enemies.
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 the tribe descended from Ephraim. They came from land that once belonged to the descendants of Amalek. And men from the tribe descended from Benjamin followed them. Troops from the group descended from Makir also came down, and officers from the tribe descended from Zebulun came down, carrying staffs.
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:
Leaders from the tribes descended from Issachar joined Barak and me. They followed Barak, rushing down into the valley. But men from the tribe descended from Reuben could not decide whether or not to join us.
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 men stay at your sheep pens, waiting to hear the shepherds whistle for their flocks of sheep to come to the pens? Men in the tribe descended from Reuben could not decide whether they would join us to fight our enemies, or not.
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.
Similarly, the men living in the Gilead area stayed at home, east of the Jordan River. And the men from the tribe descended from Dan, why did they stay home? The tribe descended from Asher sat by the seashore. They stayed in their coves.
18 Zebulun—a people that scorned their souls unto death; and, Naphtali, —upon the heights of the field.
But men from the tribe descended from Zebulun risked (their lives/were ready to die fighting) on the battlefield, and men descended from Naphtali were ready to do that, also.
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 of Canaan fought us at Taanach, near the springs in Megiddo [Valley]. [But since they did not defeat us], they did not carry away any silver or other treasures from the battle.
20 From heaven, was the battle fought, —The stars in their courses, fought against Sisera.
[It was as though] the stars in the sky fought for us [and as though] those stars in their paths 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— that river that has been there for ages. I will tell myself to be brave and continue marching on.
22 Then, stamped hoofs of horses, With the gallopings, gallopings of his mighty steeds.
The hooves of the horses of Sisera’s [army] pounded the ground. Those powerful horses kept galloping along.
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.
The angel sent by Yahweh said, ‘Curse the people of Meroz [town], because they did not come to help Yahweh to defeat the mighty warriors [of Canaan].’
24 Blessed above women, shall be Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, —Above women in the tent, be blessed:
“But God is very pleased with Jael, the wife of Heber from the Ken people-group. He is more pleased with her than with all the other women who live in tents.
25 Water, he asked, Milk, she gave, —In a bowl for nobles, presented cream:
Sisera asked for some water, but Jael gave him some milk. She brought him some yogurt/curds in a bowl that was suitable for kings.
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:
Then, [when he was asleep], she reached for a tent peg with her left hand, and she reached for a hammer with her right hand. She hit Sisera hard with it and crushed his head. She pounded the tent peg right through his head.
27 Between her feet, he bowed—he fell, he lay, —Between her feet, he bowed—he fell, Where he bowed, There, he fell—destroyed!
He collapsed and fell dead at her feet.
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 her window. She waited for him to return. She said, ‘Why is he taking so long to come home in his chariot? Why don’t I hear the sound of the wheels of his chariot?’
29 The wise ladies, her princesses, responded, —Nay! she, returned answer to, herself: —
One wise woman replied to her, and she [kept consoling herself by] repeating those words:
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 they are dividing up the things and the people they captured after the battle. Each soldier will get one or two women. Sisera will get some beautiful robes, and some beautiful embroidered robes for me.’
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.
But [that is not what happened]! Yahweh, I hope that all your enemies will die as Sisera did! And I desire that all those who love you will be as strong as the sun when it rises!
