Judges 5
1 Then sang Deborah, and Barak, son of Abinoam, —on that day, saying: —
Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying,
2 For the leadership of leaders in Israel, For the volunteering of the people, —Bless ye Yahweh!
“Because the leaders took the lead in Israel, because the people offered themselves willingly, be blessed, LORD!
3 Hear, ye kings! Give ear, ye princes! I, unto Yahweh, —I, will sing, Will make melody to Yahweh, God of Israel.
“Hear, you kings! Give ear, you princes! I, even 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;
“LORD, when you went out of Seir, when you marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the sky also dropped. Yes, the clouds dropped water.
5 From, mountains, came down streams In presence of Yahweh, —From this Sinai, In presence of Yahweh, God of Israel.
The mountains quaked at the LORD’s presence, even Sinai at 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 the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied. The travellers walked through byways.
7 There was a failure of rulers, in Israel, a failure, —until I arose, a Deborah, arose, a mother in Israel: —
The rulers ceased in Israel. They ceased until I, Deborah, arose; Until I 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?
They chose new gods. Then war was in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen amongst 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 towards the governors of Israel, who offered themselves willingly amongst 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!
“Speak, you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit on rich carpets, and you who walk by 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.
Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water, there they will rehearse the LORD’s righteous acts, the righteous acts of his rule in Israel. “Then the LORD’s people 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, Deborah! Awake, awake, utter a song! Arise, Barak, and lead away your captives, you son of Abinoam.’
13 Then, came down a remnant to the nobles—a people, —Yahweh, came down with me against the mighty.
“Then a remnant of the nobles and the people came down. The LORD came down for 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;
Those whose root is in Amalek came out of Ephraim, after you, Benjamin, amongst your peoples. Governors come down out of Machir. Those who handle the marshal’s staff came out of 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. 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.
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 amongst the sheepfolds? To hear the whistling for the flocks? At the watercourses of Reuben, there were great searchings of heart.
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 lived beyond the Jordan. Why did Dan remain in ships? Asher sat still at the haven of the sea, and lived by his creeks.
18 Zebulun—a people that scorned their souls unto death; and, Naphtali, —upon the heights of the field.
Zebulun was a people that jeopardised their lives to the death; Naphtali also, on the high places of the field.
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, then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo. They took no plunder of silver.
20 From heaven, was the battle fought, —The stars in their courses, fought against Sisera.
From the sky 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, that ancient river, the river Kishon. My soul, march on with strength.
22 Then, stamped hoofs of horses, With the gallopings, gallopings of his mighty steeds.
Then the horse hoofs stamped because of the prancing, the prancing of their strong ones.
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,’ said the LORD’s angel. ‘Curse bitterly its inhabitants, because they didn’t 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:
“Jael shall be blessed above women, the wife of Heber the Kenite; blessed shall she be above women in the tent.
25 Water, he asked, Milk, she gave, —In a bowl for nobles, presented cream:
He asked for water. She gave him milk. She brought him butter in a lordly dish.
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 hand to the tent peg, and her right hand to the workmen’s hammer. With the hammer she struck Sisera. She struck through his head. Yes, she pierced and struck 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 bowed, he fell, he lay. At her feet he bowed, he fell. Where he bowed, there he fell down 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?
“Through the window she looked out, and cried: Sisera’s mother looked through the lattice. ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why do the wheels of his chariots wait?’
29 The wise ladies, her princesses, responded, —Nay! she, returned answer to, herself: —
Her wise ladies answered her, Yes, she returned answer 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?
‘Have they not found, have they not divided the plunder? A lady, two ladies to every man; to Sisera a plunder of dyed garments, a plunder of dyed garments embroidered, of dyed garments embroidered on both sides, on the necks of the 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.
“So let all your enemies perish, LORD, but let those who love him be as the sun when it rises in its strength.” Then the land had rest forty years.
