Judges 5
1 On that day, Deborah sang this song, along with Barak:
On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
2 “When the leaders of the Israeli people really lead them, and the people follow them, [it is time to] praise Yahweh!
“When the princes take the lead in Israel, when the people volunteer, bless the LORD.
3 Listen, you kings! Pay attention, you leaders! I will sing to Yahweh. With this song I will praise Yahweh, the God we Israelis worship.
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 you came from Seir, when you marched from that land [better known as] Edom, the earth shook, and rain poured down from the skies.
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 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.
The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel.
6 “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].
In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were deserted and the travelers took the byways.
7 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.
Life in the villages ceased; it ended in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose, a mother in Israel.
8 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.
When they chose new gods, then war came to their gates. Not a shield or spear was found among forty thousand in Israel.
9 I am thankful for the leaders and soldiers who volunteered [to fight]. Praise Yahweh [for them!]
My heart is with the princes of Israel, with the volunteers among the people. Bless the LORD!
10 “You wealthy people who ride on donkeys, sitting on nice padded saddles, and you people who just walk on the road, you all listen!
You who ride white donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, and you who travel the road, ponder
11 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.
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 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!’
‘Awake, awake, O Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, O Barak, and take hold of your captives, O son of Abinoam!’
13 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.
Then the survivors came down to the nobles; the people of the LORD came down to me against the mighty.
14 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.
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 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.
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 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.
Why did you sit among the sheepfolds to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.
17 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.
Gilead remained beyond the Jordan. Dan, why did you linger by the ships? Asher stayed at the coast and remained in his harbors.
18 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.
Zebulun was a people who risked their lives; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the battlefield.
19 “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.
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 [It was as though] the stars in the sky fought for us [and as though] those stars in their paths fought against Sisera.
From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 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.
The River Kishon swept them away, the ancient river, the River Kishon. March on, O my soul, in strength!
22 The hooves of the horses of Sisera’s [army] pounded the ground. Those powerful horses kept galloping along.
Then the hooves of horses thundered— the mad galloping of his stallions.
23 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].’
‘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 “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.
Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
25 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.
He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.
26 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.
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 He collapsed and fell dead at her feet.
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 “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?’
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 One wise woman replied to her, and she [kept consoling herself by] repeating those words:
Her wisest ladies answer; indeed she keeps telling herself,
30 ‘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.’
‘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 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!
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.
