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 leaders take the lead in Israel, when the people gladly volunteer for war— we praise Yahweh!
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, you kings! Pay attention, you leaders! I, I will sing to Yahweh; I will sing praises to Yahweh, 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.
Yahweh, when you went out from Seir, when you marched from Edom, the earth shook, and the skies also trembled; also 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 face of Yahweh; even Mount Sinai quaked before the face of Yahweh, 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 main roads were abandoned, and those who walked only used the winding paths.
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.
There were few rural people in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose—arose as 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, there was fighting at the city gates and yet there were no shields or spears seen among forty thousand in Israel.
9 I am thankful for the leaders and soldiers who volunteered [to fight]. Praise Yahweh [for them!]
My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel, along with the people who gladly volunteered— we bless Yahweh for them!
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!
Think about this—you who ride on white donkeys sitting on rugs for saddles, and you who walk along the road.
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.
Hear the voices of those who sing at the watering places. There they tell again of Yahweh's righteous deeds, and the righteous actions of his warriors in Israel. Then the people of Yahweh went down to the city 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, Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song! Get up, Barak, and capture your prisoners, you 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 Yahweh came down to me with the warriors.
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.
They came from Ephraim, whose root is in Amalek; the people of Benjamin followed you. From Machir commanders came down, and from Zebulun those who carry an officer's staff.
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.
My princes in Issachar were with Deborah; and Issachar was with Barak rushing after him into the valley under his command. Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
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 between the fireplaces, listening to the shepherds playing their pipes for their flocks? As for the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
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 stayed on the other side of the Jordan; and Dan, why did he wander about on ships? Asher remained on the coast and lived close to 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 tribe who would risk their lives to the point of death, and Naphtali, also, on the field of battle.
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.
The kings came, they fought; the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo. But they took away no silver as plunder.
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 heaven the stars fought, from their paths across the heavens 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 Kishon River swept them away, that old river, the Kishon River. March on my soul, be strong!
22 The hooves of the horses of Sisera’s [army] pounded the ground. Those powerful horses kept galloping along.
Then came the sound of horses' hooves— galloping, the galloping of his mighty ones.
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 Yahweh. 'Surely curse its inhabitants!— because they did not come to help Yahweh— to help Yahweh in the battle against the mighty warriors.'
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.
Jael is blessed more than all other women, Jael (the wife of Heber the Kenite), she is more blessed than all the women who live in tents.
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.
The man asked for water, and she gave him milk; she brought him butter in a dish fit for princes.
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 put her hand to the tent peg, and her right hand to the workman's hammer; with the hammer she struck Sisera, she crushed his head. She smashed his skull into pieces when she pierced him through the side of his head.
27 He collapsed and fell dead at her feet.
He collapsed between her feet, he fell and he lay there. Between her feet he fell limp. The place he collapsed is where he was violently killed.
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?’
Out of a window she looked— the mother of Sisera looked through the lattice and she called out in sadness, 'Why has it taken his chariot so long to come? Why have the hoofbeats of the horses that pull his chariots been delayed?'
29 One wise woman replied to her, and she [kept consoling herself by] repeating those words:
Her wisest princesses replied, and she gave herself the same answer:
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.’
'Have they not found and divided up the plunder? —A womb, two wombs for every man; the plunder of dyed fabric for Sisera, the plunder of dyed fabric embroidered, two pieces of dyed fabric embroidered for the necks of those who plunder?'
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, Yahweh! But your friends be like the sun when it rises in its might.” Then the land had peace for forty years.
