Judges 5
1 On that day, Deborah sang this song, along with Barak:
Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying,
2 “When the leaders of the Israeli people really lead them, and the people follow them, [it is time to] praise Yahweh!
“Because the leaders took the lead in Israel, because the people offered themselves willingly, be blessed, 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.
“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 you came from Seir, when you marched from that land [better known as] Edom, the earth shook, and rain poured down from the skies.
“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 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 at the LORD’s presence, even Sinai at the presence of 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 the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied. The travellers walked through 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.
The rulers ceased in Israel. They ceased until I, Deborah, arose; Until I 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.
They chose new gods. Then war was in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen amongst forty thousand in Israel?
9 I am thankful for the leaders and soldiers who volunteered [to fight]. Praise Yahweh [for them!]
My heart is towards the governors of Israel, who offered themselves willingly amongst 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!
“Speak, you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit on rich carpets, and you who walk by the way.
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.
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 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, utter a song! Arise, Barak, and lead away your captives, 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 a remnant of the nobles and the people came down. The LORD came down for 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.
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 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. 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 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 amongst the sheepfolds? To hear the whistling for the flocks? At the watercourses 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 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 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 that jeopardised their lives to the death; Naphtali also, on the high places of the field.
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 and fought, then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo. 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 sky 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, that ancient river, the river Kishon. My soul, march on with strength.
22 The hooves of the horses of Sisera’s [army] pounded the ground. Those powerful horses kept galloping along.
Then the horse hoofs stamped because of the prancing, the prancing of their strong 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,’ 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 “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 shall be blessed above women, the wife of Heber the Kenite; blessed shall she be above women in the tent.
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. She gave him milk. She brought him butter in a lordly dish.
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 workmen’s hammer. With the hammer she struck Sisera. She struck through his head. Yes, she pierced and struck through his temples.
27 He collapsed and fell dead at her feet.
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 “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?’
“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 One wise woman replied to her, and she [kept consoling herself by] repeating those words:
Her wise ladies answered her, Yes, she returned answer to 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.’
‘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 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 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.
