Judges 5
1 Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying,
And Deborah singeth — also Barak son of Abinoam — on that day, saying: —
2 “Because the leaders took the lead in Israel, because the people offered themselves willingly, be blessed, LORD!
'For freeing freemen in Israel, For a people willingly offering themselves Bless ye Jehovah.
3 “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.
Hear, ye kings; give ear, ye princes, I, to Jehovah, I — I do sing, I sing praise to Jehovah, God of Israel.
4 “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.
Jehovah, in Thy going forth out of Seir, In Thy stepping out of the field of Edom, Earth trembled, also the heavens dropped, Also thick clouds dropped water.
5 The mountains quaked at the LORD’s presence, even Sinai at the presence of the LORD, the God of Israel.
Hills flowed from the face of Jehovah, This one — Sinai — From the face of Jehovah, God of Israel.
6 “In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied. The travellers walked through byways.
In the days of Shamgar son of Anath — In the days of Jael — The ways have ceased, And those going in the paths go [in] crooked ways.
7 The rulers ceased in Israel. They ceased until I, Deborah, arose; Until I arose a mother in Israel.
Villages ceased in Israel — they ceased, Till that I arose — Deborah, That I arose, a mother in Israel.
8 They chose new gods. Then war was in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen amongst forty thousand in Israel?
He chooseth new gods, Then war [is] at the gates! A shield is not seen — and a spear Among forty thousand in Israel.
9 My heart is towards the governors of Israel, who offered themselves willingly amongst the people. Bless the LORD!
My heart [is] to the lawgivers of Israel, Who are offering themselves willingly among the people, Bless ye Jehovah!
10 “Speak, you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit on rich carpets, and you who walk by the way.
Riders on white asses — Sitters on a long robe — And walkers by the way — meditate!
11 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.
By the voice of shouters Between the places of drawing water, There they give out righteous acts of Jehovah, Righteous acts of His villages in Israel, Then ruled in the gates have the people of Jehovah.
12 ‘Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, utter a song! Arise, Barak, and lead away your captives, you son of Abinoam.’
Awake, awake, Deborah; Awake, awake, utter a song; Rise, Barak, and take captive thy captivity, Son of Abinoam.
13 “Then a remnant of the nobles and the people came down. The LORD came down for me against the mighty.
Then him who is left of the honourable ones He caused to rule the people of Jehovah, He caused me to rule among the mighty.
14 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.
Out of Ephraim their root [is] against Amalek. After thee, Benjamin, among thy peoples. Out of Machir came down lawgivers, And out of Zebulun those drawing with the reed of a writer.
15 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.
And princes in Issachar [are] with Deborah, Yea, Issachar [is] right with Barak, Into the valley he was sent on his feet. In the divisions of Reuben, Great [are] the decrees of heart!
16 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.
Why hast thou abode between the boundaries, To hear lowings of herds? For the divisions of Reuben, Great [are] the searchings of heart!
17 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.
Gilead beyond the Jordan did tabernacle, And Dan — why doth he sojourn [in] ships? Asher hath abode at the haven of the seas, And by his creeks doth tabernacle.
18 Zebulun was a people that jeopardised their lives to the death; Naphtali also, on the high places of the field.
Zebulun [is] a people who exposed its soul to death, Naphtali also — on high places of the field.
19 “The kings came and fought, then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo. They took no plunder of silver.
Kings came — they fought; Then fought kings of Canaan, In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; Gain of money they took not!
20 From the sky the stars fought. From their courses, they fought against Sisera.
From the heavens they fought: The stars from their highways fought with Sisera.
21 The river Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. My soul, march on with strength.
The brook Kishon swept them away, The brook most ancient — the brook Kishon. Thou dost tread down strength, O my soul!
22 Then the horse hoofs stamped because of the prancing, the prancing of their strong ones.
Then broken were the horse-heels, By pransings — pransings of its mighty ones.
23 ‘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.’
Curse Meroz — said a messenger of Jehovah, Cursing, curse ye its inhabitants, For they came not to the help of Jehovah, To the help of Jehovah among the mighty!
24 “Jael shall be blessed above women, the wife of Heber the Kenite; blessed shall she be above women in the tent.
Blessed above women is Jael, Wife of Heber the Kenite, Above women in the tent she is blessed.
25 He asked for water. She gave him milk. She brought him butter in a lordly dish.
Water he asked — milk she gave; In a lordly dish she brought near butter.
26 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.
Her hand to the pin she sendeth forth, And her right hand to the labourers' hammer, And she hammered Sisera — she smote his head, Yea, she smote, and it passed through his temple.
27 At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay. At her feet he bowed, he fell. Where he bowed, there he fell down dead.
Between her feet he bowed — He fell, he lay down; Between her feet he bowed, he fell; Where he bowed, there he fell — destroyed.
28 “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?’
Through the window she hath looked out — Yea, she crieth out — the mother of Sisera, Through the lattice: Wherefore is his chariot delaying to come? Wherefore tarried have the steps of his chariot?
29 Her wise ladies answered her, Yes, she returned answer to herself,
The wise ones, her princesses, answer her, Yea, she returneth her sayings to herself:
30 ‘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?’
Do they not find? — they apportion spoil, A female — two females — for every head, Spoil of finger-work for Sisera, Spoil of embroidered finger-work, Finger-work — a pair of embroidered things, For the necks of the spoil!
31 “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.
So do all Thine enemies perish, O Jehovah, And those loving Him [are] As the going out of the sun in its might!' and the land resteth forty years.
