Judges 5
1 And Delbora and Barach, sone of Abynoen, sungen in that dai, and seiden,
On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
2 Ye men of Israel, that `offriden wilfuli youre lyues to perel, blesse the Lord.
“When the princes take the lead in Israel, when the people volunteer, bless the LORD.
3 Ye kingis, here, ye princes, perceyueth with eeris; Y am, Y am the womman, that schal synge to the Lord; Y schal synge to the Lord God of Israel.
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 Lord, whanne thou yedist out fro Seir, and passidist bi the cuntrees of Edom, the erthe was moued, and heuenes and cloudis droppiden with watris; hillis flowiden fro the `face of the Lord,
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 and Synai fro the face of the Lord God of Israel.
The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel.
6 In the daies of Sangar, sone of Anach, in the daies of Jahel, paththis restiden, and thei that entriden bi tho yeden bi paththis out of the weie.
In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were deserted and the travelers took the byways.
7 Stronge men in Israel cessiden, and restiden, til Delbora roos, a modir in Israel.
Life in the villages ceased; it ended in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose, a mother in Israel.
8 The Lord chees newe batels, and he destriede the yatis of enemyes; scheeld and spere apperiden not in fourti thousynde of Israel.
When they chose new gods, then war came to their gates. Not a shield or spear was found among forty thousand in Israel.
9 Myn herte loueth the princes of Israel; ye that offriden you to perel bi youre owyn wille,
My heart is with the princes of Israel, with the volunteers among the people. Bless the LORD!
10 blesse ye the Lord; speke ye, that stien on schynynge assis, and sitten aboue in doom, and goen in the wey.
You who ride white donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, and you who travel the road, ponder
11 Where the charis weren hurtlid doun to gidere, and the oost of enemyes was straunglid, there the `riytfulnessis of the Lord be teld, and mercy among the stronge of Israel; thanne the `puple of the Lord cam doun to the yatis, and gat prinsehod.
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 Rise, rise thou, Delbora, rise thou, and speke a song; rise thou, Barach, and thou, sone of Abynoen, take thi prisoneris.
‘Awake, awake, O Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, O Barak, and take hold of your captives, O son of Abinoam!’
13 The relikis of the puple ben sauyd; the Lord fauyt ayens stronge men of Effraym.
Then the survivors came down to the nobles; the people of the LORD came down to me against the mighty.
14 He dide awei hem in Amalech, and aftir hym of Beniamyn in to thi puplis, thou Amalech. Princes of Machir and of Zabulon yeden doun, that ledden oost to fiyte.
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 The duykis of Isachar weren with Delbora, and sueden the steppis of Barach, which yaf hym silf to perel, as in to a dich, and in to helle. While Ruben was departid ayens hym silf; the strijf of greet hertyd men was foundun.
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 Whi dwellist thou bitwixe `tweyne endis, that thou here the hissyngis of flockis? While Ruben was departid ayens hym silf, the strijf of greet hertid men was foundun.
Why did you sit among the sheepfolds to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.
17 Gad restide biyendis Jordan, and Dan yaf tent to schippis. Aser dwellide in the `brenke of the see, and dwellide in hauenes.
Gilead remained beyond the Jordan. Dan, why did you linger by the ships? Asher stayed at the coast and remained in his harbors.
18 Forsothe Zabulon and Neptalym offriden her lyues to deeth, in the cuntre of Morema, `that is interpretid, hiy.
Zebulun was a people who risked their lives; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the battlefield.
19 Kyngis camen, and fouyten; kyngis of Canaan fouyten in Thanath, bisidis the watris of Magedon; and netheles thei token no thing bi prey.
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 Fro heuene `me fauyt ayens hem; sterris dwelliden in her ordre and cours, and fouyten ayens Sisara.
From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 The stronde of Cyson drow `the deed bodies of hem, the stronde of Cadymyn, the stronde of Cyson. My soule, to-trede thou stronge men.
The River Kishon swept them away, the ancient river, the River Kishon. March on, O my soul, in strength!
22 The hors howis felden, while the strongeste of enemyes fledden with bire, and felden heedli.
Then the hooves of horses thundered— the mad galloping of his stallions.
23 Curse ye the lond of Meroth, seide the `aungel of the Lord, curse ye `the dwelleris of hym, for thei camen not to the help of the Lord, `in to the help of the strongeste of hym.
‘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 Blessyd among wymmen be Jahel, the wijf of Aber Cyney; blessid be sche in hir tabernacle.
Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
25 To Sisara axynge watir sche yaf mylk, and in a viol of princes sche yaf botere.
He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.
26 Sche puttide the left hond to a nail, and the riyt hond to the `hameris of smyythis; and sche smoot Sisara, and souyte in the heed a place of wounde, and perside strongli the temple.
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 felde bitwixe `the feet of hir, he failide, and diede; he was waltryd bifor hir feet, and he lay with out soule, and wretchidful.
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 His modir bihelde bi a wyndow, and yellide; and sche spak fro the soler, Whi tarieth his chaar to come ayen? Whi tarieden the feet of his foure horsid cartis?
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 Oon wisere than `othere wyues of hym answeride these wordis to the modir of hir hosebonde,
Her wisest ladies answer; indeed she keeps telling herself,
30 In hap now he departith spuylis, and the faireste of wymmen is chosun to hym; clothis of dyuerse colouris ben youun to Sisara in to prey, and dyuerse aray of houshold is gaderid to ourne neckis.
‘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 Lord, alle thin enemyes perische so; sotheli, thei that louen thee, schyne so, as the sunne schyneth in his risyng. And the lond restide fourti yeer.
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.
