< Judges 5 >

1 And Delbora and Barach, sone of Abynoen, sungen in that dai, and seiden,
Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying:
2 Ye men of Israel, that `offriden wilfuli youre lyues to perel, blesse the Lord.
When men let grow their hair in Israel, when the people offer themselves willingly, bless ye 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.
Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, unto the LORD will I sing; 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,
LORD, when Thou didst go forth out of Seir, when Thou didst march out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens also dropped, yea, the clouds dropped water.
5 and Synai fro the face of the Lord God of Israel.
The mountains quaked at the presence of the LORD, even yon Sinai at the presence of 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 the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways ceased, and the travellers walked through byways.
7 Stronge men in Israel cessiden, and restiden, til Delbora roos, a modir in Israel.
The rulers ceased in Israel, they ceased, until that thou didst arise, Deborah, that thou didst arise 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.
They chose new gods; then was war in the gates; was there a shield or spear seen 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 toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD.
10 blesse ye the Lord; speke ye, that stien on schynynge assis, and sitten aboue in doom, and goen in the wey.
Ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit on rich cloths, and ye that walk by the way, tell of it;
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.
Louder than the voice of archers, by the watering-troughs! there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, even the righteous acts of His rulers 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, Deborah; awake, awake, utter a song; arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.
13 The relikis of the puple ben sauyd; the Lord fauyt ayens stronge men of Effraym.
Then made He a remnant to have dominion over the nobles and the people; the LORD made me have dominion over 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.
Out of Ephraim came they whose root is in Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy peoples; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the marshal's staff.
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.
And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; as was Issachar, so was Barak; into the valley they rushed forth at his feet. Among the divisions of Reuben there were great resolves of heart.
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 sattest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the pipings for the flocks? At the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
17 Gad restide biyendis Jordan, and Dan yaf tent to schippis. Aser dwellide in the `brenke of the see, and dwellide in hauenes.
Gilead abode beyond the Jordan; and Dan, why doth he sojourn by the ships? Asher dwelt at the shore of the sea, and abideth by its bays.
18 Forsothe Zabulon and Neptalym offriden her lyues to deeth, in the cuntre of Morema, `that is interpretid, hiy.
Zebulun is a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death, and Naphtali, upon the high places of the field.
19 Kyngis camen, and fouyten; kyngis of Canaan fouyten in Thanath, bisidis the watris of Magedon; and netheles thei token no thing bi prey.
The kings came, they fought; then fought the kings of Canaan, in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.
20 Fro heuene `me fauyt ayens hem; sterris dwelliden in her ordre and cours, and fouyten ayens Sisara.
They fought from heaven, the stars in their courses 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 brook Kishon swept them away, that ancient brook, the brook Kishon. O my soul, tread them down with strength.
22 The hors howis felden, while the strongeste of enemyes fledden with bire, and felden heedli.
Then did the horsehoofs stamp by reason of the prancings, the prancings of their mighty ones.
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 ye Meroz', said the angel of the LORD, 'Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof, because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.'
24 Blessyd among wymmen be Jahel, the wijf of Aber Cyney; blessid be sche in hir tabernacle.
Blessed above women shall Jael be, the wife of Heber the Kenite, above women in the tent shall she be blessed.
25 To Sisara axynge watir sche yaf mylk, and in a viol of princes sche yaf botere.
Water he asked, milk she gave him; in a lordly bowl she brought him curd.
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.
Her hand she put to the tent-pin, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote through his head, yea, she pierced and struck through his temples.
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 sunk, he fell, he lay; at her feet he sunk, he fell; where he sunk, there he fell down 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?
Through the window she looked forth, and peered, the mother of Sisera, through the lattice: 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the wheels of his chariots?
29 Oon wisere than `othere wyues of hym answeride these wordis to the modir of hir hosebonde,
The wisest of her princesses answer her, yea, she returneth answer to 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, are they not dividing the spoil? A damsel, two damsels to every man; to Sisera a spoil of dyed garments, a spoil of dyed garments of embroidery, two dyed garments of broidery for the neck of every spoiler?'
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 perish all Thine enemies, O LORD; but they that love Him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.

< Judges 5 >