שופטים 5
| ותשר דבורה וברק בן אבינעם ביום ההוא לאמר | 1 |
On that day, Deborah sang this song, along with Barak:
| בפרע פרעות בישראל בהתנדב עם ברכו יהוה | 2 |
“When the leaders of the Israeli people really lead them, and the people follow them, [it is time to] praise Yahweh!
| שמעו מלכים האזינו רזנים אנכי ליהוה אנכי אשירה אזמר ליהוה אלהי ישראל | 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.
| יהוה בצאתך משעיר בצעדך משדה אדום ארץ רעשה גם שמים נטפו גם עבים נטפו מים | 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.
| הרים נזלו מפני יהוה זה סיני--מפני יהוה אלהי ישראל | 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.
| בימי שמגר בן ענת בימי יעל חדלו ארחות והלכי נתיבות--ילכו ארחות עקלקלות | 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].
| חדלו פרזון בישראל חדלו-- עד שקמתי דבורה שקמתי אם בישראל | 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.
| יבחר אלהים חדשים אז לחם שערים מגן אם יראה ורמח בארבעים אלף בישראל | 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.
| לבי לחוקקי ישראל המתנדבים בעם ברכו יהוה | 9 |
I am thankful for the leaders and soldiers who volunteered [to fight]. Praise Yahweh [for them!]
| רכבי אתנות צחרות ישבי על מדין והלכי על דרך--שיחו | 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!
| מקול מחצצים בין משאבים שם יתנו צדקות יהוה צדקת פרזונו בישראל אז ירדו לשערים עם יהוה | 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.
| עורי עורי דבורה עורי עורי דברי שיר קום ברק ושבה שביך בן אבינעם | 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!’
| אז ירד שריד לאדירים עם יהוה ירד לי בגבורים | 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.
| מני אפרים שרשם בעמלק אחריך בנימין בעממיך מני מכיר ירדו מחקקים ומזבולן משכים בשבט ספר | 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.
| ושרי ביששכר עם דברה ויששכר כן ברק בעמק שלח ברגליו בפלגות ראובן גדלים חקקי לב | 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.
| למה ישבת בין המשפתים לשמע שרקות עדרים לפלגות ראובן גדולים חקרי לב | 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.
| גלעד בעבר הירדן שכן ודן למה יגור אניות אשר ישב לחוף ימים ועל מפרציו ישכון | 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.
| זבלון עם חרף נפשו למות-- ונפתלי על מרומי שדה | 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.
| באו מלכים נלחמו אז נלחמו מלכי כנען בתענך על מי מגדו בצע כסף לא לקחו | 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.
| מן שמים נלחמו הכוכבים ממסלותם נלחמו עם סיסרא | 20 |
[It was as though] the stars in the sky fought for us [and as though] those stars in their paths fought against Sisera.
| נחל קישון גרפם נחל קדומים נחל קישון תדרכי נפשי עז | 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.
| אז הלמו עקבי סוס מדהרות דהרות אביריו | 22 |
The hooves of the horses of Sisera’s [army] pounded the ground. Those powerful horses kept galloping along.
| אורו מרוז אמר מלאך יהוה--ארו ארור ישביה כי לא באו לעזרת יהוה לעזרת יהוה בגבורים | 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].’
| תברך מנשים--יעל אשת חבר הקיני מנשים באהל תברך | 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.
| מים שאל חלב נתנה בספל אדירים הקריבה חמאה | 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.
| ידה ליתד תשלחנה וימינה להלמות עמלים והלמה סיסרא מחקה ראשו ומחצה וחלפה רקתו | 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.
| בין רגליה כרע נפל שכב בין רגליה כרע נפל באשר כרע שם נפל שדוד | 27 |
He collapsed and fell dead at her feet.
| בעד החלון נשקפה ותיבב אם סיסרא בעד האשנב מדוע בשש רכבו לבוא-- מדוע אחרו פעמי מרכבותיו | 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?’
| חכמות שרותיה תענינה אף היא תשיב אמריה לה | 29 |
One wise woman replied to her, and she [kept consoling herself by] repeating those words:
| הלא ימצאו יחלקו שלל רחם רחמתים לראש גבר-- שלל צבעים לסיסרא שלל צבעים רקמה צבע רקמתים לצוארי שלל | 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.’
| כן יאבדו כל אויביך יהוה ואהביו כצאת השמש בגברתו ותשקט הארץ ארבעים שנה | 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!
