Judges 5

1 Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,

2 For that the leaders took the lead in Israel, For that the people offered themselves willingly, Bless ye Jehovah.

3 Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto Jehovah; I will sing praise to Jehovah, the God of Israel.

4 Jehovah, when thou wentest forth out of Seir, When thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, The earth trembled, the heavens also dropped, Yea, the clouds dropped water.

5 The mountains quaked at the presence of Jehovah, Even yon Sinai at the presence of Jehovah, the God of Israel.

6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, In the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, And the travellers walked through byways.

7 The rulers ceased in Israel, they ceased, Until that I Deborah arose, That I arose a mother in Israel.

8 They chose new gods; Then was war in the gates: Was there a shield or spear seen Among forty thousand in Israel?

9 My heart is toward the governors of Israel, That offered themselves willingly among the people: Bless ye Jehovah.

10 Tell of it, ye that ride on white asses, Ye that sit on rich carpets, And ye that walk by the way.

11 Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water, There shall they rehearse the righteous acts of Jehovah, Even the righteous acts of his rule in Israel. Then the people of Jehovah went down to the gates.

12 Awake, awake, Deborah; Awake, awake, utter a song: Arise, Barak, and lead away thy captives, thou son of Abinoam.

13 Then came down a remnant of the nobles and the people; Jehovah came down for me against the mighty.

14 Out of Ephraim came down 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 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; As was Issachar, so was Barak; Into the valley they rushed forth at his feet. By the watercourses of Reuben There were great resolves of heart.

16 Why sattest thou among the sheepfolds, To hear the pipings for the flocks? At the watercourses of Reuben There were great searchings of heart.

17 Gilead abode beyond the Jordan: And Dan, why did he remain in ships? Asher sat still at the haven of the sea, And abode by his creeks.

18 Zebulun was a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death, And Naphtali, upon the high places of the field.

19 The kings came and fought; Then fought the kings of Canaan. In Taanach by the waters of Megiddo: They took no gain of money.

20 From heaven fought the stars, From their courses they fought against Sisera.

21 The river Kishon swept them away, That ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, march on with strength.

22 Then did the horsehoofs stamp By reason of the prancings, the prancings of their strong ones.

23 Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of Jehovah. Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof, Because they came not to the help of Jehovah, To the help of Jehovah against the mighty.

24 Blessed above women shall Jael be, The wife of Heber the Kenite; Blessed shall she be above women in the tent.

25 He asked water, and she gave him milk; She brought him butter in a lordly dish.

26 She put her hand 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 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 Through the window she looked forth, and cried, The mother of Sisera cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the wheels of his chariots?

29 Her wise ladies answered her, Yea, she returned answer to herself,

30 Have they not found, have they not divided the spoil? A damsel, two damsels to every man; To Sisera a spoil of dyed garments, A spoil of dyed garments embroidered, Of dyed garments embroidered on both sides, on the necks of the spoil?

31 So let all thine enemies perish, O Jehovah: But let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.

Judges 5

Celebrating the Victory in Song

1 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this victory song:t

2 “When the leaders took the leadt in Israel,
When the people answered the call to war –
Praise the Lord!

3 Hear, O kings!
Pay attention, O rulers!
I will sing to the Lord!t
I will singt to the Lord God of Israel!

4 O Lord, when you departedt from Seir,
when you marched from Edom’s plains,
the earth shook, the heavens poured down,
the clouds poured down rain.t

5 The mountains trembledt before the Lord, the God of Sinai;t
before the Lord God of Israel.

6 In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,
in the days of Jael caravanss disappeared;t
travelerst had to go on winding side roads.

7 Warriorst were scarce,t
they were scarce in Israel,
until yout arose, Deborah,
until you arose as a motherly protectort in Israel.

8 God chose new leaders,t
then fighters appeared in the city gates;t
but, I swear, not a shield or spear could be found,t
among forty military unitst in Israel.

9 My heart went outt to Israel’s leaders,
to the people who answered the call to war.
Praise the Lord!

10 You who ride on light-colored female donkeys,
who sit on saddle blankets,t
you who walk on the road, pay attention!

11 Heart the sound of those who divide the sheept among the watering places;
there they tell oft the Lord’s victorious deeds,
the victorious deeds of his warriorst in Israel.
Then the Lord’s people went down to the city gates –

12 Wake up, wake up, Deborah!
Wake up, wake up, sing a song!
Get up, Barak!
Capture your prisoners of war,t son of Abinoam!

13 Then the survivorst came downt to the mighty ones;s
the Lord’s people came down to mes ast warriors.

14 They came from Ephraim, who uprooted Amalek,t
they followt after you, Benjamin, with your soldiers.
From Makir leaders came down,
from Zebulun camet the ones who march carryingt an officer’s staff.

15 Issachar’s leaders were with Deborah,
the men of Issachart supportedt Barak;
into the valley they were sent under Barak’s command.t
Among the clans of Reuben there was intenset heart searching.s

16 Why do you remain among the sheepfolds,t
listening to the shepherds playing their pipest for their flocks?t
As for the clans of Reuben – there was intense searching of heart.

17 Gilead stayed putts beyond the Jordan River.
As for Dan – why did he seek temporary employment in the shipyards?t
Asher remainedt on the seacoast,
he stayedt by his harbors.t

18 The men of Zebulun were not concerned about their lives;t
Naphtali charged on to the battlefields.t

19 Kings came, they fought;
the kings of Canaan fought,
at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo,s
butt they took no silver as plunder.

20 From the skyt the starst fought,
from their paths in the heavenst they fought against Sisera.

21 The Kishon River carried them off;
the river confronted themt – the Kishon River.
Step on the necks of the strong!t

22 The horses’s hooves pounded the ground;t
the stallions galloped madly.t

23 ‘Call judgment down ont Meroz,’ says the Lord’s angelict messenger;
‘Be suret to call judgment down ont those who live there,
because they did not come to help in the Lord’s battle,t
to help in the Lord’s battle against the warriors.’t

24 The most rewardedt of women should be Jael,
the wife of Heber the Kenite!
She should be the most rewarded of women who live in tents.

25 He asked for water,
and she gave him milk;
in a bowl fit for a king,t
she served him curds.

26 Her leftt hand reached for the tent peg,
her right hand for the workmen’s hammer.
She “hammered”t Sisera,
she shattered his skull,t
she smashed his head,t
she drove the tent peg through his temple.t

27 Between her feet he collapsed,
he fell limpt and was lifeless;t
between her feet he collapsed and fell limp,
in the spot where he collapsed,
there he fell limp – violently murdered!t

28 Through the window she looked;
Sisera’s mother cried out through the lattice:
‘Why is his chariot so slow to return?
Why are the hoofbeats of his chariot-horsest delayed?’

29 The wisest of her ladiest answer;
indeed she even thinks to herself,

30 ‘No doubt they are gathering and dividing the plundert –
a girl or two for each man to rape!t
Sisera is grabbing up colorful cloth,t
he is grabbing up colorful embroidered cloth,t
two pieces of colorful embroidered cloth,
for the neck of the plunderer!’t

31 May all your enemies perish like this, O Lord!
But may those who love you shine
like the rising sun at its brightest!”t
And the land had rest for forty years.