Judges 5
1 That day Deborah and Barak, son of Abinoam, sang this song:
And Debbora and Barac son of Abineem sang in that day, saying,
2 “Israel's leaders took charge, and the people were totally committed. Praise the Lord!
A revelation was made in Israel when the people were made willing: Praise you the Lord.
3 Listen, kings! Pay attention, rulers! I, yes I, will sing to the Lord; I will praise the Lord, the God of Israel, in song.
Hear, you kings, and listen, rulers: I will sing, it is I [who will sing] to the Lord, it is I, I will sing a psalm to the Lord the god of Israel.
4 Lord, when you set off from Seir, when you marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, rain fell from the skies, the clouds poured down water.
O Lord, in your going forth on Seir, when you went forth out of the land of Edom, the earth quaked and the heaven dropped dews, and the clouds dropped water.
5 The mountains melted in the presence of the Lord, the God of Sinai, in the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel.
The mountains were shaken before the face of the Lord Eloi, this Sina before the face of the Lord God of Israel.
6 In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, in the days of Jael, people didn't use the main highways and stayed on winding paths.
In the days of Samegar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, they deserted the ways, and went in by-ways; they went in crooked paths.
7 Village life in Israel was abandoned until I, Deborah, came on the scene as a mother in Israel.
The mighty men in Israel failed, they failed until Debbora arose, until she arose a mother in Israel.
8 When the people chose new gods, then war arrived at their gates. Not even a shield or spear could be found among forty thousand warriors in Israel.
They chose new gods; then the cities of rulers fought; there was not a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel.
9 My thoughts are with the Israelite commanders and those people who volunteered. Praise the Lord!
My heart [inclines] to the orders given in Israel; you that are willing among the people, bless the Lord.
10 You people riding white donkeys, sitting on comfortable blankets, traveling down the road, notice
You that mount a she-ass at noon-day, you that sit on the judgment-seat, and walk by the roads of them that sit in judgment by the way; declare
11 what people are talking about as they gather at the watering holes. They describe the Lord's just acts and those of his warriors in Israel. Then the people of the Lord went to the town gates.
[you that are delivered] from the noise of disturbers among the drawers of water; there shall they relate righteous acts: O Lord, increase righteous acts in Israel: then the people of the Lord went down to the cities.
12 ‘Wake up, Deborah, wake up! Wake up, wake up, sing a song! Get up, Barak! Capture your prisoners, son of Abinoam.’
Awake, awake, Debbora; awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barac, and lead your captivity captive, son of Abineem.
13 The survivors went to attack the nobles, the people of the Lord went to attack the powerful.
Then went down the remnant to the strong, the people of the Lord went down for him among the mighty ones from me.
14 Some came from Ephraim, a land that used to belong to the Amalekites; the tribe of Benjamin followed you with its men. Commanders came Makir; from Zebulun came those who carry a military officer's staff.
Ephraim rooted them out in Amalec, behind you was Benjamin among your people: the inhabitants of Machir came down with me searching out the enemy, and from Zabulon came they that draw with the scribe's pen of record.
15 The leaders of Issachar supported Deborah and Barak; they raced into the valley following Barak. But the tribe of Reuben was very undecided.
And princess in Issachar were with Debbora and Barac, thus she sent Barac on his feet in the valleys into the portions of Ruben; great [pangs] reached to the heart.
16 Why did you stay at home in the sheepfolds, listening to shepherds whistling for their flocks? The tribe of Reuben really couldn't decide what to do.
Why did they sit between the sheepfolds to hear the bleating of flocks for the divisions of Ruben? [there were] great searchings of heart.
17 Gilead remained on the other side of Jordan. Dan stayed with his ships. Asher sat still on the seacoast, not moving from his ports.
Galaad [is] on the other side of Jordan where he pitched his tents; and why does Dan remain in ships? Aser sat down on the sea-coasts, and he will tabernacle at his ports.
18 The people of Zebulun risked their lives; as did Naphtali on the high battlefields.
The people Zabulon exposed their soul to death, and Nephthali came to the high places of their land.
19 Kings came and fought, the Canaanite kings fought at Taanach near the waters of Megiddo, but they didn't get any silver plunder.
Kings set themselves in array, then the kings of Chanaan fought in Thanaach at the water of Mageddo; they took no gift of money.
20 The stars fought from heaven. The stars in their courses fought against Sisera.
The stars from heaven set themselves in array, they set themselves [to fight] with Sisara out of their paths.
21 The Kishon River swept them away—the old river turned into a raging torrent! I bravely march on!
The brook of Kison swept them away, the ancient brook, the brook Kison: my mighty soul will trample him down.
22 Then the horses' hooves flailed loudly, his stallions stampeded.
When the hoofs of the horse were entangled, his mighty ones earnestly hasted
23 ‘Curse Meroz,’ says the angel of the Lord. ‘Totally curse those who live there, for they refused to come help the Lord, to help the Lord against the powerful enemies.’
to curse Meroz: Curse you [it], said the angel of the Lord; cursed [is] every one that dwells in it, because they came not to the help of the Lord, to his help among the mighty.
24 Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite is to be praised the most among women. She deserves praise above all other women who live in tents.
Blessed among women be Jael wife of Chaber the Kenite; let her be blessed above women in tents.
25 He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a bowl fit for nobles she brought him buttermilk.
He asked for water, she gave him milk in a dish; she brought butter of princes.
26 With one hand she picked up the tent peg, and with her right hand she held a workman's hammer. She hit Sisera and smashed his skull; she shattered and pierced his temple.
She stretched forth her left hand to the nail, and her right to the hand workman's hammer, and she struck Sisara with it, she nailed through his head and struck him; she nailed through his temples.
27 At her feet he collapsed, he fell, he lay motionless. At her feet he collapsed, he fell; where he collapsed, there he fell, his life plundered from him.
He rolled down between her feet; he fell and lay between her feet; he bowed and fell: where he bowed, there he fell dead.
28 Sisera's mother looked out from the window. Through the latticed window she cried out, ‘Why is his chariot taking so long to come? Why is the sound of his chariot arriving so delayed?’
The mother of Sisara looked down through the window out of the loophole, [saying], Why was his chariot ashamed? why did the wheels of his chariots wait?
29 The wisest of her ladies tells her, and she repeats the same words to herself,
Her wise ladies answered her, and she returned answers to herself, [saying],
30 ‘They're busy dividing up the plunder and assigning a girl or two for each man. There'll be colorful clothes for Sisera as plunder; beautifully embroidered colorful clothes as plunder; double-embroidered clothing reaching to the neck as plunder.’
Will they not find him dividing the spoil? he will surely be gracious to every man: [there are] spoils of dyed garments for Sisara, spoils of various dyed garments, dyed embroidered garments, they [are] the spoils for his neck.
31 May all your enemies die like this, Lord, but may those who love you shine like the sun in all its brilliance!” The land was at peace for forty years.
Thus let all your enemies perish, O Lord: and they that love him shall be as the going forth of the sun in his strength. And the land had rest forty years.
