< Judges 5 >

1 Then sang Deborah, and Barak, son of Abinoam, —on that day, saying: —
Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,
2 For the leadership of leaders in Israel, For the volunteering of the people, —Bless ye Yahweh!
For that the leaders took the lead in Israel, for that the people offered themselves willingly, bless ye the LORD.
3 Hear, ye kings! Give ear, ye princes! I, unto Yahweh, —I, will sing, Will make melody to Yahweh, God of Israel.
Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, [even] I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel.
4 O Yahweh! When thou didst come forth out of Seir, When thou didst march along out of the field of Edom, Earth, trembled, Heaven also, poured forth, —Yea, dark clouds, poured forth waters;
LORD, 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 From, mountains, came down streams In presence of Yahweh, —From this Sinai, In presence of Yahweh, God of Israel.
The mountains flowed down at the presence of the LORD, even yon Sinai at the presence of the LORD, the God of Israel.
6 In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the roads were forsaken, —and, the frequenters of highways, betook them to roundabout paths:
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 There was a failure of rulers, in Israel, a failure, —until I arose, a Deborah, arose, a mother in Israel: —
The rulers ceased in Israel, they ceased, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.
8 They chose gods that were new, Then, —war at the gates! Was there, a shield, to be seen? or a spear? among forty thousand in Israel?
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 [saith] —for the governors of Israel, for the volunteers among the people, Bless ye Yahweh!
My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people: bless ye the LORD.
10 Ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit on carpets, and ye that walk upon the road, speak!
Tell [of it], ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit on rich carpets, and ye that walk by the way.
11 In the place of the noise of bowmen among the wells, there, laud ye—the righteous acts of Yahweh, the righteous acts of his rule over Israel. Then, had come down to the gates the people of Yahweh.
Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, [even] the righteous acts of his rule in Israel. Then the people of the LORD went down to the gates.
12 Awake! awake! Deborah, Awake! awake! utter words of song, —Arise! Barak, and bind fast thy captives, O son of Abinoam!
Awake, awake, Deborah; awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.
13 Then, came down a remnant to the nobles—a people, —Yahweh, came down with me against the mighty.
Then came down a remnant of the nobles [and] the people; the LORD came down for me against the mighty.
14 Out of Ephraim, [came down] they whose root was in Amalek, After thee, Benjamin, among thy tribes, —Out of Machir, had come down governors, And, out of Zebulun, such as bear aloft the staff of the marshal;
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, my princes in Issachar, were with Deborah, yea, Issachar, was the support of Barak, Into the vale rushed they forth at his feet. Among the divisions of Reuben, great were the resolves of the heart:
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 Wherefore abodes thou among the folds? To hear the mocking of the flocks? The divisions of Reuben, had great counsellings of heart.
Why satest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the pipings for the flocks? At the watercourses of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
17 Gilead, beyond the Jordan, took his rest, but, Dan, wherefore remained he with the ships? Asher, abode by the shore of the seas, and, by his creeks, must needs rest.
Gilead abode beyond 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—a people that scorned their souls unto death; and, Naphtali, —upon the heights of the field.
Zebulun was a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death, and Naphtali, upon the high places of the field.
19 On came kings, they fought, Then, fought the kings of Canaan, In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo, —Plunder of silver, they took not away!
The kings came and fought; then fought the kings of Canaan; in Taanach by the waters of Meggido: they took no gain of money.
20 From heaven, was the battle fought, —The stars in their courses, fought against Sisera.
They fought from heaven, the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.
21 The torrent of Kishon, swept them away, the torrent of olden times, the torrent of Kishon! Let my soul march along, with victorious strength!
The river Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, march on with strength.
22 Then, stamped hoofs of horses, With the gallopings, gallopings of his mighty steeds.
Then did the horsehoofs stamp by reason of the pransings, the pransings of their strong ones.
23 Curse ye Meroz, saith the messenger of Yahweh, Curse ye with a curse, the inhabitants thereof, —because they came not in to the help of Yahweh, to the help of Yahweh, against the mighty.
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 Blessed above women, shall be Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, —Above women in the tent, be blessed:
Blessed above women shall Jael be, the wife of Heber the Kenite, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.
25 Water, he asked, Milk, she gave, —In a bowl for nobles, presented cream:
He asked water, [and] she gave him milk; she brought him butter in a lordly dish.
26 Her hand, to the tent-pin, put she forth, and, her right hand, to the toilers’ mallet, —Then smote she Sisera, She shattered his head, Yea she split open and pierced through his temples:
She put her hand to the nail, 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 Between her feet, he bowed—he fell, he lay, —Between her feet, he bowed—he fell, Where he bowed, There, he fell—destroyed!
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, looked out and shrilly cried, The mother of Sisera, through the lattice, —Why is his chariot ashamed to come? Why delay the wheels of his chariot?
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 The wise ladies, her princesses, responded, —Nay! she, returned answer to, herself: —
Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself,
30 Is it not They keep finding—dividing spoil, One damsel, two damsels, to every several hero, Spoil, of divers coloured raiment for Sisera, Spoil, of divers coloured raiment, embroidered, Coloured raiment richly embroidered, on the necks of them who are taken as spoil?
Have they not found, have they not divided the spoil? a damsel, two damsels to every man; to Sisera a spoil of divers colours, a spoil of divers colours of embroidery, of divers colours of embroidery on both sides, on the necks of the spoil?
31 So, perish all thine enemies, O Yahweh, But be, they who love him, as the going forth of the sun, in his might! And the land had rest forty years.
So let all thine enemies perish, [O LORD]: 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 >