Judges 5
1 Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,
That day Deborah and Barak, son of Abinoam, sang this song:
2 Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.
“Israel's leaders took charge, and the people were totally committed. Praise the Lord!
3 Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing to the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.
Listen, kings! Pay attention, rulers! I, yes I, will sing to the Lord; I will praise the Lord, the God of Israel, in song.
4 LORD, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou didst march out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens poured, the clouds also poured water.
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.
5 The mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel.
The mountains melted in the presence of the Lord, the God of Sinai, in the presence of the Lord, 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.
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.
7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.
Village life in Israel was abandoned until I, Deborah, came on the scene as 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?
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.
9 My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD.
My thoughts are with the Israelite commanders and those people who volunteered. Praise the Lord!
10 Speak, ye that ride on white donkeys, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way.
You people riding white donkeys, sitting on comfortable blankets, traveling down the road, notice
11 They that are delivered 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 toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of the LORD go down to the gates.
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.
12 Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.
‘Wake up, Deborah, wake up! Wake up, wake up, sing a song! Get up, Barak! Capture your prisoners, son of Abinoam.’
13 Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty.
The survivors went to attack the nobles, the people of the Lord went to attack the powerful.
14 Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.
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.
15 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart.
The leaders of Issachar supported Deborah and Barak; they raced into the valley following Barak. But the tribe of Reuben was very undecided.
16 Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
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.
17 Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his inlets.
Gilead remained on the other side of Jordan. Dan stayed with his ships. Asher sat still on the seacoast, not moving from his ports.
18 Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives to death in the high places of the field.
The people of Zebulun risked their lives; as did Naphtali on the high battlefields.
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.
Kings came and fought, the Canaanite kings fought at Taanach near the waters of Megiddo, but they didn't get any silver plunder.
20 They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.
The stars fought from heaven. The stars in their courses fought against Sisera.
21 The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.
The Kishon River swept them away—the old river turned into a raging torrent! I bravely march on!
22 Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.
Then the horses' hooves flailed loudly, his stallions stampeded.
23 Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly its inhabitants; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.
‘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.’
24 Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.
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.
25 He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.
He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a bowl fit for nobles she brought him buttermilk.
26 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 off his head, when she had pierced and struck through his temples.
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.
27 At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead.
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.
28 The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots?
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?’
29 Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself,
The wisest of her ladies tells her, and she repeats the same words to herself,
30 Have they not found? have they not divided the spoil; to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a spoil of dyed garments, a spoil of dyed garments of needlework, of dyed garments of needlework on both sides, for the necks of them that take the spoil?
‘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.’
31 So let all thy 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.
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.
