Iudicum 5
1 Cecineruntque Debbora et Barac filius Abinoem in illo die, dicentes:
On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
2 Qui sponte obtulistis de Israel animas vestras ad periculum, benedicite Domino.
“When the leaders take the lead in Israel, when the people gladly volunteer for war— we praise Yahweh!
3 Audite reges, auribus percipite principes: Ego sum, ego sum quæ Domino canam, psallam Domino Deo Israel.
Listen, you kings! Pay attention, you leaders! I, I will sing to Yahweh; I will sing praises to Yahweh, the God of Israel.
4 Domine cum exires de Seir, et transires per regiones Edom, terra mota est, cælique ac nubes distillaverunt aquis.
Yahweh, when you went out from Seir, when you marched from Edom, the earth shook, and the skies also trembled; also the clouds poured down water.
5 Montes fluxerunt a facie Domini, et Sinai a facie Domini Dei Israel.
The mountains quaked before the face of Yahweh; even Mount Sinai quaked before the face of Yahweh, the God of Israel.
6 In diebus Samgar filii Anath, in diebus Iahel quieverunt semitæ: et qui ingrediebantur per eas, ambulaverunt per calles devios.
In the days of Shamgar (son of Anath), in the days of Jael, the main roads were abandoned, and those who walked only used the winding paths.
7 Cessaverunt fortes in Israel, et quieverunt: donec surgeret Debbora, surgeret mater in Israel.
There were few rural people in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose—arose as a mother in Israel!
8 Nova bella elegit Dominus, et portas hostium ipse subvertit: clypeus et hasta si apparuerint in quadraginta millibus Israel.
When they chose new gods, there was fighting at the city gates and yet there were no shields or spears seen among forty thousand in Israel.
9 Cor meum diligit principes Israel: qui propria voluntate obtulistis vos discrimini, benedicite Domino.
My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel, along with the people who gladly volunteered— we bless Yahweh for them!
10 Qui ascenditis super nitentes asinos, et sedetis in iudicio, et ambulatis in via, loquimini.
Think about this—you who ride on white donkeys sitting on rugs for saddles, and you who walk along the road.
11 Ubi collisi sunt currus, et hostium suffocatus est exercitus, ibi narrentur iustitiæ Domini et clementia in fortes Israel: tunc descendit populus Domini ad portas, et obtinuit principatum.
Hear the voices of those who sing at the watering places. There they tell again of Yahweh's righteous deeds, and the righteous actions of his warriors in Israel. Then the people of Yahweh went down to the city gates.
12 Surge, surge Debbora, surge, surge, et loquere canticum: surge Barac, et apprehende captivos tuos fili Abinoem.
Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song! Get up, Barak, and capture your prisoners, you son of Abinoam.
13 Salvatæ sunt reliquiæ populi, Dominus in fortibus dimicavit.
Then the survivors came down to the nobles; the people of Yahweh came down to me with the warriors.
14 Ex Ephraim delevit eos in Amalec, et post eum ex Beniamin in populos tuos, o Amalec: de Machir principes descenderunt, et de Zabulon qui exercitum ducerent ad bellandum.
They came from Ephraim, whose root is in Amalek; the people of Benjamin followed you. From Machir commanders came down, and from Zebulun those who carry an officer's staff.
15 Duces Issachar fuere cum Debbora, et Barac vestigia sunt secuti, qui quasi in præceps ac barathrum se discrimini dedit: diviso contra se Ruben, magnanimorum reperta est contentio.
My princes in Issachar were with Deborah; and Issachar was with Barak rushing after him into the valley under his command. Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
16 Quare habitas inter duos terminos, ut audias sibilos gregum? Diviso contra se Ruben, magnanimorum reperta est contentio.
Why did you sit between the fireplaces, listening to the shepherds playing their pipes for their flocks? As for the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
17 Galaad trans Iordanem quiescebat, et Dan vacabat navibus: Aser habitabat in littore maris, et in portubus morabatur.
Gilead stayed on the other side of the Jordan; and Dan, why did he wander about on ships? Asher remained on the coast and lived close to his harbors.
18 Zabulon vero et Nephthali obtulerunt animas suas morti in regione Merome.
Zebulun was a tribe who would risk their lives to the point of death, and Naphtali, also, on the field of battle.
19 Venerunt reges et pugnaverunt, pugnaverunt reges Chanaan in Thanach iuxta aquas Mageddo, et tamen nihil tulere prædantes.
The kings came, they fought; the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo. But they took away no silver as plunder.
20 De cælo dimicatum est contra eos: stellæ manentes in ordine et cursu suo, adversus Sisaram pugnaverunt.
From heaven the stars fought, from their paths across the heavens they fought against Sisera.
21 Torrens Cison traxit cadavera eorum, torrens Cadumim, torrens Cison: conculca anima mea robustos.
The Kishon River swept them away, that old river, the Kishon River. March on my soul, be strong!
22 Ungulæ equorum ceciderunt, fugientibus impetu, et per præceps ruentibus fortissimis hostium.
Then came the sound of horses' hooves— galloping, the galloping of his mighty ones.
23 Maledicite terræ Meroz, dixit Angelus Domini: maledicite habitatoribus eius, quia non venerunt ad auxilium Domini, in adiutorium fortissimorum eius.
'Curse Meroz!' says the angel of Yahweh. 'Surely curse its inhabitants!— because they did not come to help Yahweh— to help Yahweh in the battle against the mighty warriors.'
24 Benedicta inter mulieres Iahel uxor Haber Cinæi, et benedicatur in tabernaculo suo.
Jael is blessed more than all other women, Jael (the wife of Heber the Kenite), she is more blessed than all the women who live in tents.
25 Aquam petenti lac dedit, et in phiala principum obtulit butyrum.
The man asked for water, and she gave him milk; she brought him butter in a dish fit for princes.
26 Sinistram manum misit ad clavum, et dexteram ad fabrorum malleos, percussitque Sisaram quærens in capite vulneri locum, et tempus valide perforans.
She put her hand to the tent peg, and her right hand to the workman's hammer; with the hammer she struck Sisera, she crushed his head. She smashed his skull into pieces when she pierced him through the side of his head.
27 Inter pedes eius ruit: defecit, et mortuus est: volvebatur ante pedes eius, et iacebat exanimis et miserabilis.
He collapsed between her feet, he fell and he lay there. Between her feet he fell limp. The place he collapsed is where he was violently killed.
28 Per fenestram respiciens, ululabat mater eius: et de cœnaculo loquebatur: Cur moratur regredi currus eius? Quare tardaverunt pedes quadrigarum illius?
Out of a window she looked— the mother of Sisera looked through the lattice and she called out in sadness, 'Why has it taken his chariot so long to come? Why have the hoofbeats of the horses that pull his chariots been delayed?'
29 Una sapientior ceteris uxoribus eius, hæc socrui verba respondit:
Her wisest princesses replied, and she gave herself the same answer:
30 Forsitan nunc dividit spolia, et pulcherrima feminarum eligitur ei: vestes diversorum colorum Sisaræ traduntur in prædam, et supellex varia ad ornanda colla congeritur.
'Have they not found and divided up the plunder? —A womb, two wombs for every man; the plunder of dyed fabric for Sisera, the plunder of dyed fabric embroidered, two pieces of dyed fabric embroidered for the necks of those who plunder?'
31 Sic pereant omnes inimici tui Domine: qui autem diligunt te, sicut Sol in ortu suo splendet, ita rutilent. Quievitque Terra per quadraginta annos.
So may all your enemies perish, Yahweh! But your friends be like the sun when it rises in its might.” Then the land had peace for forty years.
