Judges 5

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

²Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.

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

⁴Lord, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water.

⁵The mountains melted from before the Lord, even that Sinai from before the Lord God of Israel.

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

⁷The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.

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

⁹My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the Lord.

¹⁰Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way.

¹¹They 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.

¹²Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.

¹³Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the Lord made me have dominion over the mighty.

¹⁴Out 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.

¹⁵And 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.

¹⁶Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.

¹⁷Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches.

¹⁸Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.

¹⁹The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.

²⁰They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.

²¹The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.

²²Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.

²³Curse 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.

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

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

²⁶She 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 stricken through his temples.

²⁷At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead.

²⁸The 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?

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

³⁰Have they not sped? have they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colours, a prey of divers colours of needlework, of divers colours of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil?

³¹So 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

¹And Deborah singethalso Barak son of Abinoamon that day, saying:

²`For freeing freemen in Israel, For a people willingly offering themselves Bless ye Jehovah.

³Hear, ye kings; give ear, ye princes, I, to Jehovah, II do sing, I sing praise to Jehovah, God of Israel.

⁴Jehovah, in Thy going forth out of Seir, In Thy stepping out of the field of Edom, Earth trembled, also the heavens dropped, Also thick clouds dropped water.

⁵Hills flowed from the face of Jehovah, This oneSinaiFrom the face of Jehovah, God of Israel.

⁶In the days of Shamgar son of AnathIn the days of JaelThe ways have ceased, And those going in the paths go in crooked ways.

⁷Villages ceased in Israelthey ceased, Till that I aroseDeborah, That I arose, a mother in Israel.

⁸He chooseth new gods, Then war is at the gates! A shield is not seenand a spear Among forty thousand in Israel.

⁹My heart is to the lawgivers of Israel, Who are offering themselves willingly among the people, Bless ye Jehovah!

¹⁰Riders on white assesSitters on a long robeAnd walkers by the waymeditate!

¹¹By the voice of shouters Between the places of drawing water, There they give out righteous acts of Jehovah, Righteous acts of His villages in Israel, Then ruled in the gates have the people of Jehovah.

¹²Awake, awake, Deborah; Awake, awake, utter a song; Rise, Barak, and take captive thy captivity, Son of Abinoam.

¹³Then him who is left of the honourable ones He caused to rule the people of Jehovah, He caused me to rule among the mighty.

¹⁴Out of Ephraim their root is against Amalek. After thee, Benjamin, among thy peoples. Out of Machir came down lawgivers, And out of Zebulun those drawing with the reed of a writer.

¹⁵And princes in Issachar are with Deborah, Yea, Issachar is right with Barak, Into the valley he was sent on his feet. In the divisions of Reuben, Great are the decrees of heart!

¹⁶Why hast thou abode between the boundaries, To hear lowings of herds? For the divisions of Reuben, Great are the searchings of heart!

¹⁷Gilead beyond the Jordan did tabernacle, And Danwhy doth he sojourn in ships? Asher hath abode at the haven of the seas, And by his creeks doth tabernacle.

¹⁸Zebulun is a people who exposed its soul to death, Naphtali alsoon high places of the field.

¹⁹Kings camethey fought; Then fought kings of Canaan, In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; Gain of money they took not!

²⁰From the heavens they fought: The stars from their highways fought with Sisera.

²¹The brook Kishon swept them away, The brook most ancientthe brook Kishon. Thou dost tread down strength, O my soul!

²²Then broken were the horse-heels, By pransingspransings of its mighty ones.

²³Curse Merozsaid a messenger of Jehovah, Cursing, curse ye its inhabitants, For they came not to the help of Jehovah, To the help of Jehovah among the mighty!

²⁴Blessed above women is Jael, Wife of Heber the Kenite, Above women in the tent she is blessed.

²⁵Water he askedmilk she gave; In a lordly dish she brought near butter.

²⁶Her hand to the pin she sendeth forth, And her right hand to the labourers' hammer, And she hammered Siserashe smote his head, Yea, she smote, and it passed through his temple.

²⁷Between her feet he bowedHe fell, he lay down; Between her feet he bowed, he fell; Where he bowed, there he felldestroyed.

²⁸Through the window she hath looked outYea, she crieth outthe mother of Sisera, Through the lattice: Wherefore is his chariot delaying to come? Wherefore tarried have the steps of his chariot?

²⁹The wise ones, her princesses, answer her, Yea, she returneth her sayings to herself:

³⁰Do they not find? they apportion spoil, A femaletwo femalesfor every head, Spoil of finger-work for Sisera, Spoil of embroidered finger-work, Finger-worka pair of embroidered things, For the necks of the spoil!

³¹So do all Thine enemies perish, O Jehovah, And those loving Him are As the going out of the sun in its might!' and the land resteth forty years.