1 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song: |
2 "When the princes in Israel take the lead,
when the people willingly offer themselves-
praise the LORD ! |
3 "Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers!
I will sing to1 5:3 Or of the LORD , I will sing;
I will make music to2 5:3 Or / with song I will praise the LORD , the God of Israel. |
4 "O LORD , when you went out from Seir,
when you marched from the land of Edom,
the earth shook, the heavens poured,
the clouds poured down water. |
5 The mountains quaked before the LORD , the One of Sinai,
before the LORD , the God of Israel. |
6 "In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,
in the days of Jael, the roads were abandoned;
travelers took to winding paths. |
7 Village life3 5:7 Or Warriors in Israel ceased,
ceased until I,4 5:7 Or you Deborah, arose,
arose a mother in Israel. |
8 When they chose new gods,
war came to the city gates,
and not a shield or spear was seen
among forty thousand in Israel. |
9 My heart is with Israel's princes,
with the willing volunteers among the people.
Praise the LORD ! |
10 "You who ride on white donkeys,
sitting on your saddle blankets,
and you who walk along the road,
consider |
11 the voice of the singers5 5:11 Or archers ; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain. at the watering places.
They recite the righteous acts of the LORD ,
the righteous acts of his warriors6 5:11 Or villagers in Israel. |
12 'Wake up, wake up, Deborah!
Wake up, wake up, break out in song!
Arise, O Barak!
Take captive your captives, O son of Abinoam.' |
13 "Then the men who were left
came down to the nobles;
the people of the LORD
came to me with the mighty. |
14 Some came from Ephraim, whose roots were in Amalek;
Benjamin was with the people who followed you.
From Makir captains came down,
from Zebulun those who bear a commander's staff. |
15 The princes of Issachar were with Deborah;
yes, Issachar was with Barak,
rushing after him into the valley.
In the districts of Reuben
there was much searching of heart. |
16 Why did you stay among the campfires7 5:16 Or saddlebags
to hear the whistling for the flocks?
In the districts of Reuben
there was much searching of heart. |
17 Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan.
And Dan, why did he linger by the ships?
Asher remained on the coast
and stayed in his coves. |
18 The people of Zebulun risked their very lives;
so did Naphtali on the heights of the field. |
19 "Kings came, they fought;
the kings of Canaan fought
at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo,
but they carried off no silver, no plunder. |
20 From the heavens the stars fought,
from their courses they fought against Sisera. |
21 The river Kishon swept them away,
the age-old river, the river Kishon.
March on, my soul; be strong! |
22 Then thundered the horses' hoofs-
galloping, galloping go his mighty steeds. |
23 'Curse Meroz,' said the angel of the LORD .
'Curse its people bitterly,
because they did not come to help the LORD ,
to help the LORD against the mighty.' |
24 "Most blessed of women be Jael,
the wife of Heber the Kenite,
most blessed of tent-dwelling women. |
25 He asked for water, and she gave him milk;
in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him curdled milk. |
26 Her hand reached for the tent peg,
her right hand for the workman's hammer.
She struck Sisera, she crushed his head,
she shattered and pierced his temple. |
27 At her feet he sank,
he fell; there he lay.
At her feet he sank, he fell;
where he sank, there he fell-dead. |
28 "Through the window peered Sisera's mother;
behind the lattice she cried out,
'Why is his chariot so long in coming?
Why is the clatter of his chariots delayed?' |
29 The wisest of her ladies answer her;
indeed, she keeps saying to herself, |
30 'Are they not finding and dividing the spoils:
a girl or two for each man,
colorful garments as plunder for Sisera,
colorful garments embroidered,
highly embroidered garments for my neck-
all this as plunder?' |
31 "So may all your enemies perish, O LORD !
But may they who love you be like the sun
when it rises in its strength." |
