Judges 5

1 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:

2 “When the princes take the lead in Israel, when the people volunteer, bless the LORD.

3 Listen, O kings! Give ear, O princes! I will sing to the LORD; I will sing praise to 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 trembled, the heavens poured out rain, and 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 highways were deserted and the travelers took the byways.

7 Life in the villages ceased; it ended in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose, a mother in Israel.

8 When they chose new gods, then war came to their gates. Not a shield or spear was found among forty thousand in Israel.

9 My heart is with the princes of Israel, with the volunteers among the people. Bless the LORD!

10 You who ride white donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, and you who travel the road, ponder

11 the voices of the singers at the watering places. There they shall recount the righteous acts of the LORD, the righteous deeds of His villagers in Israel. Then the people of the LORD went down to the gates:

12 ‘Awake, awake, O Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, O Barak, and take hold of your captives, O son of Abinoam!’

13 Then the survivors came down to the nobles; the people of the LORD came down to me against the mighty.

14 Some came from Ephraim, with their roots in Amalek; Benjamin came with your people after you. The commanders came down from Machir, the bearers of the marshal’s staff from Zebulun.

15 The princes of Issachar were with Deborah, and Issachar was with Barak, rushing into the valley at his heels. In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.

16 Why did you sit among the sheepfolds to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.

17 Gilead remained beyond the Jordan. Dan, why did you linger by the ships? Asher stayed at the coast and remained in his harbors.

18 Zebulun was a people who risked their lives; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the battlefield.

19 Kings came and fought; then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they took no plunder of silver.

20 From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera.

21 The River Kishon swept them away, the ancient river, the River Kishon. March on, O my soul, in strength!

22 Then the hooves of horses thundered—the mad galloping of his stallions.

23 ‘Curse Meroz,’ says the angel of the LORD. ‘Bitterly curse her inhabitants; for they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.’

24 Most blessed among women is 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 magnificent bowl she brought him curds.

26 She reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman’s hammer. She struck Sisera and crushed his skull; she shattered and pierced his temple.

27 At her feet he collapsed, he fell, there he lay still; at her feet he collapsed, he fell; where he collapsed, there he fell dead.

28 Sisera’s mother looked through the window; she peered through the lattice and lamented: ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? What has delayed the clatter of his chariots?’

29 Her wisest ladies answer; indeed she keeps telling herself,

30 ‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoil—a girl or two for each warrior, a plunder of dyed garments for Sisera, the spoil of embroidered garments for the neck of the looter?’

31 So may all Your enemies perish, O LORD! But may those who love You shine like the sun at its brightest.” And the land had rest for forty years.

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

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

3 Hear, 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.

4 LORD, 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.

5 The mountains melted from before the LORD, [even] that Sinai from before the LORD 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.

7 [The inhabitants of] the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose 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?

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

20 They 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.

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

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

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

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 stricken through his temples.

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.

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?

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

30 Have 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?

31 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.

2 Praise ye the LORD, that Israel is become free again, and the people have been willing.

3 Give ear, ye kings, and take heed, ye princes. I will sing unto the LORD, I will play unto the LORD God of Israel.

4 O LORD, when thou camest forth from Seir, and wentest forth out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dripped, and the clouds were filled with water.

5 The mountains were poured out before the LORD, Sinai before the LORD God of Israel.

6 In the days of Samgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, were the ways passed away; and they that walked in the paths walked in crooked ways.

7 There was a lack of farmers in Israel, until I Deborah arose, until I arose a mother in Israel.

8 A new thing hath God chosen; he hath denied the gates. There was not a shield nor a spear among forty thousand in Israel.

9 My heart is well pleased with the rulers of Israel, which are of their own free will among the people. Praise the LORD,

10 Ye that ride upon fair asses, that sit in judgment, that sing, that walk in the way.

11 When the shooters cried out between the creators, saying, Of the righteousness of the LORD, of the righteousness of his peasants in Israel: then the LORD'S people came down to the gates.

12 Run, run, Deborah, run, run, and sing a little song. Arise, Barak, and catch thy captors, O son of Abinoam.

13 Then the forsaken ruled over the mighty men: the LORD hath ruled by me over the mighty.

14 Out of Ephraim was their root against Amalek, and after thee, Benjamin, among thy people. From Machir came regents, and from Zebulun were regents by the pen.

15 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah. And Issachar was as Barak in the bottom, sent with his footmen. Reuben held up from him, and separated himself from us.

16 Why dost thou tarry among the hurdles, hearing the bleating of the flock, and thinkest thyself great, and separatest thyself from us?

17 And Gilead dwelt beyond Jordan. And why dwelt Dan among the ships? Asher sat at the ford of the sea, and abode in his torn spots.

18 And Zebulun's people ventured their souls unto death; Naphtali also, in the height of the field.

19 And the kings came and fought: and the kings of the -canaanites fought at Taanah, by the waters of Megiddo; but they brought no profit.

20 They fought against them out of heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sissera.

21 The brook Kison rolled them, the brook Kedumim, the brook Kison. Tread, my soul, upon the strong!

22 Then the horses' feet rattled at the trembling of their mighty riders.

23 Curse the city of Meros, said the angel of the LORD; curse her inhabitants, because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD to the mighty.

24 Blessed is Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite among the women: blessed is she in the tabernacle among the women.

25 She gave milk when he asked for water, and butter she offered in a glorious dish.

26 And she took hold of the nail with her hand, and of the smith's hammer with her right hand; and smote Sissera through his head, and bruised and pierced his sleep.

27 He bowed himself at her feet, and fell down, and lay down: he bowed himself, and fell down at her feet: as he bowed himself, so he lay corrupt.

28 And the mother of Sissera looked out at the window, and cried through the lattice, Why doth his chariot pine, that he cometh not? How do the wheels of his chariots remain so backward?

29 The wisest of his wives answered, because she kept repeating her words of lamentation:

30 Shall they not then find and divide the spoil, every man a mead or two for a spoil, and Sissera multicolored embroidered garments for a spoil, embroidered multicolored garments about the neck for a spoil?

31 So perish, O LORD, all thine enemies. But they that love him shall be as the sun riseth in his strength. And the land was quiet forty years.