Judges, 5

1. They sang a song that day, Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam, and the words were:

1. Then sang Deb'orah and Barak the son of Abin'o-am on that day:

2. That the warriors in Israel unbound their hair, that the people came forward with a will, bless Yahweh!

2. "That the leaders took the lead in Israel, that the people offered themselves willingly, bless the LORD!

3. Listen, you kings! Give ear, you princes! From me, from me comes a song for Yahweh. I shall glorify Yahweh, God of Israel.

3. "Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes; to the LORD I will sing, I will make melody to the LORD, the God of Israel.

4. Yahweh, when you set out from Seir, when you marched from the field of Edom, the earth shook, the heavens pelted, the clouds pelted down water.

4. "LORD, when thou didst go forth from Se'ir, when thou didst march from the region of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, yea, the clouds dropped water.

5. The mountains melted before Yahweh of Sinai, before Yahweh, God of Israel.

5. The mountains quaked before the LORD, yon Sinai before the LORD, the God of Israel.

6. In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, there were no more caravans; those who went forth on their travels took their way along by-paths.

6. "In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, in the days of Ja'el, caravans ceased and travelers kept to the byways.

7. The villages in Israel were no more, they were no more until you arose, O Deborah, until you arose, mother of Israel!

7. The peasantry ceased in Israel, they ceased until you arose, Deb'orah, arose as a mother in Israel.

8. They were choosing new gods when war was at the gates. Was there one shield, one spear to be found among the forty thousand men in Israel?

8. When new gods were chosen, then war was in the gates. Was shield or spear to be seen among forty thousand in Israel?

9. My heart is with the leaders of Israel, with the people who came forward with a will! Bless Yahweh!

9. My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless the LORD.

10. You who ride white donkeys and sit on saddle-blankets as you ride, and you who go on foot,

10. "Tell of it, you who ride on tawny asses, you who sit on rich carpets and you who walk by the way.

11. sing -- to the sound of the shepherds at the watering places! There they extol Yahweh's blessings, his saving acts for his villages in Israel! (Then Yahweh's people marched down to the gates.)

11. To the sound of musicians at the watering places, there they repeat the triumphs of the LORD, the triumphs of his peasantry in Israel. "Then down to the gates marched the people of the LORD.

12. Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, declaim a song! Take heart, to your feet, Barak, capture your captors, son of Abinoam!

12. "Awake, awake, Deb'orah! Awake, awake, utter a song! Arise, Barak, lead away your captives, O son of Abin'o-am.

13. Then Israel marched down to the gates; like champions, Yahweh's people marched down to fight for him!

13. Then down marched the remnant of the noble; the people of the LORD marched down for him against the mighty.

14. The princes of Ephraim are in the valley. Behind you, Benjamin is in your ranks. Captains have come down from Machir, those who wield the commander's staff, from Zebulun.

14. From E'phraim they set out thither into the valley, following you, Benjamin, with your kinsmen; from Machir marched down the commanders, and from Zeb'ulun those who bear the marshal's staff;

15. The princes of Issachar are with Deborah; Naphtali, with Barak, in the valley follows in hot pursuit. In the clans of Reuben there was much searching of heart.

15. the princes of Is'sachar came with Deb'orah, and Is'sachar faithful to Barak; into the valley they rushed forth at his heels. Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.

16. Why did you stay among the sheepfolds, listening for the whistle, with the flocks? (In the clans of Reuben, there was much searching of heart.)

16. Why did you tarry among the sheepfolds, to hear the piping for the flocks? Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.

17. Gilead stayed on the other side of the Jordan, and why should Dan have stayed aboard ship? Asher remained beside the sea, peacefully living within his ports.

17. Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan; and Dan, why did he abide with the ships? Asher sat still at the coast of the sea, settling down by his landings.

18. Zebulun is a people who have braved death, Naphtali too, on the high ground of the country.

18. Zeb'ulun is a people that jeoparded their lives to the death; Naph'tali too, on the heights of the field.

19. The kings came and they fought, how they fought, those kings of Canaan, at Taanach, near the Waters of Megiddo, but no booty of silver did they take!

19. "The kings came, they fought; then fought the kings of Canaan, at Ta'anach, by the waters of Megid'do; they got no spoils of silver.

20. The stars fought from heaven, from their orbits they fought against Sisera.

20. From heaven fought the stars, from their courses they fought against Sis'era.

21. The torrent of Kishon swept them away, the torrent of old, the torrent of Kishon. -March on, be strong my soul!

21. The torrent Kishon swept them away, the onrushing torrent, the torrent Kishon. March on, my soul, with might!

22. The horses' hooves then hammer the ground: galloping, galloping go his steeds.

22. "Then loud beat the horses' hoofs with the galloping, galloping of his steeds.

23. 'Curse Meroz,' said the Angel of Yahweh, 'curse, curse the people living there for not having come to Yahweh's help, to Yahweh's help as warriors!'

23. "Curse Meroz, says the angel of the LORD, curse bitterly its inhabitants, because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.

24. Most blessed of women be Jael (the wife of Heber the Kenite); of tent-dwelling women, may she be most blessed!

24. "Most blessed of women be Ja'el, the wife of Heber the Ken'ite, of tent-dwelling women most blessed.

25. He asked for water; she gave him milk; she offered him curds in a lordly dish.

25. He asked water and she gave him milk, she brought him curds in a lordly bowl.

26. She reached her hand out to seize the peg, her right hand to seize the workman's mallet. She hammered Sisera, she crushed his head, she pierced his temple and shattered it.

26. She put her hand to the tent peg and her right hand to the workmen's mallet; she struck Sis'era a blow, she crushed his head, she shattered and pierced his temple.

27. Between her feet, he crumpled, he fell, he lay; at her feet, he crumpled, he fell. Where he crumpled, there he fell, destroyed.

27. He sank, he fell, he lay still at her feet; at her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell dead.

28. At the window, she leans and watches, Sisera's mother, through the lattice, 'Why is his chariot so long coming? Why so delayed the hoof-beats from his chariot?'

28. "Out of the window she peered, the mother of Sis'era gazed through the lattice: `Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the hoofbeats of his chariots?'

29. The wisest of her ladies answers, and she to herself repeats,

29. Her wisest ladies make answer, nay, she gives answer to herself,

30. 'Are they not collecting and sharing out the spoil: a girl, two girls for each warrior; a booty of coloured and embroidered stuff for Sisera, one scarf, two embroidered scarves for me!'

30. `Are they not finding and dividing the spoil? -- A maiden or two for every man; spoil of dyed stuffs for Sis'era, spoil of dyed stuffs embroidered, two pieces of dyed work embroidered for my neck as spoil?'

31. So perish all your enemies, Yahweh! And let those who love you be like the sun when he emerges in all his strength! And the country had peace for forty years.

31. "So perish all thine enemies, O LORD! But thy friends be like the sun as he rises in his might." And the land had rest for forty years.