Judges, 5

1. On that day Deborah (and Barak, son of Abinoam,) sang this song:

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

2. Of chiefs who took the lead in Israel, of noble deeds by the people who bless the LORD,

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

3. Hear, O kings! Give ear, O princes! I to the LORD will sing my song, my hymn to the LORD, the God of Israel.

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

4. O LORD, when you went out from Seir, when you marched from the land of Edom, The earth quaked and the heavens were shaken, while the clouds sent down showers.

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.

5. Mountains trembled in the presence of the LORD, the One of Sinai, in the presence of the LORD, the God of Israel.

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

6. In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, in the days of slavery caravans ceased: Those who traveled the roads went by roundabout paths.

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.

7. Gone was freedom beyond the walls, gone indeed from Israel. When I, Deborah, rose, when I rose, a mother in Israel,

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

8. New gods were their choice; then the war was at their gates. Not a shield could be seen, nor a lance, among forty thousand 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?

9. My heart is with the leaders of Israel, nobles of the people who bless the LORD;

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

10. They who ride on white asses, seated on saddlecloths as they go their way;

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

11. Sing of them to the strains of the harpers at the wells, where men recount the just deeds of the LORD, his just deeds that brought freedom to Israel.

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.)

12. Awake, awake, Deborah! awake, awake, strike up a song. Strength! arise, Barak, make despoilers your spoil, son of Abinoam.

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

13. Then down came the fugitives with the mighty, the people of the LORD came down for me as warriors.

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

14. From Ephraim, princes were in the valley; behind you was Benjamin, among your troops. From Machir came down commanders, from Zebulun wielders of the marshal's staff.

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.

15. With Deborah were the princes of Issachar; Barak, too, was in the valley, his course unchecked. Among the clans of Reuben great were the searchings of heart.

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.

16. Why do you stay beside your hearths listening to the lowing of the herds? Among the clans of Reuben great were the 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.)

17. Gilead, beyond the Jordan, rests; why does Dan spend his time in ships? Asher, who dwells along the shore, is resting in his coves.

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.

18. Zebulun is the people defying death; Naphtali, too, on the open heights!

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

19. The kings came and fought; then they fought, those kings of Canaan, At Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; no silver booty did they take.

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!

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

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

21. The Wadi Kishon swept them away; a wadi. . . , the Kishon.

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

22. Then the hoofs of the horses pounded, with the dashing, dashing of his steeds.

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

23. "Curse Meroz," says the LORD, "hurl a curse at its inhabitants! For they came not to my help, as warriors to the help of the LORD."

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!'

24. Blessed among women be Jael, blessed among tent-dwelling women.

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

25. He asked for water, she gave him milk; in a princely bowl she offered curds.

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

26. With her left hand she reached for the peg, with her right, for the workman's mallet. She hammered Sisera, crushed his head; she smashed, stove in his temple.

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.

27. At her feet he sank down, fell, lay still; down at her feet he sank and fell; where he sank down, there he fell, slain.

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

28. From the window peered down and wailed the mother of Sisera, from the lattice: "Why is his chariot so long in coming? why are the hoofbeats of his chariots delayed?"

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?'

29. The wisest of her princesses answers her, and she, too, keeps answering herself:

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

30. "They must be dividing the spoil they took: there must be a damsel or two for each man, Spoils of dyed cloth as Sisera's spoil, an ornate shawl or two for me in the spoil."

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!'

31. May all your enemies perish thus, O LORD! but your friends be as the sun rising in its might! And the land was at rest for forty years.

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.