Judges, 5

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

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

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

2. In Israel the warriors let their hair loose, in Israel they presented voluntary offerings for the war. Blessed be Yahweh!

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.

3. Listen, O kings; pay attention, O princes. To Yahweh will I sing. To Yahweh, the God of Israel, will I offer praise.

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.

4. When you went forth from Seir, O Yahweh, when you came from the camp of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens reeled and the clouds poured down rain.

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

5. The mountains rocked before Yahweh, before Yahweh - the 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.

6. In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Yael, caravans ceased and travelers wandered through the byways.

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

7. There were no leaders in Israel until I, Deborah, awoke and arose as a mother of Israel.

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

8. They went after new gods, and war was upon them. There was hardly a shield or a spear for forty thousand men in Israel!

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

9. My heart is with the leaders of Israel, among the people who came willingly. Blessed be Yahweh!

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

10. Those who go riding on white asses, those who walk by the way, meditate!

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.

11. Hear the voice of those who divide the plunder near the watering place: they sing the favors God has done to Israel when the people of Yahweh march down to the gates.

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

12. Wake up, Deborah, wake up! Wake up, wake up and begin to sing. Arise, Barak! And bring your songs, 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.

13. Let the survivors of the people rule over their oppressors! May Yahweh be with me, stronger than the valiant!

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.

14. Your roots, O Ephraim, are in Amalek; your brother Benjamin is behind you among your army. From Machir the commanders marched down; from Zebulun the leaders bearing the brass staff.

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.

15. The leaders of Issachar are with Deborah, Issachar is with Barak; the people rushed forth following their footsteps into the plain. There were long talks among the clans of Reuben.

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.

16. Why did you choose to remain in your folds listening to the flute among the flock? The clans of Reuben could not decide.

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

17. Galaad remained on the other side of the Jordan, and Dan, why did you remain in your ships? Asher has remained on the seacoasts; he is quiet in his ports.

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

18. Zebulun, in turn, has scorned death; Naphtali went up to the battlefield, too.

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.

19. The kings came to fight; the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach, near the waters of Megiddo, but they got no silver.

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

20. From the heavens the stars fought, from their orbits they 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.

21. The torrent Kishon dragged them away, the cold torrent, the torrent Kishon. March on without fear, my soul!

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

22. Hoofs of horses shake the ground: the galloping, galloping of his horses.

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.

23. Cursed be Meroz, said the angel of Yahweh, cursed be it, cursed be its inhabitants, for it came not to the aid of Yahweh, not like the heroes.

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

24. Blessed among women be Yael, wife of Heber the Kenite, among the women who dwell in tents, blessed may you be!

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

25. He asked for water, she gave him milk; in the cup of honor she served him cream.

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.

26. She put her hand to the peg and with her right hand took the hammer of a workman. She struck Sisera, crushed his head, pierced and shattered his temple.

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.

27. He collapsed at her feet, and there he fell, and lay still.

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?

28. Sisera's mother looks out of the window, and she cries out behind the lattice: Why is his chariot late in coming? Why is his chariot delayed?

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

29. The wisest of her women answers and says:

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?

30. Surely they are dividing the plunder - one captive, two captives for each warrior; colored cloths for Sisera as booty, colored cloths twice adorned with raised embroidery for a scarf.

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.

31. So may all your enemies perish, O Yahweh, but may your friends be like the brilliant sun!