5
1 Then
Deborah and Barak
the son of Abinoam
sang on that
day, saying,
2 “Because
the leaders took
the lead in Israel,
because the
people offered themselves
willingly,
be blessed, LORD!
3 “Hear,
you kings!
Give ear, you
princes!
I, even I,
will sing to
the LORD.
I will sing
praise to the
LORD, the God
of Israel.
4 “LORD,
when you went
out of Seir,
when you marched
out of the
field of Edom,
the earth
trembled, the sky
also dropped.
Yes, the clouds
dropped water.
5 The
mountains quaked
at the LORD’s
presence,
even Sinai at
the presence of
the LORD, the
God of Israel.
6 “In
the days of
Shamgar the son
of Anath,
in the days
of Jael,
the highways were
unoccupied.
The travelers
walked through
byways.
7 The rulers
ceased in Israel.
They ceased until
I, Deborah, arose;
Until I arose
a mother in Israel.
8 They chose
new gods.
Then war was
in the gates.
Was there a
shield or spear
seen among forty thousand
in Israel?
9 My
heart is toward
the governors of
Israel,
who offered themselves
willingly among
the people.
Bless the LORD!
10 “Speak,
you who ride
on white donkeys,
you who sit
on rich carpets,
and you who
walk by the
way.
11 Far from
the noise of
archers, in the
places of drawing
water,
there they will
rehearse the LORD’s
righteous acts,
the righteous
acts of his rule
in Israel.
“Then the LORD’s
people went down
to the gates.
12 ‘Awake,
awake, Deborah!
Awake, awake,
utter a song!
Arise, Barak,
and lead away your
captives, you son
of Abinoam.’
13 “Then
a remnant of
the nobles and the
people came down.
The LORD came down
for me against the
mighty.
14 Those
whose root is
in Amalek came
out of Ephraim,
after you,
Benjamin, among
your peoples.
Governors come
down out of
Machir.
Those who handle
the marshal’s staff
came out of
Zebulun.
15 The
princes of
Issachar were with
Deborah.
As was Issachar,
so was Barak.
They rushed into
the valley at
his feet.
By the watercourses
of Reuben,
there were great resolves
of heart.
16 Why
did you sit
among the
sheepfolds?
To hear
the whistling for
the flocks?
At the watercourses
of Reuben,
there were great
searchings of
heart.
17 Gilead
lived beyond the
Jordan.
Why did Dan
remain in ships?
Asher sat still
at the haven
of the sea,
and lived by
his creeks.
18 Zebulun
was a people
that jeopardized their
lives to the
death;
Naphtali also, on
the high places
of the field.
19 “The
kings came and
fought,
then the kings
of Canaan fought
at Taanach by
the waters of
Megiddo.
They took no
plunder of silver.
20 From
the sky the
stars fought.
From their
courses, they
fought against
Sisera.
21 The
river Kishon swept
them away,
that ancient
river, the river
Kishon.
My soul, march
on with strength.
22 Then the
horse hoofs stamped because
of the prancing,
the prancing of
their strong ones.
23 ‘Curse
Meroz,’ said the
LORD’s angel.
‘Curse bitterly its inhabitants,
because they didn’t
come to help
the LORD,
to help the
LORD against the
mighty.’
24 “Jael shall
be blessed
above women,
the wife of Heber
the Kenite;
blessed shall she be
above women in
the tent.
25 He
asked for water.
She gave him
milk.
She brought him
butter in a lordly
dish.
26 She put
her hand to
the tent peg,
and her right
hand to
the workmen’s hammer.
With the
hammer she struck
Sisera.
She struck through
his head.
Yes, she pierced and
struck through his
temples.
27 At
her feet he
bowed, he fell,
he lay.
At her feet
he bowed, he
fell.
Where he bowed,
there he fell
down dead.
28 “Through
the window she
looked out, and
cried:
Sisera’s mother looked
through the lattice.
‘Why is his
chariot so long in coming?
Why do the wheels
of his
chariots wait?’
29 Her
wise ladies
answered her,
Yes, she returned
answer to herself,
30 ‘Have
they not found,
have they not
divided the
plunder?
A lady, two ladies
to every man;
to Sisera a
plunder of
dyed garments,
a plunder of
dyed garments embroidered,
of dyed garments
embroidered on both
sides, on the
necks of the
plunder?’
31 “So
let all
your enemies perish, LORD,
but let those
who love him be
as the sun
when it rises
in its strength.”
Then the land had
rest forty years.