5:1 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
5:2 “When the princes in Israel take the lead, when the people willingly offer themselves–praise the LORD!
5:3 “Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I will sing to the LORD, I will sing; I will make music to the LORD, the God of Israel.
5:4 “O LORD, when you went out from Seir, when you marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, the heavens poured, the clouds poured down water.
5:5 The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel.
5:6 “In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the roads were abandoned; travelers took to winding paths.
5:7 Village life in Israel ceased, ceased until I, Deborah, arose, arose a mother in Israel.
5:8 When they chose new gods, war came to the city gates, and not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel.
5:9 My heart is with Israel’s princes, with the willing volunteers among the people. Praise the LORD!
5:10 “You who ride on white donkeys, sitting on your saddle blankets, and you who walk along the road, consider
5:11 the voice of the singers at the watering places. They recite the righteous acts of the LORD, the righteous acts of his warriors in Israel. “Then the people of the LORD went down to the city gates.
5:12 ‘Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up, wake up, break out in song! Arise, O Barak! Take captive your captives, O son of Abinoam.’
5:13 “Then the men who were left came down to the nobles; the people of the LORD came to me with the mighty.
5:14 Some came from Ephraim, whose roots were in Amalek; Benjamin was with the people who followed you. From Makir captains came down, from Zebulun those who bear a commander’s staff.
5:15 The princes of Issachar were with Deborah; yes, Issachar was with Barak, rushing after him into the valley. In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart.
5:16 Why did you stay among the campfires to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart.
5:17 Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan. And Dan, why did he linger by the ships? Asher remained on the coast and stayed in his coves.
5:18 The people of Zebulun risked their very lives; so did Naphtali on the heights of the field.
5:19 “Kings came, they fought; the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they carried off no silver, no plunder.
5:20 From the heavens the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera.
5:21 The river Kishon swept them away, the age-old river, the river Kishon. March on, my soul; be strong!
5:22 Then thundered the horses’ hoofs–galloping, galloping go his mighty steeds.
5:23 ‘Curse Meroz,’ said the angel of the LORD. ‘Curse its people bitterly, because they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.’
5:24 “Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
5:25 He asked for water, and she gave him milk; in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him curdled milk.
5:26 Her hand reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman’s hammer. She struck Sisera, she crushed his head, she shattered and pierced his temple.
5:27 At her feet he sank, he fell; there he lay. At her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell–dead.
5:28 “Through the window peered Sisera’s mother; behind the lattice she cried out, ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why is the clatter of his chariots delayed?’
5:29 The wisest of her ladies answer her; indeed, she keeps saying to herself,
5:30 ‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoils: a girl or two for each man, colorful garments as plunder for Sisera, colorful garments embroidered, highly embroidered garments for my neck–all this as plunder?’
5:31 “So may all your enemies perish, O LORD! But may they who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength.” Then the land had peace forty years.
5:1 Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying:
5:2 That the leaders took the lead in Israel, / That the people have willingly offered themselves, / Bless Jehovah.
5:3 Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes! / I will sing; I, to Jehovah. / I will sing praise to Jehovah / The God of Israel.
5:4 O Jehovah, when You went forth from Seir, / When You marched from the field of Edom, / The earth trembled, the heavens also dripped, / Indeed the clouds dripped water.
5:5 The mountains quaked at the presence of Jehovah, / Sinai there, at the presence of Jehovah the God of Israel.
5:6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, / In the days of Jael, the highways were not used; / And travelers went / On the roundabout paths.
5:7 The villages ceased to act; / They ceased in Israel; / Until I, Deborah, rose up; / Until I rose up as a mother in Israel.
5:8 They chose new gods; / Then there was war in their gates. / Was a shield or a spear seen / Among forty thousand in Israel?
5:9 My heart is with the commanders of Israel, / Those who offered themselves willingly among the people. / Bless Jehovah!
5:10 Tell of it, you who ride on white donkeys, / You who sit on rich carpets, / And you who go upon the way.
5:11 Louder than the voice of those who distribute water among the watering / places, / There they recount the righteous deeds of Jehovah, / His righteous acts toward His villages in Israel. / Then the people of Jehovah went down to the gates.
5:12 Awake! Awake, Deborah! / Awake! Awake, speak forth a song! / Arise, Barak; / And lead captive your captives, son of Abinoam.
5:13 Then a remnant of the nobles went down; / The people of Jehovah went down with me against the mighty:
5:14 From Ephraim, those who took root in Amalek; / Following you, Benjamin, with your peoples; / From Machir commanders came down, / And from Zebulun those who wielded the staff of him who marshals.
5:15 And the princes in Issachar were with Deborah; / And Issachar was true to Barak; / Into the valley they were sent behind him. / Among the divisions of Reuben / There were great resolutions in heart.
5:16 Why did you sit among the sheepfolds / Listening to the pipings for the flocks? / In the divisions of Reuben / There were great searchings of heart.
5:17 Gilead stayed across the Jordan. / And as for Dan, why did he remain with the ships? / Asher sat at the shore of the sea / And stayed at his landings.
5:18 Zebulun was a people that despised their own lives even unto death; / And Naphtali, on the heights of the field.
5:19 The kings came; they fought. / At that time the kings of Canaan fought / In Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; / They took no gain of silver.
5:20 From heaven the stars fought; / From their courses they fought with Sisera.
5:21 The river Kishon swept them away, / The ancient river, the river Kishon. / March on, O my soul, with strength!
5:22 At that time the horse hooves stamped / With the prancing, the prancing of their mighty steeds.
5:23 Curse Meroz, says the Angel of Jehovah; / Bitterly curse its inhabitants. / For they did not come to the aid of Jehovah, / To the aid of Jehovah against the mighty.
5:24 Blessed among women shall Jael be, / The wife of Heber the Kenite; / Blessed among the women in the tent shall she be.
5:25 He asked for water; she gave him milk. / In a bowl for nobles she presented him with cream.
5:26 She put her hand to the tent peg, / And her right hand to the workman s hammer; / Then she struck Sisera; she smashed his head; / Indeed she shattered and pierced his temples.
5:27 At her feet he bowed; he fell; he lay down. / At her feet he bowed; he fell. / Where he bowed, there he fell, destroyed.
5:28 Through the window one looks forth and cries shrilly; / The mother of Sisera, through the lattice: / Why is his chariot so long in coming? / Why do the tracks of his chariots delay?
5:29 The wisest of her ladies answer her, / And she herself returns an answer to herself:
5:30 Have they not found and divided the spoil? / A girl, two girls, to each mighty man. / The spoil of dyed garments to Sisera, / The spoil of embroidered, dyed garments; / A dyed embroidery, two embroideries, / For the neck of the spoiler.
5:31 May all Your enemies so perish, O Jehovah. / But may those who love Him be like the sun / When it rises in its might. And the land had rest forty years.