Judges 5

1And Deborah sings—also Barak son of Abinoam—on that day, saying,

2“For freeing leaders in Israel, || For a people willingly offering themselves, || Bless YHWH.

3Hear, you kings; give ear, you princes, || I sing to YHWH, || I sing praise to YHWH, God of Israel.

4YHWH, in Your going forth out of Seir, || In Your stepping out of the field of Edom, || The earth trembled and the heavens dropped, || And thick clouds dropped water.

5Hills flowed from the face of YHWH, || This one—Sinai—From the face of YHWH, God of Israel.

6In the days of Shamgar son of Anath—In the days of Jael—The ways have ceased, || And those going in the paths go [in] crooked ways.

7Villages ceased in Israel—they ceased, || Until I arose—Deborah, || That I arose, a mother in Israel.

8He chooses new gods, || Then war [is] at the gates! A shield is not seen—and a spear || Among forty thousand in Israel.

9My heart [is] to the lawgivers of Israel, || Who are offering themselves willingly among the people, || Bless YHWH!

10Riders on white donkeys—Sitters on a long robe—And walkers by the way—meditate!

11By the voice of shouters || Between the places of drawing water, || There they give out righteous acts of YHWH, || Righteous acts of His villages in Israel, || Then the people of YHWH have gone down to the gates.

12Awake, awake, Deborah; Awake, awake, utter a song; Rise, Barak, and take your captivity captive, || Son of Abinoam.

13Then him who is left of the majestic ones He caused to rule the people of YHWH, || He caused me to rule among the mighty.

14From Ephraim [are] those whose root [is] in Amalek, || After you, Benjamin, among your peoples, || From Machir lawgivers came down, || And from Zebulun those drawing with the reed of a writer.

15And princes in Issachar [are] with Deborah, || Indeed, Issachar [is] right with Barak, || Into the valley he was sent on his feet. In the divisions of Reuben, || The decrees of heart [are] great!

16Why have you abided between the boundaries, || To hear lowings of herds? For the divisions of Reuben, || The searchings of heart [are] great!

17Gilead dwelt beyond the Jordan, || And why does Dan sojourn [in] ships? Asher has abided at the haven of the seas, || And dwells by his creeks.

18Zebulun [is] a people who exposed its soul to death, || Naphtali also—on high places of the field.

19Kings came—they fought; Then kings of Canaan fought, || In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; They did not take gain of money!

20They fought from the heavens: The stars fought with Sisera from their highways.

21The Brook of Kishon swept them away, || The most ancient brook—the Brook of Kishon. You tread down strength, O my soul!

22Then the horse-heels were broken, || By gallopings—gallopings of its mighty ones.

23Curse Meroz, said a messenger of YHWH, || Cursing, curse its inhabitants! For they did not come to the help of YHWH, || To the help of YHWH among the mighty!

24Above women is Jael, || The wife of Heber the Kenite, || She is blessed above women in the tent.

25He asked for water—she gave milk; She brought butter near in a lordly dish.

26She sends forth her hand to the pin, || And her right hand to the laborers’ hammer, || And she hammered Sisera—she struck his head, || Indeed, she struck, and it passed through his temple.

27He bowed between her feet—He fell, he lay down; He bowed between her feet, he fell; Where he bowed, there he fell—destroyed.

28She has looked out through the window—Indeed, she cries out—the mother of Sisera, || Through the lattice: Why is his chariot delaying to come? Why have the steps of his chariot tarried?

29The wise ones, her princesses, answer her, || Indeed, she returns her sayings to herself:

30Do they not find? They apportion spoil, || A female—two females—for every head, || Spoil of finger-work for Sisera, || Spoil of embroidered finger-work, || Finger-work—a pair of embroidered things, || For the necks of the spoil!

31So do all Your enemies perish, O YHWH, || And those loving Him [are] || As the going out of the sun in its might!” And the land rests [for] forty years.