Judges 5

1THEN sung Debbora, and Barak, son of Abineem, on that day, saying:

2Revelation was revealed in Israel
When the people offered thank offerings;
Praise ye the Lord.

3Hear, O kings! and give ear, O princes!
I will sing to I am, to the Lord I am;
I will sing to the Lord, the God of Israel.

4O Lord! in Thy march out of Seir,
When Thou didst remove from the fields of Edom;
The earth trembled, and heaven distilled dew;
The clouds also distilled water.

5The mountains shook at the presence of the Lord Eloi,
That Sina, at the presence of the Lord God of Israel.

6In the days of Samegar son, of Anath—in the days of Jael;
They forsook the high ways and travelled in bye paths—
They travelled in crooked winding roads.

7The mighty men of Israel were fainthearted;
They were fainthearted till Debbora arose—
Until there arose a mother in Israel.

8They had chosen new gods;
Then was war made upon the cities of chiefs, if a buckler was seen,
Or a spear among forty thousand in Israel.

9My heart was fixed on what were enjoined Israel.
Ye among the people who offer thank offerings,
Praise ye the Lord.

10Ye who have mounted your asses at noon day,
Ye who sit in the seat of judgment,
Ye who travel the high ways to the public assemblies,

11Make proclamation on the road, on account of the voice of them
Who shout amidst the drawers of water.
There let them rehearse gracious deliverances.
Increase, O Lord, gracious deliverances in Israel.
Then went the people of the Lord down to their cities.

12Awake, awake, Debbora! Awake, awake, utter a song. Arise, Barak! And lead thy captivity captive, son of Abineem!

13Then went down a remnant to the mighty—
The Lord’s people went down to him with my valiant men.

14Ephraim rooted out them in Amelek;
After thee was Benjamin with thy people;
With me went down the scouting Machirites,
And from Zabulon, they who array with the marshal’s staff.

15The leaders in Issachar also were with Debbora and Barak.
Thus was Barak in the vales.
He had sent a courier to the factions of Reuben.
The bold hearted are just setting out.

16Why did they tarry among their sheepfolds?
Was it to hear the bleating of their flocks?
For the divisions of Reuben, there were great searchings of heart.

17Why abode Galaad beyond the Jordan where he dwelt?
And why doth Dan sojourn in ships?
Aser seated himself on the seashore,
And chuseth to dwell in his extreme borders.

18The people of Zabulon jeoparded their lives to death;
And Nephthaleim came to the high places of the field.

19Kings had drawn themselves up in array.
Then fought the kings of Chanaan at Thanach—
At the waters of Mageddo;
They had not received the gift of silver.

20The stars from heaven were drawn up in array—
From their orbits they fought against Sisara.

21The torrent of Kison swept them away—
The ancient torrent—the torrent Kison.
My mighty soul shall trample them down.

22When the feet of the horse were entangled,
With precipitate speed, they who were able, fled.

23Curse Meroz, said the messenger of the Lord.
Curse ye it bitterly.
Curse be every one who dwelleth therein,
Because they came not to the help of the Lord—
To the help of the Lord among the mighty.

24Blessed among women be Jael, the wife of Chaber, the Kinite:
Above women in tents may she be blessed.

26She stretched forth her left hand to the tent pin;
And her right hand to the workman’s mallet.
And with the mallet she smote Sisara.
She drove the pin into his head and smote him;
She drove the pin quite through his temples.

27At her feet he had thrown himself down—
He prostrated himself, and fell asleep at her feet.
Throwing himself down, he had prostrated himself.
As he lay there he fell and finished his course.

28Through a window the mother of Sisara looked earnestly;
Out of that of an archer she cried,
Why is his chariot so long a coming?
Why tarry the wheels of his chariot?

29Her wise ladies answered her—
Nay she returned an answer to herself,

30Shall they not find him dividing spoil?
Will he shew compassion to the head of a man?
Sisara shall have spoils of richest dyes—
Spoils of richest dyes of needle work.
Rich dyes of embroidery are the spoils for his neck!

31So perish all Thine enemies, O Lord,
But let them who love Thee be like
The going forth of the Sun in his might.

32So the land had rest for forty years.