Judges 5

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

1That day Deborah and Barak, the son of Abinoam, sang this song.

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

2Praise the LORD! He paid back Israel's enemies. The people gladly offered to fight.

3Hear, 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.

3Listen, kings! Listen, princes! I will sing to the LORD. I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel.

4LORD, 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.

4LORD, you came out from Seir. You marched out from the land of Edom. The earth shook. Rain poured down from the sky.

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

5The mountains shook when the LORD came near. Even Sinai shook before the LORD, the God of Israel.

6In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.

6In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, and in the days of Jael, the main roads sat empty. Travelers used small side paths instead.

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

7Life in the villages stopped all over Israel. Then I, Deborah, stood up. I stood up like a mother for Israel.

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

8The people chose new gods, and war came to their town gates. Among forty thousand men in Israel, no shield or spear could be seen.

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

9My heart goes out to Israel's leaders. They offered themselves along with the people. Praise the LORD!

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

10You who ride white donkeys, think about this. You who sit as judges, and you who walk the road, think about it too.

11They 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.

11At the wells, safe from the noise of enemy archers, people tell the story. They tell about the right things the LORD did. They tell what he did for his villages in Israel. Then the LORD's people marched down to the town gates.

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

12Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up and sing a song! Get up, Barak, son of Abinoam, and take your prisoners away.

13Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty.

13Then the ones still left came down to join the leaders. The LORD's people came down to me to face the strong enemy.

14Out 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.

14Men came from Ephraim, whose roots reach back into Amalek. Benjamin came along with your people. Leaders came down from Machir. From Zebulun came men who carry the officer's staff.

15And 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.

15The leaders of Issachar were with Deborah. Issachar stayed close to Barak and rushed into the valley behind him. But the families of Reuben could not make up their minds.

16Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.

16Why did you stay by the sheep pens, Reuben? Was it to hear the shepherds whistle for the flocks? Your families could not make up their minds.

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

17Gilead stayed on the far side of the Jordan River. Dan, why did you stay with the ships? Asher stayed by the sea, at his harbors.

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

18But Zebulun and Naphtali risked their lives. They fought on the high ground of the battlefield.

19The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.

19Kings came and fought. The kings of Canaan fought at Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo. But they carried away no silver.

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

20The stars fought from the sky. From their paths they fought against Sisera.

21The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.

21The Kishon River swept the enemy away. That old, old river, the Kishon. March on, my soul! Be strong.

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

22Then the horses' hooves pounded the ground. The strong horses galloped wildly.

23Curse 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"Curse Meroz," said the angel of the LORD. "Curse the people who live there. They did not come to help the LORD fight the strong enemy."

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

24May Jael be blessed more than other women. She is the wife of Heber the Kenite. Bless her above all the women who live in tents.

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

25Sisera asked for water, and she gave him milk. She brought him thick, soured milk in a fine bowl.

Note"Butter" in the old wording means curds: thick, soured milk, a bit like soft cheese. It was normal food to give a guest.

26She 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.

26She reached out her hand for a tent peg. Her right hand took the workman's hammer. She struck Sisera and crushed his head. She drove the peg through the side of his head.

NoteThe "nail" here is a tent peg. It is a long stake used to hold a tent down to the ground.

27At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead.

27He sank down at her feet. He fell and lay still. He sank down at her feet and fell. Where he sank down, there he fell dead.

28The 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?

28Sisera's mother looked out of her window. She called through the wooden screen, "Why is his chariot so late? Why do I not hear his wheels?"

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

29Her wisest women answered her. And she kept saying the same thing to herself:

30Have 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"They must be sharing out what they took. A girl or two for each soldier. Fine dyed cloth for Sisera. Beautiful cloth with sewn designs, for the neck of the winner."

Note"Have they not sped?" is old English for "Haven't they won?" The "prey" means the things soldiers carried off after a battle.

31So 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.

31May all your enemies end like this, LORD. But may those who love you shine like the sun at its brightest. Then the land was at peace for forty years.