Juges 5

1Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,

2For that the leaders took the lead in Israel, For that the people offered themselves willingly, Bless ye Jehovah.

3Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; even I, will sing unto Jehovah; I will sing praise to Jehovah, the God of Israel.

4Jehovah, when thou wentest forth out of Seir, When thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, The earth trembled, the heavens also dropped, Yea, the clouds dropped water.

5The mountains quaked at the presence of Jehovah, Even yon Sinai at the presence of Jehovah, the God of Israel.

6In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, the highways were unoccupied, __a__FOOTNOTE__a__ Judges 5:6 Hebrew crooked ways. __b__FOOTNOTE__b__ byways.

7__a__FOOTNOTE__a__ Judges 5:7 Or, The villages were unoccupied __b__FOOTNOTE__b__ The rulers ceased in Israel, they ceased, Until that I Deborah arose, That I arose a mother in Israel.

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

9My heart is toward the governors of Israel, That offered themselves willingly among the people: Bless ye Jehovah.

10Tell of it , ye that ride on white asses, Ye that sit on rich carpets, And ye that walk by the way.

11__a__FOOTNOTE__a__ Judges 5:11 Or, Because of the voice of the archers . . . there let them rehearse __b__FOOTNOTE__b__ Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water, There shall they rehearse the righteous acts of Jehovah, Even the righteous acts __a__FOOTNOTE__a__ Judges 5:11 Or, toward his villages __b__FOOTNOTE__b__ of his rule in Israel. Then the people of Jehovah went down to the gates.

12Awake, awake, Deborah; Awake, awake, utter a song: Arise, Barak, and lead away thy captives, thou son of Abinoam.

13__a__FOOTNOTE__a__ Judges 5:13 Or, Then go down, O remnant, for the nobles . . . O Jehovah, go down for me against the mighty. Or, Then made he a remnant to have dominion over the nobles and the people; Jehovah made me have dominion over the mighty __b__FOOTNOTE__b__ Then came down a remnant of the nobles __a__FOOTNOTE__a__ Judges 5:13 Or, as otherwise read, the people of Jehovah came down for me against (or among) the mighty __b__FOOTNOTE__b__ and the people; __a__FOOTNOTE__a__ Judges 5:13 Or, among __b__FOOTNOTE__b__ against the mighty.

14Out of Ephraim came down they whose root is in Amalek; After thee, Benjamin, among thy peoples; governors, __a__FOOTNOTE__a__ Judges 5:14 Or, the staff of the scribe __b__FOOTNOTE__b__ the marshal’s staff.

15And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; As was Issachar, so was Barak; Into the valley they rushed forth at his feet. By the watercourses of Reuben There were great resolves of heart.

16Why sattest thou among the sheepfolds, To hear the pipings for the flocks? At the watercourses of Reuben There were great searchings of heart.

17Gilead abode beyond the Jordan: And Dan, why did he remain in ships? haven of the sea, And abode by his creeks.

18Zebulun was a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death, And Naphtali, upon the high places of the field.

19The kings came and fought; Then fought the kings of Canaan, In Taanach by the waters of Megiddo: They took no gain of money.

20From heaven fought the stars, From their courses they fought against Sisera.

21The river Kishon swept them away, That ancient river, the river Kishon. march on with strength.

22Then did the horsehoofs stamp By reason of the prancings, the prancings of their strong ones.

23Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of Jehovah. Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof, Because they came not to the help of Jehovah, against the mighty.

24Blessed above women shall Jael be, The wife of Heber the Kenite; __a__FOOTNOTE__a__ Judges 5:24 Or, of __b__FOOTNOTE__b__ above women in the tent.

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

26She put her hand to the tent-pin, And her right hand to the workmen’s hammer; And with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote through his head; Yea, she pierced and struck through his temples.

27At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay; At her feet he bowed, he fell: dead.

28Through the window she looked forth, and cried, cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? wheels of his chariots?

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

30Have they not found, have they not divided the spoil? A damsel, two damsels to every man; To Sisera a spoil of dyed garments, A spoil of dyed garments embroidered, Of dyed garments embroidered on both sides, on the necks of the spoil?

31So let all thine enemies perish, O Jehovah: But let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.