| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying: | 1On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this victory song: |
| 2“When leaders lead in Israel, When the people willingly offer themselves, Bless the LORD! | 2"When the leaders took the lead in Israel, When the people answered the call to war--Praise the LORD! |
| 3“Hear, O kings! Give ear, O princes! I, even I, will sing to the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel. | 3Hear, O kings! Pay attention, O rulers! I will sing to the LORD! I will sing to the LORD God of Israel! |
| 4“LORD, when You went out from Seir, When You marched from the field of Edom, The earth trembled and the heavens poured, The clouds also poured water; | 4O LORD, when you departed from Seir, when you marched from Edom's plains, the earth shook, the heavens poured down, the clouds poured down rain. |
| 5The mountains gushed before the LORD, This Sinai, before the LORD God of Israel. | 5The mountains trembled before the LORD, the God of Sinai; before the LORD God of Israel. |
| 6“In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, In the days of Jael, The highways were deserted, And the travelers walked along the byways. | 6In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael caravans disappeared; travelers had to go on winding side roads. |
| 7Village life ceased, it ceased in Israel, Until I, Deborah, arose, Arose a mother in Israel. | 7Warriors were scarce, they were scarce in Israel, until you arose, Deborah, until you arose as a motherly protector in Israel. |
| 8They chose new gods; Then there was war in the gates; Not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel. | 8God chose new leaders, then fighters appeared in the city gates; but, I swear, not a shield or spear could be found, among forty military units in Israel. |
| 9My heart is with the rulers of Israel Who offered themselves willingly with the people. Bless the LORD! | 9My heart went out to Israel's leaders, to the people who answered the call to war. Praise the LORD! |
| 10“Speak, you who ride on white donkeys, Who sit in judges’ attire, And who walk along the road. | 10You who ride on light-colored female donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, you who walk on the road, pay attention! |
| 11Far from the noise of the archers, among the watering places, There they shall recount the righteous acts of the LORD, The righteous acts for His villagers in Israel; Then the people of the LORD shall go down to the gates. | 11Hear the sound of those who divide the sheep among the watering places; there they tell of the Lord's victorious deeds, the victorious deeds of his warriors in Israel. Then the LORD's people went down to the city gates-- |
| 12“Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, Barak, and lead your captives away, O son of Abinoam! | 12Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up, wake up, sing a song! Get up, Barak! Capture your prisoners of war, son of Abinoam! |
| 13“Then the survivors came down, the people against the nobles; The LORD came down for me against the mighty. | 13Then the survivors came down to the mighty ones; the LORD's people came down to me as warriors. |
| 14From Ephraim were those whose roots were in Amalek. After you, Benjamin, with your peoples, From Machir rulers came down, And from Zebulun those who bear the recruiter’s staff. | 14They came from Ephraim, who uprooted Amalek, they follow after you, Benjamin, with your soldiers. From Makir leaders came down, from Zebulun came the ones who march carrying an officer's staff. |
| 15And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; As Issachar, so was Barak Sent into the valley under his command; Among the divisions of Reuben There were great resolves of heart. | 15Issachar's leaders were with Deborah, the men of Issachar supported Barak; into the valley they were sent under Barak's command. Among the clans of Reuben there was intense heart searching. |
| 16Why did you sit among the sheepfolds, To hear the pipings for the flocks? The divisions of Reuben have great searchings of heart. | 16Why do you remain among the sheepfolds, listening to the shepherds playing their pipes for their flocks? As for the clans of Reuben--there was intense searching of heart. |
| 17Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan, And why did Dan remain on ships? Asher continued at the seashore, And stayed by his inlets. | 17Gilead stayed put beyond the Jordan River. As for Dan--why did he seek temporary employment in the shipyards? Asher remained on the seacoast, he stayed by his harbors. |
| 18Zebulun is a people who jeopardized their lives to the point of death, Naphtali also, on the heights of the battlefield. | 18The men of Zebulun were not concerned about their lives; Naphtali charged on to the battlefields. |
| 19“The kings came and fought, Then the kings of Canaan fought In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; They took no spoils of silver. | 19Kings came, they fought; the kings of Canaan fought, at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they took no silver as plunder. |
| 20They fought from the heavens; The stars from their courses fought against Sisera. | 20From the sky the stars fought, from their paths in the heavens they fought against Sisera. |
| 21The torrent of Kishon swept them away, That ancient torrent, the torrent of Kishon. O my soul, march on in strength! | 21The Kishon River carried them off; the river confronted them--the Kishon River. Step on the necks of the strong! |
| 22Then the horses’ hooves pounded, The galloping, galloping of his steeds. | 22The horses' hooves pounded the ground; the stallions galloped madly. |
| 23‘Curse Meroz,’ said the angel of the LORD, ‘Curse its inhabitants bitterly, Because they did not come to the help of the LORD, To the help of the LORD against the mighty.’ | 23Call judgment down on Meroz,' says the LORD's angelic messenger; 'Be sure to call judgment down on those who live there, because they did not come to help in the LORD's battle, to help in the LORD's battle against the warriors.' |
| 24“Most blessed among women is Jael, The wife of Heber the Kenite; Blessed is she among women in tents. | 24The most rewarded of women should be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite! She should be the most rewarded of women who live in tents. |
| 25He asked for water, she gave milk; She brought out cream in a lordly bowl. | 25He asked for water, and she gave him milk; in a bowl fit for a king, she served him curds. |
| 26She stretched her hand to the tent peg, Her right hand to the workmen’s hammer; She pounded Sisera, she pierced his head, She split and struck through his temple. | 26Her left hand reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workmen's hammer. She "hammered" Sisera, she shattered his skull, she smashed his head, she drove the tent peg through his temple. |
| 27At her feet he sank, he fell, he lay still; At her feet he sank, he fell; Where he sank, there he fell dead. | 27Between her feet he collapsed, he fell limp and was lifeless; between her feet he collapsed and fell limp, in the spot where he collapsed, there he fell limp--violently murdered! |
| 28“The mother of Sisera looked through the window, And cried out through the lattice, ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarries the clatter of his chariots?’ | 28Through the window she looked; Sisera's mother cried out through the lattice: 'Why is his chariot so slow to return? Why are the hoofbeats of his chariot-horses delayed?' |
| 29Her wisest ladies answered her, Yes, she answered herself, | 29The wisest of her ladies answer; indeed she even thinks to herself, |
| 30‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoil: To every man a girl or two; For Sisera, plunder of dyed garments, Plunder of garments embroidered and dyed, Two pieces of dyed embroidery for the neck of the looter?’ | 30No doubt they are gathering and dividing the plunder--a girl or two for each man to rape! Sisera is grabbing up colorful cloth, he is grabbing up colorful embroidered cloth, two pieces of colorful embroidered cloth, for the neck of the plunderer!' |
| 31“Thus let all Your enemies perish, O LORD! But let those who love Him be like the sun When it comes out in full strength.” So the land had rest for forty years. | 31May all your enemies perish like this, O LORD! But may those who love you shine like the rising sun at its brightest!" And the land had rest for forty years. |
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