Judges 5 Parallel Bible Translations

Judges 5 ▼
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1 And Deborah sings—also Barak son of Abinoam—on that day, saying, Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day: On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
2 “For freeing leaders in Israel, || For a people willingly offering themselves, || Bless YHWH. “That the leaders took the lead in Israel, that the people offered themselves willingly, bless the LORD! “When the princes in Israel take the lead, when the people willingly offer themselves— praise the LORD!
3 Hear, you kings; give ear, you princes, || I sing to YHWH, || I sing praise to YHWH, God of Israel. “Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes; to the LORD I will sing; I will make melody to the LORD, the God of Israel. “Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I, even I, will sing to the LORD; I will praise the LORD, the God of Israel, in song.
4 YHWH, 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. “ LORD, when you went out from Seir, when you marched from the region of Edom, the earth trembled and the heavens dropped, yes, the clouds dropped water. “When you, LORD, went out from Seir, when you marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, the heavens poured, the clouds poured down water.
5 Hills flowed from the face of YHWH, || This one—Sinai—From the face of YHWH, God of Israel. The mountains quaked before the LORD, even Sinai before the LORD, the God of Israel. The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel.
6 In 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. “In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were abandoned, and travelers kept to the byways. “In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were abandoned; travelers took to winding paths.
7 Villages ceased in Israel—they ceased, || Until I arose—Deborah, || That I arose, a mother in Israel. The villagers ceased in Israel; they ceased to be until I arose; I, Deborah, arose as a mother in Israel. Villagers in Israel would not fight; they held back until I, Deborah, arose, until I arose, a mother in Israel.
8 He chooses new gods, || Then war [is] at the gates! A shield is not seen—and a spear || Among forty thousand in Israel. When new gods were chosen, then war was in the gates. Was shield or spear to be seen among forty thousand in Israel? God chose new leaders when war came to the city gates, but not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel.
9 My heart [is] to the lawgivers of Israel, || Who are offering themselves willingly among the people, || Bless YHWH! My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless the LORD. My heart is with Israel’s princes, with the willing volunteers among the people. Praise the LORD!
10 Riders on white donkeys—Sitters on a long robe—And walkers by the way—meditate! “Tell of it, you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit on rich carpets and you who walk by the way. “You who ride on white donkeys, sitting on your saddle blankets, and you who walk along the road, consider
11 By 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. To the sound of musicians at the watering places, there they repeat the righteous triumphs of the LORD, the righteous triumphs of his villagers in Israel. “Then down to the gates marched the people of the LORD. the voice of the singers at the watering places. They recite the victories of the LORD, the victories of his villagers in Israel. “Then the people of the LORD went down to the city gates.
12 Awake, awake, Deborah; Awake, awake, utter a song; Rise, Barak, and take your captivity captive, || Son of Abinoam. “Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, break out in a song! Arise, Barak, lead away your captives, O son of Abinoam. Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up, wake up, break out in song! Arise, Barak! Take captive your captives, son of Abinoam.’
13 Then him who is left of the majestic ones He caused to rule the people of YHWH, || He caused me to rule among the mighty. Then down marched the remnant of the noble; the people of the LORD marched down for me against the mighty. “The remnant of the nobles came down; the people of the LORD came down to me against the mighty.
14 From 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. From Ephraim their root they marched down into the valley, following you, Benjamin, with your kinsmen; from Machir marched down the commanders, and from Zebulun those who bear the lieutenant’s staff; Some came from Ephraim, whose roots were in Amalek; Benjamin was with the people who followed you. From Makir captains came down, from Zebulun those who bear a commander’s staff.
15 And 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! the princes of Issachar came with Deborah, and Issachar faithful to Barak; into the valley they rushed at his heels. Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. The princes of Issachar were with Deborah; yes, Issachar was with Barak, sent under his command into the valley. In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart.
16 Why have you abided between the boundaries, || To hear lowings of herds? For the divisions of Reuben, || The searchings of heart [are] great! Why did you sit still among the sheepfolds, to hear the whistling for the flocks? Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. Why did you stay among the sheep pens to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart.
17 Gilead 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. Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan; and Dan, why did he stay with the ships? Asher sat still at the coast of the sea, staying by his landings. Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan. And Dan, why did he linger by the ships? Asher remained on the coast and stayed in his coves.
18 Zebulun [is] a people who exposed its soul to death, || Naphtali also—on high places of the field. Zebulun is a people who risked their lives to the death; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the field. The people of Zebulun risked their very lives; so did Naphtali on the terraced fields.
19 Kings came—they fought; Then kings of Canaan fought, || In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; They did not take gain of money! “The kings came, they fought; then fought the kings of Canaan, at Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; they got no spoils of silver. “Kings came, they fought, the kings of Canaan fought. At Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo, they took no plunder of silver.
20 They fought from the heavens: The stars fought with Sisera from their highways. From heaven the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera. From the heavens the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 The Brook of Kishon swept them away, || The most ancient brook—the Brook of Kishon. You tread down strength, O my soul! The torrent Kishon swept them away, the ancient torrent, the torrent Kishon. March on, my soul, with might! The river Kishon swept them away, the age-old river, the river Kishon. March on, my soul; be strong!
22 Then the horse-heels were broken, || By gallopings—gallopings of its mighty ones. “Then loud beat the horses’ hoofs with the galloping, galloping of his steeds. Then thundered the horses’ hooves— galloping, galloping go his mighty steeds.
23 Curse 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! “Curse Meroz, says the angel of the LORD, curse its inhabitants thoroughly, because they did not come to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty. Curse Meroz,’ said the angel of the LORD. ‘Curse its people bitterly, because they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.’
24 Above women is Jael, || The wife of Heber the Kenite, || She is blessed above women in the tent. “Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, of tent-dwelling women most blessed. “Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
25 He asked for water—she gave milk; She brought butter near in a lordly dish. He asked for water and she gave him milk; she brought him curds in a noble’s bowl. He asked for water, and she gave him milk; in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him curdled milk.
26 She 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. She sent her hand to the tent peg and her right hand to the workmen’s mallet; she struck Sisera; she crushed his head; she shattered and pierced his temple. Her hand reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman’s hammer. She struck Sisera, she crushed his head, she shattered and pierced his temple.
27 He bowed between her feet—He fell, he lay down; He bowed between her feet, he fell; Where he bowed, there he fell—destroyed. Between her feet he sank, he fell, he lay still; between her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell—dead. At her feet he sank, he fell; there he lay. At her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell—dead.
28 She 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? “Out of the window she peered, the mother of Sisera wailed through the lattice: ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the hoofbeats of his chariots?’ “Through the window peered Sisera’s mother; behind the lattice she cried out, ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why is the clatter of his chariots delayed?’
29 The wise ones, her princesses, answer her, || Indeed, she returns her sayings to herself: Her wisest princesses answer, indeed, she answers herself, The wisest of her ladies answer her; indeed, she keeps saying to herself,
30 Do 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! ‘Have they not found and divided the spoil?— A womb or two for every man; spoil of dyed materials for Sisera, spoil of dyed materials embroidered, two pieces of dyed work embroidered for the neck as spoil?’ Are they not finding and dividing the spoils: a woman or two for each man, colorful garments as plunder for Sisera, colorful garments embroidered, highly embroidered garments for my neck— all this as plunder?’
31 So 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. “So may all your enemies perish, O LORD! But your friends be like the sun as he rises in his might.” And the land had rest for forty years. “So may all your enemies perish, LORD! But may all who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength.” Then the land had peace forty years.
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