Judges 5:1-27 ▼

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

2 “When leaders lead in Israel, when the people willingly offer themselves, bless YHWH.

3 Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes; I to YHWH, I will sing. I will sing to YHWH, God of Israel.

4 O YHWH, when You went out from Seir, when You marched from the field of Edom, the earth trembled and the heavens poured down; also the clouds poured down water.

5 The mountains flowed before YHWH, this one—Sinai—before the face of YHWH, 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 the crooked ways.

7 Village life ceased, in Israel it ceased, until I arose—Deborah Arose—a mother in Israel.

8 They chose new gods; then there was war in the gates. A shield was not seen, or a spear, among forty thousand in Israel.

9 My heart is with the rulers of Israel, who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless YHWH!

10 You who ride on white donkeys, who sit in judges’ attire, and who walk along the road, ponder

11 from the voice of the singers between the watering places. There they shall recount the righteous acts of YHWH, the righteous acts for His villagers in Israel. Then shall go down to the gates the people of YHWH.

12 ‘Awake, awake, O Deborah; Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, O Barak, and lead away your captives, O son of Abinoam.’

13 Then came down the survivors to the nobles; the people of YHWH came down for me against the mighty.

14 From Ephraim their root is in Amalek, after you Benjamin, with your peoples. From Machir came down commanders, and from Zebulun those drawing with the staff of a scribe.

15 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah, and as Issachar, so was Barak; into the valley he was sent on his feet. Among the divisions of Reuben were great decrees of the heart.

16 Why did you sit among the sheepfolds, to hear the pipings for the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben great were the searchings of heart.

17 Gilead dwelt beyond the Jordan, and Dan, why does he sojourn on ships? Asher continued at the seashore, and by his inlets he dwelt.

18 Zebulun is a people who exposed its soul to death, and Naphtali, on the heights of the field.

19 The kings came—they fought; then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; spoils of silver they did not take.

20 From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera.

21 The torrent of Kishon swept them away, the ancient torrent, the torrent of Kishon. March on in strength, O my soul.

22 Then pounded the hooves of horses, from the galloping—the galloping of its mighty ones.

23 ‘Curse Meroz,’ said the angel of YHWH. ‘Bitterly curse its dwellers, because they did not come to the aid of YHWH, to the aid of YHWH against the mighty.’

24 Most blessed above women is Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite; above women in the tent she is blessed.

25 Water he requested, milk she gave; in a Magnificent bowl she brought out curds.

26 Her hand to the tent peg she stretched, and her right hand to the hammer of workmen, and she pounded Sisera, she pierced his head, and she shattered and pierced through his temple.

27 Between her feet he sank, he fell, he lay still; between her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell dead.