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

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

2 “ That the leaders led in Israel, That the people volunteered, Bless the Lord!

“Because the leaders took the lead in Israel, because the people offered themselves willingly, be blessed, Yahweh!

3 “ Hear, O kings; give ear, O rulers! I—to the Lord, I will sing, I will sing praise to the Lord, the God of Israel.

“Hear, you kings! Give ear, you princes! I, even I, will sing to Yahweh. I will sing praise to Yahweh, the God of Israel.

4 “ Lord, when You went out from Seir, When You marched from the field of Edom, The earth quaked, the heavens also dripped, Even the clouds dripped water.

“Yahweh, when you went out of Seir, when you marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the sky also dropped. Yes, the clouds dropped water.

5 “ The mountains quaked at the presence of the Lord, This Sinai, at the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel.

The mountains quaked Yahweh’s presence, even Sinai at the presence of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

6 “ In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, In the days of Jael, the highways were deserted, And travelers went by roundabout ways.

“In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied. The travelers walked through byways.

7 “ The peasantry ceased, they ceased in Israel, Until I, Deborah, arose, Until I arose, a mother in Israel.

The rulers ceased in Israel. They ceased until I, Deborah, arose; Until I arose a mother in Israel.

8 “ New gods were chosen; Then war was in the gates. Not a shield or a spear was seen Among forty thousand in Israel.

They chose new gods. Then war was in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?

9 “ My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel, The volunteers among the people; Bless the Lord!

My heart is toward the governors of Israel, who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless Yahweh!

10 “ You who ride on white donkeys, You who sit on rich carpets, And you who travel on the road— sing!

“Speak, you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit on rich carpets, and you who walk by the way.

11 “ At the sound of those who divide flocks among the watering places, There they shall recount the righteous deeds of the Lord, The righteous deeds for His peasantry in Israel. Then the people of the Lord went down to the gates.

Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water, there they will rehearse Yahweh’s righteous acts, the righteous acts of his rule in Israel. “Then Yahweh’s people went down to the gates.

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

‘Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, utter a song! Arise, Barak, and lead away your captives, you son of Abinoam.’

13 “ Then survivors came down to the nobles; The people of the Lord came down to me as warriors.

“Then a remnant of the nobles and the people came down. Yahweh came down for me against the mighty.

14 “ From Ephraim those whose root is in Amalek came down, Following you, Benjamin, with your peoples; From Machir commanders came down, And from Zebulun those who wield the staff of office.

Those whose root is in Amalek came out of Ephraim, after you, Benjamin, among your peoples. Governors come down out of Machir. Those who handle the marshal’s staff came out of Zebulun.

15 “ And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; As was Issachar, so was Barak; Into the valley they rushed at his heels; Among the divisions of Reuben There were great resolves of heart.

The princes of Issachar were with Deborah. As was Issachar, so was Barak. They rushed into the valley at his feet. By the watercourses of Reuben, there were great resolves of heart.

16 “ Why did you sit among the sheepfolds, To hear the piping for the flocks? Among the divisions of Reuben There were great searchings of heart.

Why did you sit among the sheepfolds? To hear the whistling for the flocks? At the watercourses of Reuben, there were great searchings of heart.

17 “ Gilead remained across the Jordan; And why did Dan stay in ships? Asher sat at the seashore, And remained by its landings.

Gilead lived beyond the Jordan. Why did Dan remain in ships? Asher sat still at the haven of the sea, and lived by his creeks.

18 “ Zebulun was a people who despised their lives even to death, And Naphtali also, on the high places of the field.

Zebulun was a people that jeopardized their lives to the death; Naphtali also, on the high places of the field.

19 “ The kings came and fought; Then fought the kings of Canaan At Taanach near the waters of Megiddo; They took no plunder in silver.

“The kings came and fought, then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo. They took no plunder of silver.

20 “ The stars fought from heaven, From their courses they fought against Sisera.

From the sky the stars fought. From their courses, they fought against Sisera.

21 “ The torrent of Kishon swept them away, The ancient torrent, the torrent Kishon. O my soul, march on with strength.

The river Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. My soul, march on with strength.

22 “ Then the horses’ hoofs beat From the dashing, the dashing of his valiant steeds.

Then the horse hoofs stamped because of the prancing, the prancing of their strong ones.

23 ‘ Curse Meroz,’ said the angel of the Lord, ‘Utterly curse its inhabitants; Because they did not come to the help of the Lord, To the help of the Lord against the warriors.’

‘Curse Meroz,’ said Yahweh’s angel. ‘Curse bitterly its inhabitants, because they didn’t come to help Yahweh, to help Yahweh against the mighty.’

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

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

25 “ He asked for water and she gave him milk; In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.

He asked for water. She gave him milk. She brought him butter in a lordly dish.

26 “ She reached out her hand for the tent peg, And her right hand for the workmen’s hammer. Then she struck Sisera, she smashed his head; And she shattered and pierced his temple.

She put her hand to the tent peg, and her right hand to the workmen’s hammer. With the hammer she struck Sisera. She struck through his head. Yes, she pierced and struck through his temples.

27 “ Between her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay; Between her feet he bowed, he fell; Where he bowed, there he fell dead.

At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay. At her feet he bowed, he fell. Where he bowed, there he fell down dead.

28 “ Out of the window she looked and lamented, The mother of Sisera through the lattice, ‘Why does his chariot delay in coming? Why do the hoofbeats of his chariots tarry?’

“Through the window she looked out, and cried: Sisera’s mother looked through the lattice. ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why do the wheels of his chariots wait?’

29 “ Her wise princesses would answer her, Indeed she repeats her words to herself,

Her wise ladies answered her, Yes, she returned answer to herself,

30 ‘ Are they not finding, are they not dividing the spoil? A maiden, two maidens for every warrior; To Sisera a spoil of dyed work, A spoil of dyed work embroidered, Dyed work of double embroidery on the neck of the spoiler?’

‘Have they not found, have they not divided the plunder? A lady, two ladies to every man; to Sisera a plunder of dyed garments, a plunder of dyed garments embroidered, of dyed garments embroidered on both sides, on the necks of the plunder?’

31 “ Thus let all Your enemies perish, O Lord; But let those who love Him be like the rising of the sun in its might.” And the land was undisturbed for forty years.

“So let all your enemies perish, Yahweh, but let those who love him be as the sun when it rises in its strength.” Then the land had rest forty years.