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

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

2 “ When leaders lead in Israel, When the people willingly offer themselves, Bless the Lord!

For the leaders who took the lead in Israel, for the people who offered themselves willingly, bless 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.

Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes; I will sing to the Lord. I will sing praise to the Lord, the 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;

Lord, when You went forth out of Seir, when You marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled and the heavens also dropped, yes, the clouds dropped water.

5 T he mountains gushed before the Lord, This Sinai, before the Lord God of Israel.

The mountains quaked at the presence of the Lord, yes, yonder Sinai at the presence of the Lord, the 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.

After the days of Shamgar son of Anath, after the days of Jael the caravans ceased, travelers walked through byways.

7 V illage life ceased, it ceased in Israel, Until I, Deborah, arose, Arose a mother in Israel.

The villages were unoccupied and rulers ceased in Israel until you arose—you, Deborah, arose—a mother in Israel.

8 T hey chose new gods; Then there was war in the gates; Not a shield or 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 40, 000 in Israel?

9 M y heart is with the rulers of Israel Who offered themselves willingly with the people. Bless the Lord!

My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless the Lord!

10 “ Speak, you who ride on white donkeys, Who sit in judges’ attire, And who walk along the road.

Tell of it—you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit on rich carpets, and you who walk by the way.

11 F ar 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.

Far from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord, even the righteous acts toward His villagers in Israel. Then the people of the Lord went down to the gates.

12 “ Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, Barak, and lead your captives away, 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 the survivors came down, the people against the nobles; The Lord came down for me against the mighty.

Then down marched the remnant of the nobles, the people of the Lord marched down for Me against the mighty.

14 F rom 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.

Out of Ephraim they came down whose root is in Amalek, after you, Benjamin, with your kinsmen. Out of Machir came down commanders and lawgivers, and out of Zebulun those who handle the pen or stylus of the writer.

15 A nd 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.

And the princes of Issachar came with Deborah, and Issachar was faithful to Barak; into the valley they rushed forth at his heels. among the clans of Reuben were great searchings of heart.

16 W hy did you sit among the sheepfolds, To hear the pipings for the flocks? The divisions of Reuben have great searchings of heart.

Why did you linger among the sheepfolds listening to the piping for the flocks? Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.

17 G ilead stayed beyond the Jordan, And why did Dan remain on ships? Asher continued at the seashore, And stayed by his inlets.

Gilead remained beyond the Jordan, and why did Dan stay with the ships? Asher sat still on the seacoast and remained by his creeks.

18 Z ebulun is a people who jeopardized their lives to the point of death, Naphtali also, on the heights of the battlefield.

But Zebulun was a people who endangered their lives to the death; Naphtali did also on the heights of the field.

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.

The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo. Gain of booty they did not obtain.

20 T hey fought from the heavens; The stars from their courses fought against Sisera.

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

21 T he torrent of Kishon swept them away, That ancient torrent, the torrent of Kishon. O my soul, march on in strength!

The torrent Kishon swept away, the onrushing torrent, the torrent Kishon. O my soul, march on with strength!

22 T hen the horses’ hooves pounded, The galloping, galloping of his steeds.

Then the horses’ hoofs beat loudly because of the galloping of valiant riders.

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.’

Curse Meroz, said the messenger of the Lord. Curse bitterly its inhabitants, because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty!

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

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

25 H e asked for water, she gave milk; She brought out cream in a lordly bowl.

asked for water, and she gave milk; she brought him curds in a lordly dish.

26 S he 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.

She put her hand to the tent pin, and her right hand to the workmen’s hammer. And with the wooden hammer she smote Sisera, she smote his head, yes, she struck and pierced his temple.

27 A t her feet he sank, he fell, he lay still; At her feet he sank, he fell; Where he sank, there he fell dead.

He sank, he fell, he lay still at her feet. At her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell—dead!

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?’

The mother of Sisera looked out at a window and wailed through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why do the hoofbeats of his chariots tarry?

29 H er wisest ladies answered her, Yes, she answered herself,

Her wise ladies answered her, yet she repeated her words 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?’

Have they not found and been dividing the spoil? A maiden or two for every man, a spoil of dyed garments for Sisera, a spoil of dyed stuffs embroidered, two pieces of dyed work embroidered for my neck as spoil?

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.

So let all Your enemies perish, O Lord! But let those who love Him be like the sun when it rises in its might. And the land had peace and rest for forty years.