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

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

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

For that the leaders took the lead in Israel, For that the people offered themselves willingly, Bless ye Jehovah.

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 ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto Jehovah; I will sing praise to Jehovah, 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;

Jehovah, when thou wentest forth out of Seir, When thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, The earth trembled, the heavens also dropped, Yea, 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 Jehovah, Even yon Sinai at the presence of Jehovah, 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.

In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, In the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, And the travellers walked through byways.

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

The rulers ceased in Israel, they ceased, Until that I Deborah arose, That I 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 was war in the gates: Was there a shield or spear seen Among forty thousand in Israel?

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

My heart is toward the governors of Israel, That offered themselves willingly among the people: Bless ye Jehovah.

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

Tell of it, ye that ride on white asses, Ye that sit on rich carpets, And ye that 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 Jehovah, Even the righteous acts of his rule in Israel. Then the people of Jehovah 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 thy captives, thou son of Abinoam.

13 “ Then the survivors came down, the people against the nobles; The Lord came down for me against the mighty.

Then came down a remnant of the nobles and the people; Jehovah came 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 came down they whose root is in Amalek; After thee, Benjamin, among thy peoples; Out of Machir came down governors, And out of Zebulun they that handle the marshal's staff.

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 were with Deborah; As was Issachar, so was Barak; Into the valley they rushed forth at his feet. By the watercourses of Reuben There were great resolves 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 sattest thou among the sheepfolds, To hear the pipings for the flocks? At the watercourses 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 abode beyond the Jordan: And Dan, why did he remain in ships? Asher sat still at the haven of the sea, And abode 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.

Zebulun was a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death, And Naphtali, upon the high places 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. In Taanach by the waters of Megiddo: They took no gain of money.

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

From heaven fought the stars, 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 river Kishon swept them away, That ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, march on with strength.

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

Then did the horsehoofs stamp By reason of the prancings, the prancings of their strong ones.

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 ye Meroz, said the angel of Jehovah. Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof, Because they came not to the help of Jehovah, To the help of Jehovah 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 be, The wife of Heber the Kenite; 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.

He asked water, and she gave him milk; She brought him butter 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 hammer she smote Sisera, she smote through his head; Yea, she pierced and struck through his temples.

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.

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 “ 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?’

Through the window she looked forth, and cried, The mother of Sisera cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the wheels of his chariots?

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

Her wise ladies answered her, Yea, she returned answer 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, have they not divided the spoil? A damsel, two damsels to every man; To Sisera a spoil of dyed garments, A spoil of dyed garments embroidered, Of dyed garments embroidered on both sides, on the necks of the 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 thine enemies perish, O Jehovah: But let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.