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

And Deborah singeth -- also Barak son of Abinoam -- on that day, saying: --

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

`For freeing freemen in Israel, For a people willingly offering themselves 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, ye kings; give ear, ye princes, I, to Jehovah, I -- I do sing, I sing praise to Jehovah, 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, in Thy going forth out of Seir, In Thy stepping out of the field of Edom, Earth trembled, also the heavens dropped, Also thick clouds dropped water.

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

Hills flowed from the face of Jehovah, This one -- Sinai -- From the face of Jehovah, 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 son of Anath -- In the days of Jael -- The ways have ceased, And those going in the paths go crooked ways.

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

Villages ceased in Israel -- they ceased, Till that I arose -- Deborah, 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.

He chooseth new gods, Then war at the gates! A shield is not seen -- and a spear 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 to the lawgivers of Israel, Who are offering 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.

Riders on white asses -- Sitters on a long robe -- And walkers by the way -- meditate!

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.

By the voice of shouters Between the places of drawing water, There they give out righteous acts of Jehovah, Righteous acts of His villages in Israel, Then ruled in the gates have the people of Jehovah.

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; Rise, Barak, and take captive thy captivity, Son of Abinoam.

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

Then him who is left of the honourable ones He caused to rule the people of Jehovah, He caused me to rule among 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 their root against Amalek. After thee, Benjamin, among thy peoples. Out of Machir came down lawgivers, And out of Zebulun those drawing with the reed of a 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 princes in Issachar with Deborah, Yea, Issachar right with Barak, Into the valley he was sent on his feet. In the divisions of Reuben, Great the decrees 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 hast thou abode between the boundaries, To hear lowings of herds? For the divisions of Reuben, Great the 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 beyond the Jordan did tabernacle, And Dan -- why doth he sojourn ships? Asher hath abode at the haven of the seas, And by his creeks doth tabernacle.

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

Zebulun a people who exposed its soul to death, Naphtali also -- on 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.

Kings came -- they fought; Then fought kings of Canaan, In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; Gain of money they took not!

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

From the heavens they fought: The stars from their highways fought with 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 brook Kishon swept them away, The brook most ancient -- the brook Kishon. Thou dost tread down strength, O my soul!

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

Then broken were the horse-heels, By pransings -- pransings of its mighty 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 Meroz -- said a messenger of Jehovah, Cursing, curse ye its inhabitants, For they came not to the help of Jehovah, To the help of Jehovah among 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 is Jael, Wife of Heber the Kenite, Above women in the tent she is blessed.

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

Water he asked -- milk she gave; In a lordly dish she brought near butter.

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.

Her hand to the pin she sendeth forth, And her right hand to the labourers' hammer, And she hammered Sisera -- she smote his head, Yea, she smote, and it passed through 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.

Between her feet he bowed -- He fell, he lay down; Between her feet he bowed, he fell; Where he bowed, there he fell -- destroyed.

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 hath looked out -- Yea, she crieth out -- the mother of Sisera, Through the lattice: Wherefore is his chariot delaying to come? Wherefore tarried have the steps of his chariot?

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

The wise ones, her princesses, answer her, Yea, she returneth her sayings 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?’

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!

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 do all Thine enemies perish, O Jehovah, And those loving Him As the going out of the sun in its might!' and the land resteth forty years.