1 T hat day Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang this song:

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

2 “ The leaders led in Israel. The people were willing to help them. For this we give thanks to the Lord!

Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.

3 H ear, O kings! Listen, O rulers! I will sing to the Lord. I will sing praise to the Lord, the God of Israel.

Hear, O ye kings. Give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the LORD; I will praise the LORD God of Israel.

4 L ord, You went out from Seir. You walked from the field of Edom. And the earth shook. Water fell from the heavens. Yes, water fell from the clouds.

LORD, when thou didst go out of Seir, when thou didst march out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped; the clouds also dropped water.

5 T he mountains shook before the Lord. Mount Sinai shook before the Lord, the God of Israel.

The mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel.

6 “ In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the wide roads were empty. Travelers walked on the side roads.

¶ In the days of Shamgar, the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways ceased, and those that walked went astray through crooked paths.

7 C ountry towns were empty. They were no more in Israel, until I, Deborah, came. I came as a mother in Israel.

The inhabitants of the villages ceased; they had ceased in Israel until I Deborah arose, I arose a mother in Israel.

8 N ew gods were chosen. Then war was in the gates. No battle-covering or sword was seen among 40, 000 in Israel.

When they chose new gods, the war was at the gates. Was there a shield or spear to be seen among forty thousand in Israel?

9 M y heart is with the leaders of Israel, who were willing to help among the people. Thanks be to the Lord!

My heart is toward the princes of Israel, those that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD.

10 T ell of it, you who ride on white donkeys and you who sit on rich floor coverings. Tell of it, you who travel on the road.

Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that preside in judgment, and walk by the way.

11 T hey will tell of the right and good acts of the Lord at the sound of music beside the wells of water. They will tell of His right and good acts toward His towns people in Israel. Then the people of the Lord went down to the gates.

Because of the noise of archers, taken from among those that draw water, there they shall retell the righteousnesses of the LORD, even the righteousnesses of his villages in Israel. Now shall the people of the LORD go down to the gates.

12 “ Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song! Get up, Barak! Lead away the people you took in war, O son of Abinoam.

¶ Rise up, rise up, Deborah; rise up, rise up, sing a song. Stand up, Barak and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.

13 T hose who were left came down to the rulers. The people of the Lord came down to me as soldiers.

Now he has made the remnant of the people to have dominion over the magnificent; the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty.

14 T he children of Amalek came down from Ephraim. They followed you, Benjamin, with your people. Leaders came down from Machir. Leaders came from Zebulun.

Out of Ephraim came his root against Amalek; after thee, came Benjamin, against thy peoples; out of Machir came down princes; and from Zebulun, those that handle the pen of the writer.

15 T he rulers of Issachar came with Deborah. Issachar was faithful to Barak. They ran behind him into the valley. There was much thinking done among the families of Reuben.

Also princes of Issachar were with Deborah; and Issachar, like Barak, went on foot into the valley. From the divisions of Reuben, great are the thoughts of the heart.

16 W hy did you sit among the sheep, to hear the horns blow for the flocks? There was much thought among the families of Reuben.

Why didst thou abide among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? From the divisions of Reuben great are the searchings of the heart.

17 G ilead stayed on the other side of the Jordan. Why did Dan stay in ships? Asher sat beside the sea. He stayed by its rivers.

Gilead remained on the other side of the Jordan, and why did Dan remain next to the ships? Asher continued on the sea shore and remained in his breaches.

18 Z ebulun is a people who put their lives in danger even to death. Naphtali did this also, on the high places of the field.

Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.

19 “ The kings came and fought. The kings of Canaan fought at Taanach near the waters of Megiddo. They did not get any silver.

The kings came and fought; then the kings of Canaan fought in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.

20 T he stars fought from heaven. From their paths they fought against Sisera.

They fought from the heavens; the stars from their ways fought against Sisera.

21 T he fast river of Kishon took them away, the rushing river, the river Kishon. O my soul, walk on with strength.

The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. Tread down, O my soul, with strength.

22 T he beating of the feet of horses was loud, because the strong horses went fast.

Then were the hoofs of the horses broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.

23 ’ Curse Meroz,’ said the angel of the Lord. ‘Curse its people, because they did not come to the help of the Lord. They did not help the Lord against the powerful soldiers.’

Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof because they did not come to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.

24 “ The most respected of women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. She is the most respected of women in the tent.

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

25 S isera asked for water and she gave him milk. She brought him milk in a fine pot.

He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth cream in a lordly dish.

26 S he put out her hand to the big tent nail. And she put out her right hand for the servant’s heavy object. Then she hit Sisera. She crushed his head. She broke and cut through the side of his head.

She put her hand to the stake, and her right hand to the workmen’s hammer, and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.

27 H e went down. He fell and lay without moving at her feet. He fell dead where he went down.

At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down; at her feet he bowed, he fell; where he bowed, there he fell down dead.

28 “ The mother of Sisera looked out of the window. She looked through the window and cried in sorrow, ‘Why is his war-wagon so long in coming? Why do the steps of his horses wait?’

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

29 H er wise ladies answered her. But she asked herself again and again,

Her wise princesses answered her; and she even answered to herself,

30 ’ Are they not finding and dividing the riches? Is there not a girl or two for every man? Is there not colored cloth for Sisera to take? Is there not colored cloth with beautiful sewing on it? Are there not two pieces of colored cloth with beautiful sewing on them for the neck of the one who takes them?’

Have they not found spoil and are dividing it? To each man a damsel or two; to Sisera a spoil of different colours, a spoil of different colours of needlework, of different colours of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of those that take the spoil?

31 S o let all those who hate You die, O Lord. But let those who love Him be like the sun as he rises in his power.” And the land had peace for forty years.

So let all thine enemies perish, O LORD, but let those that love thee be as the sun when he rises in all his might. And the land had rest forty years.