Deborah’s Song
2
3
Listen, kings! Pay attention, princes!
I will sing to the Lord;
I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.
4
5 I will sing to the Lord;
I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.
6
7
8
Israel chose new gods,
then war was in the gates.
Not a shield or spear was seen
among 40,000 in Israel.
9 then war was in the gates.
Not a shield or spear was seen
among 40,000 in Israel.
My heart is with the leaders of Israel,
with the volunteers of the people.
Praise the Lord!
10 with the volunteers of the people.
Praise the Lord!
You who ride on white(e) donkeys,
who sit on saddle blankets,
and who travel on the road, give praise!
11 who sit on saddle blankets,
and who travel on the road, give praise!
Let them tell the righteous acts(G) of the Lord,
the righteous deeds of His warriors in Israel,
with the voices of the singers at the watering places.(f)
the righteous deeds of His warriors in Israel,
with the voices of the singers at the watering places.(f)
Then the Lord’s people went down to the gates.
12 “Awake! Awake, Deborah!
Awake! Awake, sing a song!
Arise, Barak,
and take hold of your captives,
son of Abinoam!”
13
14
15
16 Awake! Awake, sing a song!
Arise, Barak,
and take hold of your captives,
son of Abinoam!”
Why did you sit among the sheepfolds
listening to the playing of pipes for the flocks?
There was great searching of heart
among the clans of Reuben.
17 listening to the playing of pipes for the flocks?
There was great searching of heart
among the clans of Reuben.
Gilead(L) remained beyond the Jordan.
Dan, why did you linger at the ships?
Asher remained at the seashore
and stayed in his harbors.
18 Dan, why did you linger at the ships?
Asher remained at the seashore
and stayed in his harbors.
Zebulun was a people risking their lives,
Naphtali also, on the heights of the battlefield.
Naphtali also, on the heights of the battlefield.
19
Kings came and fought.
Then the kings of Canaan fought
at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo,
but they took no spoil of silver.
20 Then the kings of Canaan fought
at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo,
but they took no spoil of silver.
The stars fought from the heavens;
the stars fought with Sisera from their courses.
21 the stars fought with Sisera from their courses.
The river Kishon swept them away,(M)
the ancient river, the river Kishon.
March on, my soul, in strength!
22
23 the ancient river, the river Kishon.
March on, my soul, in strength!
“Curse Meroz,” says the Angel of the Lord,
“Bitterly curse her inhabitants,
for they did not come to help the Lord,
to help the Lord against the mighty warriors.”
“Bitterly curse her inhabitants,
for they did not come to help the Lord,
to help the Lord against the mighty warriors.”
24
Jael is most blessed of women,
the wife of Heber the Kenite;
she is most blessed among tent-dwelling women.
25
26 the wife of Heber the Kenite;
she is most blessed among tent-dwelling women.
She reached for a tent peg,
her right hand, for a workman’s mallet.
Then she hammered Sisera—
she crushed his head;
she shattered and pierced his temple.
27 her right hand, for a workman’s mallet.
Then she hammered Sisera—
she crushed his head;
she shattered and pierced his temple.
He collapsed, he fell, he lay down at(k) her feet;
he collapsed, he fell at her feet;
where he collapsed, there he fell—dead.
he collapsed, he fell at her feet;
where he collapsed, there he fell—dead.
28
Sisera’s mother looked through the window;
she peered through the lattice, crying out:
“Why is his chariot so long in coming?
Why don’t I hear the hoofbeats of his horses?”(l)
29
30 she peered through the lattice, crying out:
“Why is his chariot so long in coming?
Why don’t I hear the hoofbeats of his horses?”(l)
“Are they not finding and dividing the spoil—
a girl or two for each warrior,
the spoil of colored garments for Sisera,
the spoil of an embroidered garment or two for my neck?”(n)
a girl or two for each warrior,
the spoil of colored garments for Sisera,
the spoil of an embroidered garment or two for my neck?”(n)
Footnotes:
a.
Judges 5:2: Or the locks of hair are loose
b.
Judges 5:5: Or Lord, this [One of] Sinai
c.
Judges 5:7: Hb obscure
d.
Judges 5:7: Or you
e.
Judges 5:10: Hb obscure
f.
Judges 5:11: Hb obscure
g.
Judges 5:13: LXX reads down for him
h.
Judges 5:14: LXX reads in the valley
i.
Judges 5:15: Some Hb mss, Syr read There were great resolves
j.
Judges 5:22: Sisera’s
k.
Judges 5:27: Lit between
l.
Judges 5:28: Lit Why have the hoofbeats of his chariots delayed
m.
Judges 5:29: Lit answers her words
n.
Judges 5:30: Hb obscure
o.
Judges 5:31: Lit perish in this way