Judges 5

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

2 “Praise You יהוה for the avenging of Yisrael, when the people willingly offered themselves.

3 Hear, O you kings; give ear, O you princes; I, even I, will sing unto יהוה; I will sing praise to יהוה God of Israel (Elohei Yisrael).

4 יהוה, when you wentest out of Seir, when you marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water.

5 The mountains melted from before יהוה, even that Sinai from before יהוה God of Israel (Elohei Yisrael).

6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Yael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.

7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Yisrael, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Yisrael.

8 They chose new gods (elohim); then was war in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Yisrael?

9 My heart is toward the governors of Yisrael, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless You יהוה.

10 Speak, you that ride on white asses, you that sit in judgment, and walk by the way.

11 They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of יהוה, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of His villages in Yisrael; then shall the people of יהוה go down to the gates.

12 Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, utter a song! Arise, Barak, and lead your captivity captive, you son of Abinoam.

13 Then He made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people; יהוה made me have dominion over the mighty.

14 Out of Efrayim was there a root of them against Amalek; after you, Binyamin, among your people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zevulun they that handle the pen of the writer.

15 And the princes of Yissaskhar were with Deborah; even Yissaskhar, and also Barak; he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuven there were great thoughts of heart.

16 Why abodest you among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuven there were great searchings of heart.

17 Gilad abode beyond Jordan (Yarden); and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches.

18 Zevulun and Naftali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.

19 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 They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.

21 The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, you have trodden down strength.

22 Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.

23 ‘Curse you Meroz,’ said the angel of יהוה, ‘curse you bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of יהוה, to the help of יהוה against the mighty.’

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

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

26 She put her hand to the nail, 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 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 at a window, and cried through the lattice, ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots?’

29 Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself,

30 ‘Have they not sped? have they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colours, a prey of divers colours of needlework, of divers colours of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil?’

31 So let all your enemies perish, O יהוה; but let them that love Him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might.” And the land had rest forty years.