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Judges 5
Young's Literal Translation
Judges 5
Young's Literal Translation
5 And Deborah singeth -- also Barak son of Abinoam -- on that day, saying: --
2 `For freeing freemen in Israel, For a people willingly offering themselves Bless ye Jehovah.
3 Hear, ye kings; give ear, ye princes, I, to Jehovah, I -- I do sing, I sing praise to Jehovah, God of Israel.
4 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 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 ways have ceased, And those going in the paths go [in] crooked ways.
7 Villages ceased in Israel -- they ceased, Till that I arose -- Deborah, That I arose, a mother in Israel.
8 He chooseth new gods, Then war [is] at the gates! A shield is not seen -- and a spear Among forty thousand in Israel.
9 My heart [is] to the lawgivers of Israel, Who are offering themselves willingly among the people, Bless ye Jehovah!
10 Riders on white asses -- Sitters on a long robe -- And walkers by the way -- meditate!
11 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, utter a song; Rise, Barak, and take captive thy captivity, Son of Abinoam.
13 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 Out of Ephraim their root [is] 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 And princes in Issachar [are] with Deborah, Yea, Issachar [is] right with Barak, Into the valley he was sent on his feet. In the divisions of Reuben, Great [are] the decrees of heart!
16 Why hast thou abode between the boundaries, To hear lowings of herds? For the divisions of Reuben, Great [are] the searchings of heart!
17 Gilead beyond the Jordan did tabernacle, And Dan -- why doth he sojourn [in] ships? Asher hath abode at the haven of the seas, And by his creeks doth tabernacle.
18 Zebulun [is] a people who exposed its soul to death, Naphtali also -- on high places of the field.
19 Kings came -- they fought; Then fought kings of Canaan, In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; Gain of money they took not!
20 From the heavens they fought: The stars from their highways fought with Sisera.
21 The brook Kishon swept them away, The brook most ancient -- the brook Kishon. Thou dost tread down strength, O my soul!
22 Then broken were the horse-heels, By pransings -- pransings of its mighty ones.
23 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 Blessed above women is Jael, Wife of Heber the Kenite, Above women in the tent she is blessed.
25 Water he asked -- milk she gave; In a lordly dish she brought near butter.
26 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 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 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 The wise ones, her princesses, answer her, Yea, she returneth her sayings to herself:
30 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 So do all Thine enemies perish, O Jehovah, And those loving Him [are] As the going out of the sun in its might!' and the land resteth forty years.
Judges 5
New International Version
Judges 5
New International Version
The Song of Deborah
5 On that day Deborah(A) and Barak son of Abinoam(B) sang this song:(C)
2 “When the princes in Israel take the lead,
when the people willingly offer(D) themselves—
praise the Lord!(E)
3 “Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers!
I, even I, will sing to[a] the Lord;(F)
I will praise the Lord, the God of Israel, in song.(G)
4 “When you, Lord, went out(H) from Seir,(I)
when you marched from the land of Edom,
the earth shook,(J) the heavens poured,
the clouds poured down water.(K)
5 The mountains quaked(L) before the Lord, the One of Sinai,
before the Lord, the God of Israel.
6 “In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,(M)
in the days of Jael,(N) the highways(O) were abandoned;
travelers took to winding paths.(P)
7 Villagers in Israel would not fight;
they held back until I, Deborah,(Q) arose,
until I arose, a mother in Israel.
8 God chose new leaders(R)
when war came to the city gates,(S)
but not a shield or spear(T) was seen
among forty thousand in Israel.
9 My heart is with Israel’s princes,
with the willing volunteers(U) among the people.
Praise the Lord!
10 “You who ride on white donkeys,(V)
sitting on your saddle blankets,
and you who walk along the road,
consider 11 the voice of the singers[b] at the watering places.
They recite the victories(W) of the Lord,
the victories of his villagers in Israel.
“Then the people of the Lord
went down to the city gates.(X)
12 ‘Wake up,(Y) wake up, Deborah!(Z)
Wake up, wake up, break out in song!
Arise, Barak!(AA)
Take captive your captives,(AB) son of Abinoam.’
13 “The remnant of the nobles came down;
the people of the Lord came down to me against the mighty.
14 Some came from Ephraim,(AC) whose roots were in Amalek;(AD)
Benjamin(AE) was with the people who followed you.
From Makir(AF) captains came down,
from Zebulun those who bear a commander’s[c] staff.
15 The princes of Issachar(AG) were with Deborah;(AH)
yes, Issachar was with Barak,(AI)
sent under his command into the valley.
In the districts of Reuben
there was much searching of heart.
16 Why did you stay among the sheep pens[d](AJ)
to hear the whistling for the flocks?(AK)
In the districts of Reuben
there was much searching of heart.
17 Gilead(AL) stayed beyond the Jordan.
And Dan, why did he linger by the ships?
Asher(AM) remained on the coast(AN)
and stayed in his coves.
18 The people of Zebulun(AO) risked their very lives;
so did Naphtali(AP) on the terraced fields.(AQ)
19 “Kings came(AR), they fought,
the kings of Canaan fought.
At Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo,(AS)
they took no plunder of silver.(AT)
20 From the heavens(AU) the stars fought,
from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 The river Kishon(AV) swept them away,
the age-old river, the river Kishon.
March on, my soul; be strong!(AW)
22 Then thundered the horses’ hooves—
galloping, galloping go his mighty steeds.(AX)
23 ‘Curse Meroz,’ said the angel of the Lord.
‘Curse its people bitterly,
because they did not come to help the Lord,
to help the Lord against the mighty.’
24 “Most blessed of women(AY) be Jael,(AZ)
the wife of Heber the Kenite,(BA)
most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
25 He asked for water, and she gave him milk;(BB)
in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him curdled milk.
26 Her hand reached for the tent peg,
her right hand for the workman’s hammer.
She struck Sisera, she crushed his head,
she shattered and pierced his temple.(BC)
27 At her feet he sank,
he fell; there he lay.
At her feet he sank, he fell;
where he sank, there he fell—dead(BD).
28 “Through the window(BE) peered Sisera’s mother;
behind the lattice she cried out,(BF)
‘Why is his chariot so long in coming?
Why is the clatter of his chariots delayed?’
29 The wisest of her ladies answer her;
indeed, she keeps saying to herself,
30 ‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoils:(BG)
a woman or two for each man,
colorful garments as plunder for Sisera,
colorful garments embroidered,
highly embroidered garments(BH) for my neck—
all this as plunder?(BI)’
31 “So may all your enemies perish,(BJ) Lord!
But may all who love you be like the sun(BK)
when it rises in its strength.”(BL)
Then the land had peace(BM) forty years.
Footnotes
- Judges 5:3 Or of
- Judges 5:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Judges 5:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Judges 5:16 Or the campfires; or the saddlebags
New International Version (NIV) 
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