Chapter 5

Then sang⁴ Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,²

Praise¹⁶ ye the LORD for the avenging^{2 6546} of Israel, when the people willingly offered⁹⁹ themselves.

Hear,³ O ye kings; give ear,⁵⁴ O ye princes;⁶ I, [even] I, will sing⁴ unto the LORD; I will sing¹⁷ [praise] to the LORD God of Israel.

LORD, when thou wentest out² of Seir, when thou marchedst² out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled,¹ and the heavens dropped,¹ the clouds also dropped¹ water.

The mountains melted¹ from before the LORD, [even] that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel.

In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied,¹ and the travellers^{6 5410} walked⁴ through byways. ⁶¹²⁸

[The inhabitants of] the villages ceased,¹ they ceased¹ in Israel, until that I Deborah arose,¹ that I arose¹ a mother in Israel.

They chose⁴ new gods; then [was] war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen¹¹ among forty thousand in Israel?

My heart [is] toward the governors⁶ of Israel, that offered themselves willingly¹⁰² among the people. Bless¹⁶ ye the LORD.

Speak,³ ye that ride⁶ on white asses, ye that sit⁶ in judgment, and walk⁶ by the way.

[They that are delivered] from the noise of archers¹⁸ in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse¹⁷ the righteous acts of the LORD, [even] the righteous acts [toward the inhabitants] of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of the LORD go down¹ to the gates.

Awake,³ awake,³ Deborah: awake,³ awake,³ utter¹⁶ a song: arise,³ Barak, and lead thy captivity captive,³ thou son of Abinoam.

Then he made him that remaineth have dominion¹⁷ over the nobles among the people: the LORD made me have dominion¹⁷ over the mighty.

Out of Ephraim [was there] a root of them against Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down¹ governors,²⁶ and out of Zebulun they that handle⁶ the pen of the writer.⁶

And the princes of Issachar [were] with Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak: he was sent²⁷ on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben [there were] great thoughts of heart.

Why abodest¹ thou among the sheepfolds, to hear² the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben [there were] great searchings of heart.

Gilead abode¹ beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain⁴ in ships? Asher continued¹ on the sea shore, and abode⁴ in his breaches.

Zebulun and Naphtali [were] a people [that] jeoparded¹⁴ their lives unto the death² in the high places of the field.

The kings came¹ [and] fought,⁸ then fought⁸ the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took¹ no gain of money.

They fought⁸ from heaven; the stars in their courses fought⁸ against Sisera.

The river of Kishon swept them away,¹ that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down⁴ strength.

Then were the horsehoofs ⁵⁴⁸³ broken¹ by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.

Curse³ ye Meroz, said¹ the angel of the LORD, curse³ ye bitterly² the inhabitants⁶ thereof; because they came¹ not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.

Blessed²⁹ above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed²⁹ shall she be above women in the tent.

He asked¹ water, [and] she gave¹ [him] milk; she brought forth⁵² butter in a lordly dish.

She put⁴ her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer; and with the hammer she smote¹ Sisera, she smote off¹ his head, when she had pierced¹ and stricken through¹ his temples.

At her feet he bowed,¹ he fell,¹ he lay down:¹ at her feet he bowed,¹ he fell:¹ where he bowed,¹ there he fell down¹ dead.⁷

The mother of Sisera looked⁸ out at a window, and cried¹⁷ through the lattice, Why is his chariot [so] long¹⁴ in coming?² why tarry¹⁴ the wheels of his chariots?

Her wise ladies answered⁴ her, yea, she returned⁵⁵ answer to herself,

Have they not sped?⁴ have they [not] divided¹⁷ 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?

So let all thine enemies⁶ perish,⁴ O LORD: but [let] them that love⁶ him [be] as the sun when he goeth forth² in his might. And the land had rest⁴ forty years.