Judges 5

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 They sang a song that day, Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam, and the words were:	1 On that day Deborah (and Barak, son of Abinoam,) sang this song:
2 That the warriors in Israel unbound their hair, that the people came forward with a will, bless Yahweh!	2 Of chiefs who took the lead in Israel, of noble deeds by the people who bless the LORD,
3 Listen, you kings! Give ear, you princes! From me, from me comes a song for Yahweh. I shal glorifyYahweh, God of Israel.	3 Hear, O kings! Give ear, O princes!
4 Yahweh, when you set out from Seir, when you marched from the field of Edom, the earth shook, theheavens pelted, the clouds pelted down water.	4 O LORD, when you went out from Seir,
5 The mountains melted before Yahweh of Sinai, before Yahweh, God of Israel.	5 Mountains trembled
6 In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, there were no more caravans; those who wentforth on their travels took their way along by-paths.	6 In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath,
7 The vil ages in Israel were no more, they were no more until you arose, O Deborah, until you arose,mother of Israel!	7 Gone was freedom beyond the walls,
8 They were choosing new gods when war was at the gates. Was there one shield, one spear to be foundamong the forty thousand men in Israel?	8 New gods were their choice; then the war was at their gates. Not a shield could be seen, nor a lance, among forty thousand in Israel!
9 My heart is with the leaders of Israel, with the people who came forward with a will! Bless Yahweh!	9 My heart is with the leaders of Israel,
10 You who ride white donkeys and sit on saddle-blankets as you ride, and you who go on foot,	10 They who ride on white asses,
11 sing -- to the sound of the shepherds at the watering places! There they extol Yahweh's blessings, hissaving acts for his villages in Israel! (Then Yahweh's people marched down to the gates.)	11 Sing of them to the strains of the harpers at the wells,
12 Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, declaim a song! Take heart, to your feet, Barak, capture yourcaptors, son of Abinoam!	12 Awake, awake, Deborah!
13 Then Israel marched down to the gates; like champions, Yahweh's people marched down to fight forhim!	13 Then down came the fugitives with the mighty,
14 The princes of Ephraim are in the val ey. Behind you, Benjamin is in your ranks. Captains have comedown from Machir, those who wield the commander's staff, from Zebulun.	14 From Ephraim, princes were in the valley;
15 The princes of Issachar are with Deborah; Naphtali, with Barak, in the val ey follows in hot pursuit. Inthe clans of Reuben there was much searching of heart.	15 With Deborah were the princes of Issachar;
16 Why did you stay among the sheepfolds, listening for the whistle, with the flocks? (In the clans ofReuben, there was much searching of heart.)	16 Why do you stay beside your hearths
17 Gilead stayed on the other side of the Jordan, and why should Dan have stayed aboard ship? Asherremained beside the sea, peaceful y living within his ports.	17 Gilead, beyond the Jordan, rests;
18 Zebulun is a people who have braved death, Naphtali too, on the high ground of the country.	18 Zebulun is the people defying death;
19 The kings came and they fought, how they fought, those kings of Canaan, at Taanach, near theWaters of Megiddo, but no booty of silver did they take!	19 The kings came and fought;
20 The stars fought from heaven, from their orbits they fought against Sisera.	20 From the heavens the stars, too, fought;
21 The torrent of Kishon swept them away, the torrent of old, the torrent of Kishon. -March on, be strongmy soul!	21 The Wadi Kishon swept them away;
22 The horses' hooves then hammer the ground: gal oping, galloping go his steeds.	22 Then the hoofs of the horses pounded,
23 'Curse Meroz,' said the Angel of Yahweh, 'curse, curse the people living there for not having come toYahweh's help, to Yahweh's help as warriors!'	23 "Curse Meroz," says the LORD,
24 Most blessed of women be Jael (the wife of Heber the Kenite); of tent-dwelling women, may she bemost blessed!	24 Blessed among women be Jael,
25 He asked for water; she gave him milk; she offered him curds in a lordly dish.	25 He asked for water, she gave him milk;
26 She reached her hand out to seize the peg, her right hand to seize the workman's mal et. Shehammered Sisera, she crushed his head, she pierced his temple and shattered it.	26 With her left hand she reached for the peg,
27 Between her feet, he crumpled, he fell, he lay; at her feet, he crumpled, he fel . Where he crumpled,there he fel , destroyed.	27 At her feet he sank down, fell, lay still;
28 At the window, she leans and watches, Sisera's mother, through the lattice, 'Why is his chariot so longcoming? Why so delayed the hoof-beats from his chariot?'	28 From the window peered down and wailed
29 The wisest of her ladies answers, and she to herself repeats,	29 The wisest of her princesses answers her,
30 'Are they not col ecting and sharing out the spoil: a girl, two girls for each warrior; a booty of colouredand embroidered stuff for Sisera, one scarf, two embroidered scarves for me!'	30 "They must be dividing the spoil they took:
31 So perish al your enemies, Yahweh! And let those who love you be like the sun when he emerges inal his strength! And the country had peace for forty years.	31 May all your enemies perish thus, O LORD!