Judges 5

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 They sang a song that day, Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam, and the words were:	1 In that day, Deborah and Barak, the son of Abinoam, sang out, saying:
2 That the warriors in Israel unbound their hair, that the people came forward with a will, bless Yahweh!	2 “All you of Israel who have willingly offered your lives to danger, 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 Listen, O kings! Pay attention, O princes! It is I, it is I, who will sing to the Lord. I will sing a psalm to the Lord, the God of Israel!
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 departed from Seir, and you crossed through the regions of Edom, the earth and the heavens were moved, and the clouds rained down water.
5 The mountains melted before Yahweh of Sinai, before Yahweh, God of Israel.	5 The mountains flowed away before the face of the Lord, and Sinai, before the face of the Lord God of Israel.
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, the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the paths were quiet. And whoever entered by them, walked along rough byways.
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 The strong men ceased, and they rested in Israel, until Deborah rose up, until a mother rose up in Israel.
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 The Lord chose new wars, and he himself overturned the gates of the enemies. A shield with a spear was not seen among the forty thousand of Israel.
9 My heart is with the leaders of Israel, with the people who came forward with a will! Bless Yahweh!	9 My heart loves the leaders of Israel. All you who, of your own free will, offered yourselves during a crisis, bless the Lord.
10 You who ride white donkeys and sit on saddle-blankets as you ride, and you who go on foot,	10 You who ride upon donkeys laboring, and you who sit in judgment, and you who walk along the way, speak out.
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 Where the chariots were struck together, and the army of the enemies was choked, in that place, let the justices of the Lord be described, and let his clemency be for the brave of Israel. Then did the people of the Lord descend to the gates, and obtain leadership.
12 Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, declaim a song! Take heart, to your feet, Barak, capture yourcaptors, son of Abinoam!	12 Rise up, rise up, O Deborah! Rise up, rise up, and speak a canticle! Rise up, Barak, and seize your captives, O son of Abinoam.
13 Then Israel marched down to the gates; like champions, Yahweh's people marched down to fight forhim!	13 The remnants of the people were saved. The Lord contended with the strong.
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 Out of Ephraim, he destroyed those with Amalek, and after him, out of Benjamin, those of your people, O Amalek. From Machir, there descended leaders, and from Zebulun, those who led the army to war.
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 The commanders of Issachar were with Deborah, and they followed the steps of Barak, who endangered himself, like one rushing headlong into a chasm. Reuben was divided against himself. Contention was found among great souls.
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 live between two borders, so that you hear the bleating of the flocks? Reuben was divided against himself. Contention was found among great souls.
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 rested beyond the Jordan, and Dan was occupied with ships. Asher was living on the shore of the sea, and dwelling in the ports.
18 Zebulun is a people who have braved death, Naphtali too, on the high ground of the country.	18 Yet truly, Zebulun and Naphtali offered their lives to death in the region of Merom.
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; the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach, beside the waters of Megiddo. And yet they took no spoils.
20 The stars fought from heaven, from their orbits they fought against Sisera.	20 The conflict against them was from heaven. The stars, remaining in their order and courses, fought against Sisera.
21 The torrent of Kishon swept them away, the torrent of old, the torrent of Kishon. -March on, be strongmy soul!	21 The torrent of Kishon dragged away their carcasses, the onrushing torrent, the torrent of Kishon. O my soul, tread upon the stalwart!
22 The horses' hooves then hammer the ground: gal oping, galloping go his steeds.	22 The hoofs of the horses were broken, while the strongest of the enemies fled away with fury, and rushed on to ruin.
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 ‘Cursed be the land of Meroz!’ said the Angel of the Lord. ‘Cursed be its inhabitants! For they did not come to the aid of the Lord, to the assistance of his most valiant men.’
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 is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. And blessed is she in her tabernacle.
25 He asked for water; she gave him milk; she offered him curds in a lordly dish.	25 He begged her for water, and she gave him milk, and she offered him butter in a dish fit for princes.
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 She put her left hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workman’s mallet. And she struck Sisera, seeking in his head a place for the wound, and strongly piercing his temples.
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 Between her feet, he was ruined. He fainted away and passed on. He curled up before her feet, and he lay there lifeless and miserable.
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 His mother gazed through a window and wailed. And she spoke from an upper room: ‘Why does his chariot delay in returning? Why are the feet of his team of horses so slow?’
29 The wisest of her ladies answers, and she to herself repeats,	29 One who was wiser than the rest of his wives responded to her mother-in-law with this:
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 ‘Perhaps he is now dividing the spoils, and the most beautiful among the women is being selected for him. Garments of diverse colors are being delivered to Sisera as spoils, and various goods are being collected for the adornment of necks.’
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 O Lord, so may all your enemies perish! But may those who love you shine with splendor, as the sun shines at its rising.”
	32 And the land rested for forty years.