The Song of Deborah and Barak
1 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
2 Praise the Lord!
The Israelites were determined to fight;
the people gladly volunteered.
3 Listen, you kings!
Pay attention, you rulers!
I will sing and play music
to Israel's God, the Lord.
4 Lord, when you left the mountains of Seir,
when you came out of the region of Edom,
the earth shook, and rain fell from the sky.
Yes, water poured down from the clouds.
5 The mountains quaked before the Lord of Sinai,
before the Lord, the God of Israel.
6 In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,
in the days of Jael,
caravans no longer went through the land,
and travelers used the back roads.
7 The towns of Israel stood abandoned, Deborah;
they stood empty until you came,
came like a mother for Israel.
8 Then there was war in the land
when the Israelites chose new gods.
Of the forty thousand men in Israel,
did anyone carry shield or spear?
9 My heart is with the commanders of Israel,
with the people who gladly volunteered.
Praise the Lord!
10 Tell of it, you that ride on white donkeys,
sitting on saddles,
and you that must walk wherever you go.
11 Listen! The noisy crowds around the wells
are telling of the Lord's victories,
the victories of Israel's people!
Then the Lord's people marched down from their cities.
12 Lead on, Deborah, lead on!
Lead on! Sing a song! Lead on!
Forward, Barak son of Abinoam,
lead your captives away!
13 Then the faithful ones came down to their leaders;
the Lord's people came to him ready to fight.
14 They came from Ephraim into the valley,
behind the tribe of Benjamin and its people.
The commanders came down from Machir,
the officers down from Zebulun.
15 The leaders of Issachar came with Deborah;
yes, Issachar came and Barak too,
and they followed him into the valley.
But the tribe of Reuben was divided;
they could not decide to come.
16 Why did they stay behind with the sheep?
To listen to shepherds calling the flocks?
Yes, the tribe of Reuben was divided;
they could not decide to come.
17 The tribe of Gad stayed east of the Jordan,
and the tribe of Dan remained by the ships.
The tribe of Asher stayed by the seacoast;
they remained along the shore.
18 But the people of Zebulun and Naphtali
risked their lives on the battlefield.
19 At Taanach, by the stream of Megiddo,
the kings came and fought;
the kings of Canaan fought,
but they took no silver away.
20 The stars fought from the sky;
as they moved across the sky,
they fought against Sisera.
21 A flood in the Kishon swept them away—
the onrushing Kishon River.
I shall march, march on, with strength!
22 Then the horses came galloping on,
stamping the ground with their hoofs.
23 “Put a curse on Meroz,” says the angel of the Lord,
“a curse, a curse on those who live there.
They did not come to help the Lord,
come as soldiers to fight for him.”
24 The most fortunate of women is Jael,
the wife of Heber the Kenite—
the most fortunate of women who live in tents.
25 Sisera asked for water, but she gave him milk;
she brought him cream in a beautiful bowl.
26 She took a tent peg in one hand,
a worker's hammer in the other;
she struck Sisera and crushed his skull;
she pierced him through the head.
27 He sank to his knees,
fell down and lay still at her feet.
At her feet he sank to his knees and fell;
he fell to the ground, dead.
28 Sisera's mother looked out of the window;
she gazed from behind the lattice.
“Why is his chariot so late in coming?” she asked.
“Why are his horses so slow to return?”
29 Her wisest friends answered her,
and she told herself over and over,
30 “They are only finding things to capture and divide,
a woman or two for every soldier,
rich cloth for Sisera,
embroidered pieces for the neck of the queen.”
31 So may all your enemies die like that, O Lord,
but may your friends shine like the rising sun!
And there was peace in the land for forty years.
1 Then sang Deborah, and Barak the sonne of Abinoam the same day, saying, 2 Praise ye the Lord for the auenging of Israel, and for the people that offred themselues willingly. 3 Heare, ye Kings, hearken ye princes: I, euen I will sing vnto the Lord: I will sing praise vnto the Lord God of Israel. 4 Lord, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou departedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heauens rained, the cloudes also dropped water. 5 The mountaines melted before the Lord, as did that Sinai before the Lord God of Israel. 6 In the dayes of Shamgar the sonne of Anath, in the dayes of Iael the hie wayes were vnoccupied, and the trauelers walked through by wayes. 7 The townes were not inhabited: they decayed, I say, in Israel, vntill I Deborah came vp, which rose vp a mother in Israel. 8 They chose new gods: then was warre in the gates. Was there a shielde or speare seene among fourtie thousand of Israel? 9 Mine heart is set on the gouernours of Israel, and on them that are willing among the people: praise ye the Lord. 10 Speake ye that ride on white asses, yee that dwel by Middin, and that walke by the way. 11 For the noyse of the archers appaised among the drawers of water: there shall they rehearse the righteousnesse of the Lord, his righteousnesse of his townes in Israel: then did the people of the Lord goe downe to the gates. 12 Vp Deborah, vp, arise, and sing a song: arise Barak, and leade thy captiuitie captiue, thou sonne of Abinoam. 13 For they that remaine, haue dominio ouer the mightie of the people: the Lord hath giuen me dominion ouer the strong. 14 Of Ephraim their roote arose against Amalek: and after thee, Beniamin shall fight against thy people, O Amalek: of Machir came rulers, and of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer. 15 And the Princes of Issachar were with Deborah, and Issachar, and also Barak: he was set on his feete in the valley: for the diuisions of Reuben were great thoughts of heart. 16 Why abodest thou among the sheepefolds, to heare the bleatings of the flockes? for the diuisions of Reuben were great thoughts of heart. 17 Gilead abode beyonde Iorden: and why doeth Dan remayne in shippes? Asher sate on the sea shoare, and taryed in his decayed places. 18 But the people of Zebulun and Naphtali haue ieopard their liues vnto the death in the hie places of the field. 19 The Kings came and fought: then fought the Kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo: they receiued no gaine of money. 20 They fought from heauen, euen the starres in their courses fought against Sisera. 21 The Riuer Kishon swepe them away, that ancient riuer the riuer Kishon. O my soule, thou hast marched valiantly. 22 Then were the horsehooues broken with the oft beating together of their mightie men. 23 Curse ye Meroz: (sayd the Angel of the Lord) curse the inhabitantes thereof, because they came not to helpe the Lord, to helpe the Lord against the mighty. 24 Iael the wife of Heber the Kenite shall be blessed aboue other women: blessed shall she be aboue women dwelling in tentes. 25 He asked water, and shee gaue him milke: she brought forth butter in a lordly dish. 26 She put her hand to the naile, and her right hand to the workemans hammer: with the hammer smote she Sisera: she smote off his head, after she had wounded, and pearsed his temples. 27 He bowed him downe at her feete, he fell downe, and lay still: at her feete hee bowed him downe, and fell: and when he had sunke downe, he lay there dead. 28 The mother of Sisera looked out at a windowe, and cryed thorowe the lattesse, Why is his charet so long a comming? why tary the wheeles of his charets? 29 Her wise ladies answered her, Yea. Shee answered her selfe with her owne wordes, 30 Haue they not gotten, and they deuide the spoyle? euery man hath a mayde or two. Sisera hath a praye of diuers coloured garmentes, a pray of sundry colours made of needle worke: of diuers colours of needle worke on both sides, for the chiefe of the spoyle. 31 So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord: but they that loue him, shall be as the Sunne when he riseth in his might, and the lande had rest fourtie yeres.