Parallel
Judges 5
World English Bible British Edition · Berean Standard Bible
Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying,
On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
“Because the leaders took the lead in Israel,
“When the princes take the lead in Israel, when the people volunteer, bless the LORD.
“Hear, you kings!
Listen, O kings! Give ear, O princes! I will sing to the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel.
“LORD, when you went out of Seir,
O LORD, when You went out from Seir, when You marched from the land of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens poured out rain, and the clouds poured down water.
The mountains quaked at the LORD’s presence,
The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel.
“In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath,
In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were deserted and the travelers took the byways.
The rulers ceased in Israel.
Life in the villages ceased; it ended in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose, a mother in Israel.
They chose new gods.
When they chose new gods, then war came to their gates. Not a shield or spear was found among forty thousand in Israel.
My heart is towards the governors of Israel,
My heart is with the princes of Israel, with the volunteers among the people. Bless the LORD!
“Speak, you who ride on white donkeys,
You who ride white donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, and you who travel the road, ponder
Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water,
the voices of the singers (note: Or archers or those who divide the sheep) at the watering places. There they shall recount the righteous acts of the LORD, the righteous deeds of His villagers (note: Or warriors) in Israel. Then the people of the LORD went down to the gates:
‘Awake, awake, Deborah!
‘Awake, awake, O Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, O Barak, and take hold of your captives, O son of Abinoam!’
“Then a remnant of the nobles and the people came down.
Then the survivors came down to the nobles; the people of the LORD came down to me against the mighty.
Those whose root is in Amalek came out of Ephraim,
Some came from Ephraim, with their roots in Amalek; Benjamin came with your people after you. The commanders came down from Machir, the bearers of the marshal’s staff from Zebulun.
The princes of Issachar were with Deborah.
The princes of Issachar were with Deborah, and Issachar was with Barak, rushing into the valley at his heels. In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.
Why did you sit amongst the sheepfolds?
Why did you sit among the sheepfolds to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.
Gilead lived beyond the Jordan.
Gilead remained beyond the Jordan. Dan, why did you linger by the ships? Asher stayed at the coast and remained in his harbors.
Zebulun was a people that jeopardised their lives to the death;
Zebulun was a people who risked their lives; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the battlefield.
“The kings came and fought,
Kings came and fought; then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they took no plunder of silver.
From the sky the stars fought.
From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera.
The river Kishon swept them away,
The River Kishon swept them away, the ancient river, the River Kishon. March on, O my soul, in strength!
Then the horse hoofs stamped because of the prancing,
Then the hooves of horses thundered—the mad galloping of his stallions.
‘Curse Meroz,’ said the LORD’s angel.
‘Curse Meroz,’ says the angel of the LORD. ‘Bitterly curse her inhabitants; for they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.’
“Jael shall be blessed above women,
Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
He asked for water.
He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.
She put her hand to the tent peg,
She reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman’s hammer. She struck Sisera and crushed his skull; she shattered and pierced his temple.
At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay.
At her feet he collapsed, he fell, there he lay still; at her feet he collapsed, he fell; where he collapsed, there he fell dead.
“Through the window she looked out, and cried:
Sisera’s mother looked through the window; she peered through the lattice and lamented: ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? What has delayed the clatter of his chariots?’
‘Have they not found, have they not divided the plunder?
‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoil—a girl or two for each warrior, a plunder of dyed garments for Sisera, the spoil of embroidered garments for the neck of the looter?’
“So let all your enemies perish, LORD,
So may all Your enemies perish, O LORD! But may those who love You shine like the sun at its brightest.” And the land had rest for forty years.