Deborah’s Song

1On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang:

2When the leaders leada in Israel,

when the people volunteer,

praise the LORD.

3Listen, kings! Pay attention, princes!

I will sing to the LORD;

I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.

4LORD, when You came from Seir,b

when You marched from the fields of Edom,

the earth trembled,c

the heavens pouredd rain,

and the clouds poured water.

5The mountains melted before the LORD,

even Sinaie before the LORD, the God of Israel.f

6In the days of Shamgarg son of Anath,

in the days of Jael,h

the main ways were deserted

because travelers kept to the side roads.

7Villages were deserted,i

they were deserted in Israel,

until I, Deborah,j arose,

a mother in Israel.

8Israel chose new gods,

then war was in the gates.

Not a shield or spear was seen

among 40,000 in Israel.

9My heart is with the leaders of Israel,

with the volunteers of the people.

Praise the LORD!

10You who ride on whitek donkeys,

who sit on saddle blankets,

and who travel on the road, give praise!

11Let them tell the righteous actsl of the LORD,

the righteous deeds of His warriors in Israel,

with the voices of the singers at the watering places.m

Then the LORD’s people went down to the gates.

12“Awake! Awake, Deborah!

Awake! Awake, sing a song!

Arise, Barak,

and take hold of your captives,

son of Abinoam! ”

13The survivorsn came down to the nobles;o

the LORD’s people came down to mep with the warriors.

14Those with their roots in Amalekq came from Ephraim;

Benjamin came with your people after you.

The leaders came down from Machir,r

and those who carry a marshal’s staff came from Zebulun.

15The princes of Issachar were with Deborah;

Issachar was with Barak.

They set out at his heelss in the valley.

There was great searchingt of heart

among the clans of Reuben.

16Why did you sit among the sheepfolds

listening to the playing of pipes for the flocks?

There was great searching of heart

among the clans of Reuben.

17Gileadu remained beyond the Jordan.

Dan, why did you linger at the ships?

Asher remained at the seashore

and stayed in his harbors.

18Zebulun was a people risking their lives,

Naphtali also, on the heights of the battlefield.

19Kings came and fought.

Then the kings of Canaan fought

at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo,

but they took no spoil of silver.

20The stars fought from the heavens;

the stars fought with Sisera from their courses.

21The river Kishon swept them away,v

the ancient river, the river Kishon.

March on, my soul, in strength!

22The horses’ hooves then hammered —

the galloping, galloping of hisw stallions.

23“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 warriors.”

24Jael is most blessed of women,

the wife of Heber the Kenite;

she is most blessed among tent-dwelling women.

25He asked for water; she gave him milk.

She brought him curdled milkx in a majestic bowl.

26She reached for a tent peg,

her right hand, for a workman’s mallet.

Then she hammered Sisera —

she crushed his head;

she shattered and pierced his temple.

27He collapsed, he fell, he lay down aty her feet;

he collapsed, he fell at her feet;

where he collapsed, there he fell — dead.

28Sisera’s mother looked through the window;

she peered through the lattice, crying out:

“Why is his chariot so long in coming?

Why don’t I hear the hoofbeats of his horses? ”z

29Her wisest princesses answer her;

she even answers herself:aa

30“Are they not finding and dividing the spoil —

a girl or two for each warrior,

the spoil of colored garments for Sisera,

the spoil of an embroidered garment or two for my neck? ”ab

31LORD, may all your enemies perish as Sisera did.ac

But may those who love Him

be like the rising of the sun in its strength.

And the land was peaceful 40 years.