The Scriptures (ISR 1998) 1And on that day Deḇorah and Baraq son of Aḇino‛am sang, saying, 2“For leaders leading in Yisra’ĕl, for the people volunteering, bless יהוה! 3“Hear, O sovereigns! Give ear, O princes! I, I do sing to יהוה; I sing praise to יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl. 4“יהוה, when You went out from Sĕ‛ir, when You stepped from the field of Eḏom, the earth shook and the heavens poured, the clouds also poured water. 5“The mountains flowed at the presence of יהוה, this Sinai, at the presence of יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl. 6“In the days of Shamgar, the son of Anath, in the days of Ya‛ĕl, the highways were deserted, and the travellers went in crooked ways. 7“Leadership ceased, it ceased in Yisra’ĕl, until I, Deḇorah, arose – a mother in Yisra’ĕl arose. 8“They chose new mighty ones, then fighting was in the gates! Neither a shield nor spear was seen among forty thousand in Yisra’ĕl. 9“My heart is towards the lawgivers of Yisra’ĕl, the volunteers among the people. Bless יהוה! 10“You who ride on white donkeys, you who sit on rich carpets, and you who walk along the way, declare it! 11“By the voice of shouters, between the places of drawing water, there they recount the righteous acts of יהוה, the righteous acts of His leadership in Yisra’ĕl; then the people of יהוה shall go down to the gates. 12“Wake up, wake up, Deḇorah! Wake up, wake up, sing a song! Arise, Baraq, and lead your captives away, O son of Aḇino‛am! 13“Then He set the remnant to rule the nobles; יהוה came down for me against the mighty ones. 14“Out of Ephrayim their root is against Amalĕq. After you, Binyamin, with your peoples, out of Maḵir lawgivers came down, and out of Zeḇulun those who handle the scribe’s reed. 15“And the heads of Yissasḵar were with Deḇorah. And as Yissasḵar, so was Baraq sent into the valley under his command. Among the divisions of Re’uḇĕn there were great searchings of heart. 16“Why did you remain among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? The divisions of Re’uḇĕn have great searchings of heart. 17“Gil‛aḏ remained beyond the Yardĕn, and why did Dan remain on ships? Ashĕr continued at the seashore, and remained by its landing places. 18“Zeḇulun is a people who risked their lives to the point of death, Naphtali also, on the heights of the field. 19“Sovereigns came, they fought, then the sovereigns of Kena‛an fought in Ta‛anaḵ, by the waters of Meg̅iddo; they took no spoils of silver. 20“From the heavens they fought; the stars from their courses fought against Sisera. 21“The wadi of Qishon swept them away, that age-old wadi, the wadi of Qishon. O my being, you have trampled in strength! 22“Then stamped hoofs of horses, with the galloping, galloping of his steeds. 23‘Curse Mĕroz,’ said a messenger of יהוה, ‘curse, curse its inhabitants, because they did not come to the help of יהוה, to the help of יהוה among the mighty.’ 24“Blessed above women is Ya‛ĕl, the wife of Ḥeḇer the Qĕynite – above women in tents she is blessed. 25“He asked for water, she gave milk; she brought out curdled milk in a bowl for nobles. 26“She stretched her hand to the tent peg, and her right hand to the workmen’s hammer. Then she pounded Sisera, she smashed his head, she pierced and struck through the side of his head. 27“Between her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay still; between her feet he bowed, he fell; where he bowed, there he fell – destroyed. 28“Through the window the mother of Sisera looked, and cried out through the lattice, ‘Why does his chariot delay to come? Why have the steps of his chariots tarried?’ 29“The wise ones of her princesses answered her, indeed, she answered herself, 30‘Do they not find and divide the spoil: a girl or two for each man; a spoil of dyed work for Sisera, a spoil of dyed work embroidered, dyed work richly embroidered for the necks of the looter?’ 31“So do all Your enemies perish, O יהוה! But let those who love Him be like the sun rising in its might!” And the land had rest forty years. |