Deborah and Barak Celebrate in Song

1Later that day, Deborah and Abinoam’s son Barak celebrated by singing this song:

2“When hair grows longa in Israel,b

when the people give themselves willingly,

bless the LORD!

3Listen, you kings!

Turn your ears to me, you rulers!

As for me, to the LORD I will sing!

I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.

4LORD, when you left Seir,

when you marched out

from the grain field of Edom,

the earth quaked

and the heavens poured out rain;c

indeed, the clouds poured out water.

5Mountains tremble at the presence of the LORD —

evend Sinai!—at the presence of the LORD God of Israel.

6During the lifetime of Anath’s son Shamgar

and during the lifetime of Jael

highways remained deserted,

while travelers kept to back roads.

7Rural populations plummetede in Israel;

until I, Deborah, arose;

until I—an Israeli mother—arose.

8New gods were chosen,

then war came to the cityf gates,

but there wasn’t a shield or spear to be seen

among 40,000 soldiersg of Israel.

9My heart is for the commanders of Israel,

to those who work willingly among the people.

Bless the LORD!

10“Speak up, you who ride white donkeys,

sitting on cloth saddlesh

while you travel on your way!

11From the sound of those who divide their work loads

at the watering troughs,

there they will retell the righteous deeds of the LORD,

the righteous victories for his rural people in Israel.”

Then the people of the LORD went down to the gates.

12“Wake up! Wake up, Deborah!

Wake up! Wake up, Deborah!

Get up, Barak, and dispose of your captives,

you son of Abinoam!

13Then the survivors approached the nobles;

the people of the LORD approached me in battle array.

14Some camei from Ephraim

who had been harassed byj Amalek,

followed by Benjamin with your people.

Some commanders camek from Machir,

along with some from Zebulun

who carry a badgel of office.m

15The officials of Issachar were with Deborah,

as was the tribe of Issachar and Barak.

They rushed out into the valley at his heels

along with divisions from Reuben’s army.

Great was their resolve of heart!

16Why did you sit down among the sheepfolds?

To hear the bleating of the flocks?

Among the divisions of the army of Reuben

there was great searching of heart.

17The tribe of Gilead remained

on the other side of the Jordan River.

As for the tribe of Dan,

why did they stay on board their ships?

The tribe of Asher sat by the seashore

and remained near its harbors.

18The tribe of Zebulun did not worry about their lives

at the price of death;

neither did the tribe of Naphtali also

on high places of the field.n

19“Kings came to fight,

then battled the kings of Canaan

at Taanach near the waters of Megiddo.

They took no silver

as the spoils of war.

20The stars fought from heaven;

they fought against Sisera from their orbits.

21The currento of the Kishon River swept them downstream,

that ancient current, the Kishon’s current!

March on strongly, my soul!

22Then loud was the beat of the horses’ hooves—

from the galloping, galloping war steeds!

23“‘Meroz is cursed!’ declared the angel of the LORD.

‘Utterly and totally cursed are its inhabitants,

because they never came to the aid of the LORD,

to the aid of the LORD against the valiant warriors!’”

24“Blessed above all women is Jael,

wife of Heber the Kenite;

most blessed is she among women who live in tents!

25Siserap asked for water—

she gave him milk.

In a magnificent bowl she brought him yogurt!q

26She reached out one hand for the tent peg,

and her otherr for the workman’s mallet.

Then she struck Sisera,

smashing his head,

shattering and piercing his temple.

27He crumpled to the ground between her feet,

where he fell down and collapsed.

Between her feet he crumpled,

Fallen dead!

28“Back at home,s out the window Sisera’s mother peered,

lamenting through the lattice.

‘Why is his chariot delayed in returning?

‘Why do the hoof beats of his chariots wait?’

29Her wise attendantst find an answer for her;

in fact, she tells the same words to herself:

30‘They’re busy finding and dividing the war booty, aren’t they?

A girl or two for each valiant warrior,

and some dyed materials for Sisera—

perhaps dyed, embroidered war booty—

or some detailed embroidery for my neck

as the booty of war!

31“May all of your enemies perish like this, LORD!

But may those who love him be

like the ascending sun in its strength!”

Then the land enjoyed quiet for 40 years.