| International Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Later that day, Deborah and Abinoam's son Barak celebrated by singing this song: | 1On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this victory song: |
| 2"When hair grows long in Israel, when the people give themselves willingly, bless the LORD! | 2"When the leaders took the lead in Israel, When the people answered the call to war--Praise 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. | 3Hear, O kings! Pay attention, O rulers! I will sing to the LORD! I will sing 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; indeed, the clouds poured out water. | 4O LORD, when you departed from Seir, when you marched from Edom's plains, the earth shook, the heavens poured down, the clouds poured down rain. |
| 5Mountains tremble at the presence of the LORD — even Sinai!—at the presence of the LORD God of Israel. | 5The mountains trembled before the LORD, the God of Sinai; before 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. | 6In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael caravans disappeared; travelers had to go on winding side roads. |
| 7Rural populations plummeted in Israel; until I, Deborah, arose; until I—an Israeli mother—arose. | 7Warriors were scarce, they were scarce in Israel, until you arose, Deborah, until you arose as a motherly protector in Israel. |
| 8New gods were chosen, then war came to the city gates, but there wasn't a shield or spear to be seen among 40,000 soldiers of Israel. | 8God chose new leaders, then fighters appeared in the city gates; but, I swear, not a shield or spear could be found, among forty military units in Israel. |
| 9My heart is for the commanders of Israel, to those who work willingly among the people. Bless the LORD! | 9My heart went out to Israel's leaders, to the people who answered the call to war. Praise the LORD! |
| 10"Speak up, you who ride white donkeys, sitting on cloth saddles while you travel on your way! | 10You who ride on light-colored female donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, you who walk on the road, pay attention! |
| 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. | 11Hear the sound of those who divide the sheep among the watering places; there they tell of the Lord's victorious deeds, the victorious deeds of his warriors in Israel. Then the LORD's people went down to the city gates-- |
| 12"Wake up! Wake up, Deborah! Wake up! Wake up, Deborah! Get up, Barak, and dispose of your captives, you son of Abinoam! | 12Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up, wake up, sing a song! Get up, Barak! Capture your prisoners of war, son of Abinoam! |
| 13Then the survivors approached the nobles; the people of the LORD approached me in battle array. | 13Then the survivors came down to the mighty ones; the LORD's people came down to me as warriors. |
| 14Some came from Ephraim who had been harassed by Amalek, followed by Benjamin with your people. Some commanders came from Machir, along with some from Zebulun who carry a badge of office. | 14They came from Ephraim, who uprooted Amalek, they follow after you, Benjamin, with your soldiers. From Makir leaders came down, from Zebulun came the ones who march carrying an officer's staff. |
| 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! | 15Issachar's leaders were with Deborah, the men of Issachar supported Barak; into the valley they were sent under Barak's command. Among the clans of Reuben there was intense heart searching. |
| 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. | 16Why do you remain among the sheepfolds, listening to the shepherds playing their pipes for their flocks? As for the clans of Reuben--there was intense 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. | 17Gilead stayed put beyond the Jordan River. As for Dan--why did he seek temporary employment in the shipyards? Asher remained on the seacoast, he stayed by his 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. | 18The men of Zebulun were not concerned about their lives; Naphtali charged on to the battlefields. |
| 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. | 19Kings came, they fought; the kings of Canaan fought, at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they took no silver as plunder. |
| 20The stars fought from heaven; they fought against Sisera from their orbits. | 20From the sky the stars fought, from their paths in the heavens they fought against Sisera. |
| 21The current of the Kishon River swept them downstream, that ancient current, the Kishon's current! March on strongly, my soul! | 21The Kishon River carried them off; the river confronted them--the Kishon River. Step on the necks of the strong! |
| 22Then loud was the beat of the horses' hooves— from the galloping, galloping war steeds! | 22The horses' hooves pounded the ground; the stallions galloped madly. |
| 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!'" | 23Call judgment down on Meroz,' says the LORD's angelic messenger; 'Be sure to call judgment down on those who live there, because they did not come to help in the LORD's battle, to help in the LORD's battle against the warriors.' |
| 24"Blessed above all women is Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite; most blessed is she among women who live in tents! | 24The most rewarded of women should be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite! She should be the most rewarded of women who live in tents. |
| 25Sisera asked for water— she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him yogurt! | 25He asked for water, and she gave him milk; in a bowl fit for a king, she served him curds. |
| 26She reached out one hand for the tent peg, and her other for the workman's mallet. Then she struck Sisera, smashing his head, shattering and piercing his temple. | 26Her left hand reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workmen's hammer. She "hammered" Sisera, she shattered his skull, she smashed his head, she drove the tent peg through his temple. |
| 27He crumpled to the ground between her feet, where he fell down and collapsed. Between her feet he crumpled, Fallen dead! | 27Between her feet he collapsed, he fell limp and was lifeless; between her feet he collapsed and fell limp, in the spot where he collapsed, there he fell limp--violently murdered! |
| 28"Back at home, 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?' | 28Through the window she looked; Sisera's mother cried out through the lattice: 'Why is his chariot so slow to return? Why are the hoofbeats of his chariot-horses delayed?' |
| 29Her wise attendants find an answer for her; in fact, she tells the same words to herself: | 29The wisest of her ladies answer; indeed she even thinks to herself, |
| 30They'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! | 30No doubt they are gathering and dividing the plunder--a girl or two for each man to rape! Sisera is grabbing up colorful cloth, he is grabbing up colorful embroidered cloth, two pieces of colorful embroidered cloth, for the neck of the plunderer!' |
| 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. | 31May all your enemies perish like this, O LORD! But may those who love you shine like the rising sun at its brightest!" And the land had rest for forty years. |
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