| International Standard Version | New International Version |
| 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 song: |
| 2"When hair grows long in Israel, when the people give themselves willingly, bless the LORD! | 2"When the princes in Israel take the lead, when the people willingly offer themselves-- 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. | 3"Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I, even I, will sing to the LORD; I will praise the LORD, the God of Israel, in song. |
| 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. | 4"When you, LORD, went out from Seir, when you marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, the heavens poured, the clouds poured down water. |
| 5Mountains tremble at the presence of the LORD — even Sinai!—at the presence of the LORD God of Israel. | 5The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the 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. | 6"In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were abandoned; travelers took to winding paths. |
| 7Rural populations plummeted in Israel; until I, Deborah, arose; until I—an Israeli mother—arose. | 7Villagers in Israel would not fight; they held back until I, Deborah, arose, until I arose, a mother 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 when war came to the city gates, but not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel. |
| 9My heart is for the commanders of Israel, to those who work willingly among the people. Bless the LORD! | 9My heart is with Israel's princes, with the willing volunteers among the people. Praise the LORD! |
| 10"Speak up, you who ride white donkeys, sitting on cloth saddles while you travel on your way! | 10"You who ride on white donkeys, sitting on your saddle blankets, and you who walk along the road, consider |
| 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. | 11the voice of the singers at the watering places. They recite the victories of the LORD, the victories of his villagers in Israel. "Then the people of the LORD 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, break out in song! Arise, Barak! Take captive your captives, son of Abinoam.' |
| 13Then the survivors approached the nobles; the people of the LORD approached me in battle array. | 13"The remnant of the nobles came down; the people of the LORD came down to me against the mighty. |
| 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. | 14Some came from Ephraim, whose roots were in Amalek; Benjamin was with the people who followed you. From Makir captains came down, from Zebulun those who bear a commander'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! | 15The princes of Issachar were with Deborah; yes, Issachar was with Barak, sent under his command into the valley. In the districts of Reuben there was much searching 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. | 16Why did you stay among the sheep pens to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the districts of Reuben there was much 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 beyond the Jordan. And Dan, why did he linger by the ships? Asher remained on the coast and stayed in his coves. |
| 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 people of Zebulun risked their very lives; so did Naphtali on the terraced fields. |
| 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. | 19"Kings came, they fought, the kings of Canaan fought. At Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo, they took no plunder of silver. |
| 20The stars fought from heaven; they fought against Sisera from their orbits. | 20From the heavens the stars fought, from their courses 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 river Kishon swept them away, the age-old river, the river Kishon. March on, my soul; be strong! |
| 22Then loud was the beat of the horses' hooves— from the galloping, galloping war steeds! | 22Then thundered the horses' hooves-- galloping, galloping go his mighty 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!'" | 23Curse Meroz,' said the angel of the LORD. 'Curse its people bitterly, because they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.' |
| 24"Blessed above all women is Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite; most blessed is she among women who live in tents! | 24"Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women. |
| 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 nobles she brought him curdled milk. |
| 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 hand reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman's hammer. She struck Sisera, she crushed his head, she shattered and pierced his temple. |
| 27He crumpled to the ground between her feet, where he fell down and collapsed. Between her feet he crumpled, Fallen dead! | 27At her feet he sank, he fell; there he lay. At her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell--dead. |
| 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?' | 28"Through the window peered Sisera's mother; behind the lattice she cried out, 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why is the clatter of his chariots delayed?' |
| 29Her wise attendants find an answer for her; in fact, she tells the same words to herself: | 29The wisest of her ladies answer her; indeed, she keeps saying 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! | 30Are they not finding and dividing the spoils: a woman or two for each man, colorful garments as plunder for Sisera, colorful garments embroidered, highly embroidered garments for my neck-- all this as plunder?' |
| 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. | 31"So may all your enemies perish, LORD! But may all who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength." Then the land had peace forty years. |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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