5
1 And Debbora and Barac son of Abineem sang in that day, saying,
2 A revelation was made in Israel when the people were made willing: Praise ye the Lord. 3 Hear, ye kings, and hearken, rulers: I will sing, it is I who will sing to the Lord, it is I, I will sing a psalm to the Lord the God of Israel. 4 O Lord, in thy going forth on Seir, when thou wentest forth out of the land of Edom, the earth quaked and the heaven dropped dews, and the clouds dropped water. 5 The mountains were shaken before the face of the Lord Eloi, this Sina before the face of the Lord God of Israel. 6 In the days of Samegar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, they deserted the ways, and went in by-ways; they went in crooked paths. 7 The mighty men in Israel failed, they failed until Debbora arose, until she arose a mother in Israel. 8 They chose new gods; then the cities of rulers fought; *there was not a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel.
9 My heart inclines to the orders given in Israel; ye that are willing among the people, bless the Lord. 10 Ye that mount a she-ass at noon-day, ye that sit on the judgment-seat, and walk by the roads of them that sit in judgment by the way; declare 11 ye that are delivered from the noise of †disturbers among the drawers of water; there shall they relate righteous acts: O Lord, increase righteous acts in Israel: then the people of the Lord went down to the cities. 12 Awake, awake, Debbora; awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barac, and lead thy captivity captive, son of Abineem. 13 Then went down the remnant to the strong, the people of the Lord went down for him among the mighty ones from me.
14 Ephraim rooted them out in Amalec, behind thee was Benjamin among thy people: the inhabitants of Machir came down with me searching out the enemy, and from Zabulon came they that ‡draw with the scribe's pen of record. 15 And princes in Issachar were with Debbora and Barac, thus she sent Barac on his feet in the valleys into the portions of Ruben; great pangs §reached to the heart. 16 Why did they sit between the sheep-folds to hear the bleating of flocks for the divisions of Ruben? there were great searchings of heart. 17 Galaad is on the other side of Jordan where he pitched his tents; and why does Dan remain in ships? Aser sat down on the sea-coasts, and he will tabernacle at his **ports. 18 The people Zabulon ††exposed their soul to death, and Nephthali came to the high places of their land.
19 Kings set themselves in array, then the kings of Chanaan fought in Thanaach at the water of Mageddo; they took no gift of money. 20 The stars from heaven set themselves in array, they set themselves to fight with Sisara out of their paths. 21 The brook of Kison swept them away, the ancient brook, the brook Kison: my mighty soul will trample him down. 22 When the hoofs of the horse were entangled, his mighty ones earnestly hasted 23 to curse Meroz: Curse ye it, said the angel of the Lord; cursed is every one that dwells in it, because they came not to the help of the Lord, to his help among the mighty.
24 Blessed among women be Jael wife of Chaber the Kenite; let her be blessed above women in tents. 25 He asked for water, she gave him milk in a dish; she brought butter of princes. 26 She stretched forth her left hand to ‡‡the nail, and her right hand to the workman's hammer, and she §§smote Sisara with it, she nailed through his head and smote him; she nailed through his temples. 27 He rolled down between her feet; he fell and lay between her feet; he bowed and fell: where he bowed, there he fell ***dead.
28 The mother of Sisara looked down through the window out of the loophole, saying, Why was his chariot ashamed? why did the †††wheels of his chariots tarry? 29 Her wise ladies answered her, and she returned answers to herself, saying, 30 Will they not find him dividing the spoil? he will surely ‡‡‡be gracious to every man: there are spoils of dyed garments for Sisara, spoils of various dyed garments, dyed embroidered garments, they are the spoils for his neck. 31 Thus let all thine enemies perish, O Lord: and they that love him shall be as the going forth of the sun in his strength.
And the land had rest forty years.
* 5:8 Gr. if there should be seen. † 5:11 Gr. noisy ones. ‡ 5:14 Gr. Rather, draw or handle the scribe's pen, etc. § 5:15 Gr. reaching. ** 5:17 Or, places of egress, etc. †† 5:18 Lit. reproached. ‡‡ 5:26 Or, pin of the tent. §§ 5:26 Lit. hammered. *** 5:27 q. d. having departed this life. ††† 5:28 Or, feet of his horses. lit. feet of his chariots. ‡‡‡ 5:30 i. e. be gracious and kind in allowing the claim of each to a share.