Richter 5 | King James Version

1 Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying, 2 Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves. 3 Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel. 4 LORD, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water. 5 The mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel. 6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways. 7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel. 8 They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel? 9 My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD. 10 Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way. 11 They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of the LORD go down to the gates. 12 Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam. 13 Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty. 14 Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer. 15 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart. 16 Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. 17 Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches. 18 Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field. 19 The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money. 20 They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera. 21 The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength. 22 Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones. 23 Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty. 24 Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent. 25 He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish. 26 She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen' hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples. 27 At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead. 28 The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots? 29 Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself, 30 Have they not sped? have they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colours, a prey of divers colours of needlework, of divers colours of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil? 31 So let all thine enemies perish, O LORD: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.

New International Reader’s Version

The song of Deborah

1 On that day Deborah and Barak sang a song. Barak was the son of Abinoam. Here is what Deborah and Barak sang. 2 ‘The princes in Israel lead the way. The people follow them just because they want to. When this happens, praise the LORD! 3 ‘Kings, hear this! Rulers, listen! I will sing to the LORD. I will praise the LORD in song. He is the God of Israel. 4 ‘LORD, you went out from Seir. You marched out from the land of Edom. The earth shook. The heavens poured. The clouds poured down their water. 5 The mountains shook because of the LORD. He was at Mount Sinai. They shook because of the LORD. He is the God of Israel. 6 ‘The main roads were deserted. So travellers used the winding paths. That happened in the days of Shamgar, the son of Anath. It happened in the days of Jael. 7 Those who lived in the villages of Israel would not fight. They held back until I, Deborah, came. I came as a mother in Israel. 8 War came to the city gates. Then God chose new leaders. But no shields or spears were seen anywhere. There weren’t any among 40,000 men in Israel. 9 My heart is with the princes in Israel. It’s with the people who follow them just because they want to. Praise the LORD! 10 ‘Some of you ride on white donkeys. Some of you sit on your saddle blankets. Some of you walk along the road. Think about 11 the voices of the singers at the watering places. They sing about the victories of the LORD. They sing about the victories of his people who live in Israel’s villages. ‘The people of the LORD went down to the city gates. 12 “Wake up, Deborah! Wake up!” they said. “Wake up! Wake up! Begin to sing! Barak, get up! Son of Abinoam, capture your prisoners!” 13 ‘The nobles who were left came down. The people of the LORD came down to me against the powerful enemy. 14 Some came from the part of Ephraim where some Amalekites lived. Some from Benjamin were with the people who followed Ephraim. Captains came down from Makir. Those who rule like commanders came down from Zebulun. 15 The princes of Issachar were with Deborah. The men of Issachar were with Barak. They went into the valley under his command. In the territories of Reuben, men looked deeply into their hearts. 16 Why did they stay among the sheepfolds? Why did they stay to hear shepherds whistling for the flocks? In the territories of Reuben, men looked deeply into their hearts. 17 Gilead stayed east of the River Jordan. Why did Dan stay near the ships? The men of Asher remained on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. They stayed in their safe harbours. 18 The people of Zebulun put their very lives in danger. So did Naphtali on the hillside fields. 19 ‘Kings came and fought. The kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the streams of Megiddo. But they didn’t carry away any silver. They didn’t take anything at all. 20 From the heavens the stars fought. From the sky they fought against Sisera. 21 The River Kishon swept them away. The Kishon is a very old river. My spirit, march on! Be strong! 22 The hooves of the horses pounded like thunder. The powerful horses of our enemies galloped away. 23 “Let Meroz be cursed,” said the angel of the LORD. “Let bitter curses fall on its people. They did not come to help the LORD. They did not come to help him against our powerful enemies.” 24 ‘May Jael be the most blessed woman of all. May the wife of Heber, the Kenite, be blessed. May she be the most blessed woman of all those who live in tents. 25 Sisera asked for water. She gave him milk. In a bowl fit for nobles she brought him buttermilk. 26 Her hand reached out for a tent stake. Her right hand reached for a hammer. She hit Sisera. She crushed his head. She drove the stake right through his head. 27 He sank down. He fell at her feet. He was lying there. At her feet he sank down. He fell. He fell where he sank down. That’s where he died. 28 ‘Sisera’s mother looked out through the window. From behind the wooden screen she cried out. “Why is his chariot taking so long to get here?” she said. “Why can’t I hear the noise of his chariots yet?” 29 Her wisest ladies answer her. And here’s what she keeps saying to herself. 30 She says, “They must be finding riches to bring back. They must be dividing them up. Each man is getting a woman or two. They are giving colourful clothes to Sisera. The clothes are very beautiful. He will bring some for me to wear. The men must be finding many things to bring home.” 31 ‘LORD, may all your enemies be destroyed. But may all who love you be like the morning sun. May they be like the sun when it shines the brightest.’ So the land was at peace for 40 years.

Richter 5 | King James Version New International Reader’s Version

The song of Deborah