Judges 5:11-23

Contemporary English Version

Then the Lord's people marched
    down to the town gates
¹² and said, “Deborah, let's go!
Let's sing as we march.
    Barak, capture our enemies.”

¹³ The Lord's people who were left
joined with their leaders
    and fought at my side.^[b]
14 Troops came from Ephraim,
    where Amalekites once lived.
Others came from Benjamin;
officers and leaders came
    from Machir and Zebulun.
¹⁵ The rulers of Issachar
    came along with Deborah,
and Issachar followed Barak
    into the valley.

But the tribe of Reuben
    was no help at all!^[c]
16 Reuben, why did you stay
    among your sheep pens?^[d]
Was it to listen to shepherds
    whistling for their sheep?
No one could figure out
    why Reuben wouldn't come.^[e]
17 The people of Gilead stayed
    across the Jordan.
Why did the tribe of Dan
    remain on their ships
and the tribe of Asher
stay along the coast
    near the harbors?

¹⁸ But soldiers of Zebulun
    and Naphtali
risked their lives
    to attack the enemy.^[f]
19 Canaanite kings fought us
at Taanach by the stream
    near Megiddo^[g]—
but they couldn't rob us
    of our silver.^[h]
20 From their pathways in the sky
    the stars^[i] fought Sisera,
²¹ and his soldiers were swept away
    by the ancient Kishon River.

I will march on and be brave.

²² Sisera's horses galloped off,
their hoofs thundering
    in retreat.

²³ The Lord's angel said,
    “Put a curse on Meroz Town!
Its people refused
to help the Lord fight
    his powerful enemies.”