Judges 5:1-11
Expanded Bible
The Song of Deborah
5 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
2 “·The leaders led Israel [or When locks of hair grow in Israel; C referring to the keeping of a Nazirite vow (Num. 6:5); the Hebrew here is obscure].
The ·people [nation] ·volunteered to go to battle [answered the call; offered themselves willingly].
·Praise [Bless] the Lord!
3 Listen, kings.
Pay attention, rulers!
I ·myself [even I] will sing to the Lord.
I will ·make music [or sing praises] to the Lord, the God of Israel.
4 “Lord, when you came from Seir [C another name for Edom],
when you marched from the ·land [or fields] of Edom,
the earth shook,
the ·skies [heavens] ·rained [poured; dropped],
and the clouds ·dropped [poured] water.
5 The mountains ·shook [quaked] before the Lord, the God of Mount Sinai,
before the Lord, the God of Israel!
6 “In the days of Shamgar son of Anath [3:31],
in the days of Jael, the ·main roads were empty [highways were deserted; or caravans were no more].
Travelers went on ·the back roads [winding paths; C because of Canaanite robbers on the highways].
7 ·There were no warriors in Israel [or The villagers/peasants would not fight; or The villagers deserted their villages]
until ·I [or you], Deborah, arose,
until ·I [or you] arose to be a mother to Israel.
8 At that time ·they chose to follow new gods [or God chose new leaders/warriors].
Because of this, ·enemies fought us at our [war came to the] city gates.
·No one could find a shield or a spear [L A shield, it could not be seen, nor a spear]
among the forty thousand people of Israel.
9 My heart is with the ·commanders [leaders; princes] of Israel.
·They volunteered freely [or And with those who volunteered freely] from among the people.
·Praise [Bless] the Lord!
10 “You who ride on white [L female] donkeys
and sit on ·saddle blankets [or rich carpets],
and you who walk along the road, ·listen [ponder this; or tell of this]!
11 Listen to the sound of the ·singers [village musicians; or those who distribute the water; or those who divide the sheep]
at the watering holes.
There they tell about the ·victories [or righteous deeds/triumphs] of the Lord,
the ·victories [or righteous deeds/triumphs] of the Lord’s ·warriors [or villagers; peasantry] in Israel.
Then the Lord’s people went down to the city gates.
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