Judges 5:1-18

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

² “When locks are long in Israel,
    when the people offer themselves willingly^[a]—
    bless the Lord!^(B)

³ Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes;
    to the Lord I will sing;
    I will make melody to the Lord, the God of Israel.^(C)

⁴ Lord, when you went out from Seir,
    when you marched from the region of Edom,
the earth trembled,
    and the heavens poured;
    the clouds indeed poured water.^(D)
5 The mountains quaked before the Lord, the One of Sinai,
    before the Lord, the God of Israel.^(E)

⁶ In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,
    in the days of Jael, caravans ceased,
    and travelers kept to the byways.^(F)
7 The peasantry prospered in Israel;
    they grew fat on plunder,
because^[b] you arose, Deborah,
    arose as a mother in Israel.
⁸ When new gods were chosen,
    then war was in the gates.
Was shield or spear to be seen
    among forty thousand in Israel?^(G)
9 My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel
    who offered themselves willingly among the people.
    Bless the Lord.

¹⁰ Sing of it, you who ride on white donkeys,
    you who sit on rich carpets,^[c]
    and you who walk by the way.
¹¹ To the sound of musicians^[d] at the watering places,
    there they repeat the triumphs of the Lord,
    the triumphs of his peasantry in Israel.

Then down to the gates marched the people of the Lord.^(H)
12 Awake, awake, Deborah!
    Awake, awake, utter a song!
Arise, Barak, lead away your captives,
    O son of Abinoam.^(I)
13 Then down marched the remnant of the nobles;
    the people of the Lord marched down for him^[e] against the mighty.
¹⁴ From Ephraim they set out^[f] into the valley,^[g]
    following you, Benjamin, with your kin;
from Machir marched down the commanders,
    and from Zebulun those who bear the marshal’s staff;^(J)
15 the chiefs of Issachar came with Deborah,
    and Issachar faithful to Barak;
    into the valley they rushed out at his heels.
Among the clans of Reuben
    there were great searchings of heart.^(K)
16 Why did you tarry among the sheepfolds,
    to hear the piping for the flocks?
Among the clans of Reuben
    there were great searchings of heart.^(L)
17 Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan,
    and Dan, why did he abide with the ships?
Asher sat still at the coast of the sea,
    settling down by his landings.^(M)
18 Zebulun is a people that scorned death;
    Naphtali, too, on the heights of the field.^(N)