Judges 5
Modern English Version
The Song of Deborah
5 On that day, Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang:
2 “When the leaders in Israel lead,
when the people freely volunteer,
bless the Lord!
3 “Hear, O kings! Listen, O rulers!
I will sing to the Lord;
I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.
4 “Lord, when You went out from Seir,
when You marched from the land of Edom,
the ground shook and the skies poured,
indeed, the dense clouds poured water.
5 The mountains quaked before the Lord,
this very Sinai, before the Lord God of Israel.
6 “In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,
in the days of Jael, main roads were abandoned
and travelers used roundabout paths.
7 Village life ceased. It ceased
until I, Deborah, arose;
I arose like a mother in Israel.
8 They were choosing new gods,
and warfare was at the city gates,
but not a shield or spear was to be seen
among forty thousand in Israel.
9 My heart is with the rulers of Israel
who offered themselves willingly among the people.
Bless the Lord!
10 “You who ride on white donkeys,
you who sit in judges’ attire,
you who walk on the road,
11 consider the voice of those who distribute water among the watering places.
There they tell of the righteous deeds of the Lord,
the righteous deeds of villagers in Israel.
“Then the people of the Lord
go down to the gates.
12 Awake, awake, Deborah!
Awake, awake, sing a song!
Stand up, Barak,
and capture your prisoners, son of Abinoam!
13 “The survivors
came down to the nobles;
the people of the Lord
came down for me against the mighty.
14 Some came from Ephraim, whose roots were in Amalek,
following you, Benjamin, with your people.
From Makir rulers came down,
and from Zebulun those who carry the staff of a scribe.
15 The princes of Issachar were with Deborah,
and Issachar was with Barak;
they were sent into the valley on foot.
Among the clans of Reuben
there was great resolve of heart.
16 Why do you sit among the sheepfolds
to hear playing of pipes for the flocks?
In the clans of Reuben
there was much searching of heart.
17 Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan.
As for Dan, why did he stay with the ships?
Asher stayed by the seacoast
and settled by its bays.
18 Zebulun is a people who risked their lives to the point of death,
Naphtali also, on the heights of the battlefield.
19 “Kings came to wage war.
The kings of Canaan waged war
in Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo;
they took no money as profit.
20 From the heavens the stars fought,
from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 The torrent of Kishon swept them away,
that ancient torrent, the torrent of Kishon.
My soul, march on in strength!
22 Then horses’ hooves pounded,
the galloping, galloping of his steeds.
23 Curse Meroz, said the angel of the Lord,
curse its inhabitants,
for they did not come to the aid of the Lord,
to the aid of the Lord against the mighty warriors.
24 “Most blessed of women is Jael,
the wife of Heber the Kenite,
most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
25 He asked for water, she gave him milk.
In a magnificent bowl she brought cream.
26 Her hand on a tent peg,
her right hand on a workman’s hammer;
she struck Sisera, she crushed his skull,
she shattered and pierced his temple.
27 Between her feet he sank, he fell, he lay;
between her feet he sank, he fell;
where he sank, there he fell, overpowered.
28 “The mother of Sisera looked through the window,
and cried out through the lattice,
‘Why is his chariot so late?
Why is the sound of his war chariots so delayed?’
29 Her wise attendants answered her,
indeed, she replied to herself,
30 ‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoils:
a girl or two for each man;
dyed garments as plunder for Sisera,
dyed and embroidered garments,
two pieces of dyed embroidery for the neck of the looter?’
31 “May all Your enemies perish like this, O Lord!
But may those who love Him rise like the sun
when it rises in full strength.”
Then the land was at peace for forty years.
Judges 5
21st Century King James Version
5 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 marched 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 travelers walked through byways.
7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose, 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. In the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart.
16 Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? In the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
17 Gilead abode beyond the Jordan; and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the seashore and abode in his sheltered coves.
18 Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeopardized 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 prancings, the prancings 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’s 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 colors, a prey of divers colors of needlework, of divers colors 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.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.