Judges 5
Living Bible
5 Then Deborah and Barak sang this song about the wonderful victory:
2 “Praise the Lord!
Israel’s leaders bravely led;
The people gladly followed!
Yes, bless the Lord!
3 Listen, O you kings and princes,
For I shall sing about the Lord,
The God of Israel.
4 When you led us out from Seir,
Out across the fields of Edom,
The earth trembled
And the sky poured down its rain.
5 Yes, even Mount Sinai quaked
At the presence of the God of Israel!
6 In the days of Shamgar and of Jael,
The main roads were deserted.
Travelers used the narrow, crooked side paths.
7 Israel’s population dwindled,
Until Deborah became a mother to Israel.
8 When Israel chose new gods,
Everything collapsed.
Our masters would not let us have
A shield or spear.
Among forty thousand men of Israel,
Not a weapon could be found!
9 How I rejoice
In the leaders of Israel
Who offered themselves so willingly!
Praise the Lord!
10 Let all Israel, rich and poor,
Join in his praises—
Those who ride on white donkeys
And sit on rich carpets,
And those who are poor and must walk.
11 The village musicians
Gather at the village well
To sing of the triumphs of the Lord.
Again and again they sing the ballad
Of how the Lord saved Israel
With an army of peasants!
The people of the Lord
Marched through the gates!
12 Awake, O Deborah, and sing!
Arise, O Barak!
O son of Abinoam, lead away your captives!
13-14 Down from Mount Tabor marched the noble remnant.
The people of the Lord
Marched down against great odds.
They came from Ephraim and Benjamin,
From Machir and from Zebulun.
15 Down into the valley
Went the princes of Issachar
With Deborah and Barak.
At God’s command they rushed into the valley.
(But the tribe of Reuben didn’t go.
16 Why did you sit at home among the sheepfolds,
Playing your shepherd pipes?
Yes, the tribe of Reuben has an uneasy conscience.
17 Why did Gilead remain across the Jordan,
And why did Dan remain with his ships?
And why did Asher sit unmoved
Upon the seashore,
At ease beside his harbors?)
18 But the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali
Dared to die upon the fields of battle.
19 The kings of Canaan fought in Taanach
By Megiddo’s springs,
But did not win the victory.
20 The very stars of heaven
Fought Sisera.
21 The rushing Kishon River
Swept them away.
March on, my soul, with strength!
22 Hear the stamping
Of the horsehoofs of the enemy!
See the prancing of his steeds!
23 But the Angel of Jehovah
Put a curse on Meroz.
‘Curse them bitterly,’ he said,
‘Because they did not come to help the Lord
Against his enemies.’
24 Blessed be Jael,
The wife of Heber the Kenite—
Yes, may she be blessed
Above all women who live in tents.
25 He asked for water
And she gave him milk in a beautiful cup!
26 Then she took a tent pin and a workman’s hammer
And pierced Sisera’s temples,
Crushing his head.
She pounded the tent pin through his head.
27 He sank, he fell, he lay dead at her feet.
28 The mother of Sisera watched through the window
For his return.
‘Why is his chariot so long in coming?
Why don’t we hear the sound of the wheels?’
29 But her ladies-in-waiting—and she herself—replied,
30 ‘There is much loot to be divided,
And it takes time.
Each man receives a girl or two;
And Sisera will get gorgeous robes,
And he will bring home
Many gifts for me.’
31 O Lord, may all your enemies
Perish as Sisera did,
But may those who love the Lord
Shine as the sun!”
After that there was peace in the land for forty years.
Judges 5
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 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'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 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.
Richter 5
Luther Bibel 1545
5 Da sang Debora und Barak, der Sohn Abinoams, zu der Zeit und sprachen:
2 Lobet den HERRN, daß Israel wieder frei geworden ist und das Volk willig dazu gewesen ist.
3 Höret zu, ihr Könige, und merket auf, ihr Fürsten! Ich will, dem HERRN will ich singen; dem HERRN, dem Gott Israels, will ich spielen.
4 HERR, da du von Seir auszogst und einhergingst vom Felde Edoms, da erzitterte die Erde, der Himmel troff, und die Wolken troffen von Wasser.
5 Die Berge ergossen sich vor dem HERRN, der Sinai vor dem HERRN, dem Gott Israels.
6 Zu den Zeiten Samgars, des Sohnes Anaths, zu den Zeiten Jaels waren verlassen die Wege; und die da auf Straßen gehen sollten, die wandelten durch krumme Wege.
7 Es gebrach, an Regiment gebrach's in Israel, bis daß ich, Debora, aufkam, bis ich aufkam, eine Mutter in Israel.
8 Ein Neues hat Gott erwählt, er hat die Tore bestritten. Es war kein Schild noch Speer unter vierzigtausend in Israel zu sehen.
9 Mein Herz ist mit den Gebietern Israels, mit denen, die willig waren unter dem Volk. Lobet den HERRN!
10 Die ihr auf schönen Eselinnen reitet, die ihr auf Teppichen sitzet, und die ihr auf dem Wege gehet: singet!
11 Da die Schützen schreien zwischen den Schöpf-Rinnen, da sage man von der Gerechtigkeit des HERRN, von der Gerechtigkeit seines Regiments in Israel. Da zog des HERRN Volk herab zu den Toren.
12 Wohlauf, wohlauf, Debora! Wohlauf, wohlauf, und singe ein Lied! Mache dich auf, Barak, und fange deine Fänger, du Sohn Abinoams!
13 Da zog herab, was übrig war von Herrlichen im Volk; der HERR zog mit mir herab unter den Helden.
14 Aus Ephraim die, so ihre Wurzel haben in Amalek, und nach dir Benjamin in deinem Volk; von Machir zogen Gebieter herab und von Sebulon, die den Führerstab hielten.
15 Und Fürsten zu Isaschar waren mit Debora. Und Isaschar war wie Barak, in den Grund gesandt ihm nach. Ruben hielt hoch von sich und sonderte sich von uns.
16 Warum bleibst du zwischen den Hürden, zu hören das Blöken der Herden, und hältst groß von dir und sonderst dich von uns?
17 Gilead blieb jenseit des Jordans. Und warum wohnt Dan unter den Schiffen? Asser saß an der Anfurt des Meers und blieb an seinen zerrissenen Ufern.
18 Sebulons Volk aber wagte seinen Seele in den Tod, Naphthali auch auf der Höhe des Gefildes.
19 Die Könige kamen und stritten; da stritten die Könige der Kanaaniter zu Thaanach am Wasser Megiddos; aber sie brachten keinen Gewinn davon.
20 Vom Himmel ward wider sie gestritten; die Sterne in ihren Bahnen stritten wider Sisera.
21 Der Bach Kison wälzte sie, der Bach Kedumin, der Bach Kison. Tritt, meine Seele, auf die Starken!
22 Da rasselten der Pferde Füße von dem Jagen ihrer mächtigen Reiter.
23 Fluchet der Stadt Meros, sprach der Engel des HERRN; fluchet ihren Bürgern, daß sie nicht kamen dem HERRN zu Hilfe, zu Hilfe dem HERRN unter den Helden!
24 Gesegnet sei unter den Weibern Jael, das Weib Hebers, des Keniters; gesegnet sei sie in der Hütte unter den Weibern!
25 Milch gab sie, da er Wasser forderte, und Butter brachte sie dar in einer herrlichen Schale.
26 Sie griff mit ihrer Hand den Nagel und mit ihrer Rechten den Schmiedhammer und schlug Sisera durch sein Haupt und zerquetschte und durchbohrte seine Schläfe.
27 Zu ihren Füßen krümmte er sich, fiel nieder und legte sich; er krümmte sich, fiel nieder zu ihren Füßen; wie er sich krümmte, so lag er verderbt.
28 Die Mutter Siseras sah zum Fenster hinaus und heulte durchs Gitter: Warum verzieht sein Wagen, daß er nicht kommt? Wie bleiben die Räder seiner Wagen so dahinten?
29 Die weisesten unter ihren Frauen antworteten, da sie ihre Klageworte immer wiederholte:
30 Sollen sie denn nicht finden und austeilen den Raub, einem jeglichen Mann eine Dirne oder zwei zur Ausbeute und Sisera bunte gestickte Kleider zur Ausbeute, gestickte bunte Kleider um dem Hals zur Ausbeute?
31 Also müssen umkommen, HERR, alle deine Feinde! Die ihn aber liebhaben, müssen sein, wie die Sonne aufgeht in ihrer Macht! -Und das Land war still vierzig Jahre.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1545 by Public Domain