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Da sang Debora und Barak, der Sohn Abinoams, zu der Zeit und sprachen:

Lobet den HERRN, daß Israel wieder frei geworden ist und das Volk willig dazu gewesen ist.

Höret zu, ihr Könige, und merket auf, ihr Fürsten! Ich will, dem HERRN will ich singen; dem HERRN, dem Gott Israels, will ich spielen.

HERR, da du von Seir auszogst und einhergingst vom Felde Edoms, da erzitterte die Erde, der Himmel troff, und die Wolken troffen von Wasser.

Die Berge ergossen sich vor dem HERRN, der Sinai vor dem HERRN, dem Gott Israels.

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.

Es gebrach, an Regiment gebrach's in Israel, bis daß ich, Debora, aufkam, bis ich aufkam, eine Mutter in Israel.

Ein Neues hat Gott erwählt, er hat die Tore bestritten. Es war kein Schild noch Speer unter vierzigtausend in Israel zu sehen.

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.

Known as the Song of Deborah, this victory song is one of the oldest passages in the Bible; it is beautiful and powerful, as well as filled with information. In addition to praising and chastising certain tribes for their role—or lack thereof—in battle, it also celebrates a victory God has given His people through the agency of two women: the judge Deborah and Jael, who, as Deborah prophesied (verse 9), brings final victory over the enemy general Sisera.

These cultures value masculine strength, aggression, and war-prowess; they don’t value female ingenuity and courage. So for the first hearers of this story, the last people they expect to bring military victory are women. But once again, God takes ordinary people with their gifts, strengths, and weaknesses—and brings military victory through the unexpectedly strong hands of women.

Then, that same day, Deborah and Barak, the son of Abinoam, sang a song in victory:

The leaders of Israel stood up,
    and the people offered themselves willingly—
    praise the Eternal One!
Listen, all you kings, and pay attention, you rulers:
    I, I will sing to the Eternal,
    I will sing praise to Him, the True God of Israel!
Eternal One, when You went out from Seir
    and marched from the field of Edom,
The earth shook,
    and the heavens poured;
    yes, the clouds poured water.
The mountains flowed like water before the Eternal, the God of Sinai;
    they melted into a flood before the Eternal One, the True God of Israel.

In the days of Shamgar, the son of Anath,
    and in the days of Jael, the main roads were empty of caravans,
    and the travelers kept to back roads.
But those from rural areas stayed away,
    the destitute in Israel kept far off,[a]
Until I, Deborah, arose
    to be a mother to Israel.
They had chosen new gods,
    so war came to their gates.
Was there a spear or shield to be found then
    among the 40,000 of Israel?
My heart is warmed by those in Israel called to command them,
    who offered themselves willingly to the people.
    Praise the Eternal One!

10 Sing this song, those of you who now ride white donkeys
    and sit on rich carpets,
    you who travel along the road.
11 All of you who now hear the sound of shepherds at the watering places,
    proclaim the just victories of the Eternal,
    the just triumphs of His destitute people in Israel,
As the people of the Eternal go down to the gates!

12 Wake up, wake up, Deborah!
    Wake up, wake up, and sing!
Get up, Barak! Get up and carry off your captives,
    O son of Abinoam!
13 Then down went a surviving people to those who were noble,
    and the Eternal One marched to me with the mighty!
14 People with roots in Ephraim went down against the Amalekites after you, O Benjamin,
    with your people.
From Machir marched those commanders,
    and from Zebulun went those carrying the staff of a scribe.
15 The chiefs of Issachar came with Deborah;
    Issachar was faithful to Barak,
And they rushed into the valley, close at his heels.
    And the clans of Reuben wondered in their heart,
16 “Why did you remain idle and aloof in the sheepfolds?
    To hear whistling for the flocks?”
And the clans of Reuben wondered in their heart,
17 “Why did those of Gilead remain beyond the Jordan?
    Why did the people of Dan stay with their ships?
“Why did the people of Asher stay on the coast,
    settling down where they landed?”
18 But Zebulun did not fear death,
    and Naphtali, too, stared down death on the heights where the battle raged.

19 The kings came, they fought;
    the kings of Canaan made war.
They fought at Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo,
    but they won no spoils of silver.
20 The stars themselves fought against them;
    from the heavens, the stars fought against Sisera.
21 The raging waters of Kishon swept them away,
    the rushing waters, the raging waters of Kishon.
    March forward, my soul, march on with strength!

22 The hooves of the horses beat loudly;
    the galloping of the horses echoed.

23 “A curse on Meroz!” said the messenger of the Eternal One;
    “May its people be bitterly cursed,
Because they did not come to help the Eternal,
    to stand with the Eternal against the mighty foes!”
24 But Jael,
    the wife of Heber, the Kenite—most blessed of women is she,
    favored above all women who dwell in tents!
25 Sisera asked for water, and she gave him milk;
    she gave him curds in a dish fit for lords.
26 And then she took a tent peg in her left hand
    and a worker’s hammer in her right,
And she struck Sisera.
    She broke and battered his head;
    she pierced his temple.
27 At her feet he bowed, he fell,
    he dropped silent.
At her feet he fell, he dropped,
    and where he dropped, there he lay dead.
28 The mother of Sisera waited for him,
    watching through the lattice of the window.
“Why is his chariot so long in returning?” she wondered.
    “Where are the hoofbeats of his horses?”
29 Her wisest ladies in waiting have answers—
    in fact, she herself thinks she knows the reason.
30 “Aren’t they still dividing the spoils of a successful battle?
    A girl or two given to every man;
Spoils of beautiful dyed cloth for Sisera,
    spoils of dyed cloth, beautifully embroidered.
Indeed two pieces of beautiful embroidered cloth for my neck.”

31 So may all Your enemies perish, O Eternal One!
    But may those who love You be like the sun,
    rising and going forth with power!

After this victory, the people knew peace from war for 40 years.

Footnotes

  1. 5:7 Meaning is unclear; this is a difficult text.

The Song of Deborah

On that day Deborah(A) and Barak son of Abinoam(B) sang this song:(C)

“When the princes in Israel take the lead,
    when the people willingly offer(D) themselves—
    praise the Lord!(E)

“Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers!
    I, even I, will sing to[a] the Lord;(F)
    I will praise the Lord, the God of Israel, in song.(G)

“When you, Lord, went out(H) from Seir,(I)
    when you marched from the land of Edom,
the earth shook,(J) the heavens poured,
    the clouds poured down water.(K)
The mountains quaked(L) before the Lord, the One of Sinai,
    before the Lord, the God of Israel.

“In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,(M)
    in the days of Jael,(N) the highways(O) were abandoned;
    travelers took to winding paths.(P)
Villagers in Israel would not fight;
    they held back until I, Deborah,(Q) arose,
    until I arose, a mother in Israel.
God chose new leaders(R)
    when war came to the city gates,(S)
but not a shield or spear(T) was seen
    among forty thousand in Israel.
My heart is with Israel’s princes,
    with the willing volunteers(U) among the people.
    Praise the Lord!

10 “You who ride on white donkeys,(V)
    sitting on your saddle blankets,
    and you who walk along the road,
consider 11 the voice of the singers[b] at the watering places.
    They recite the victories(W) of the Lord,
    the victories of his villagers in Israel.

“Then the people of the Lord
    went down to the city gates.(X)
12 ‘Wake up,(Y) wake up, Deborah!(Z)
    Wake up, wake up, break out in song!
Arise, Barak!(AA)
    Take captive your captives,(AB) son of Abinoam.’

13 “The remnant of the nobles came down;
    the people of the Lord came down to me against the mighty.
14 Some came from Ephraim,(AC) whose roots were in Amalek;(AD)
    Benjamin(AE) was with the people who followed you.
From Makir(AF) captains came down,
    from Zebulun those who bear a commander’s[c] staff.
15 The princes of Issachar(AG) were with Deborah;(AH)
    yes, Issachar was with Barak,(AI)
    sent under his command into the valley.
In the districts of Reuben
    there was much searching of heart.
16 Why did you stay among the sheep pens[d](AJ)
    to hear the whistling for the flocks?(AK)
In the districts of Reuben
    there was much searching of heart.
17 Gilead(AL) stayed beyond the Jordan.
    And Dan, why did he linger by the ships?
Asher(AM) remained on the coast(AN)
    and stayed in his coves.
18 The people of Zebulun(AO) risked their very lives;
    so did Naphtali(AP) on the terraced fields.(AQ)

19 “Kings came(AR), they fought,
    the kings of Canaan fought.
At Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo,(AS)
    they took no plunder of silver.(AT)
20 From the heavens(AU) the stars fought,
    from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 The river Kishon(AV) swept them away,
    the age-old river, the river Kishon.
    March on, my soul; be strong!(AW)
22 Then thundered the horses’ hooves—
    galloping, galloping go his mighty steeds.(AX)
23 ‘Curse Meroz,’ said the angel of the Lord.
    ‘Curse its people bitterly,
because they did not come to help the Lord,
    to help the Lord against the mighty.’

24 “Most blessed of women(AY) be Jael,(AZ)
    the wife of Heber the Kenite,(BA)
    most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
25 He asked for water, and she gave him milk;(BB)
    in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him curdled milk.
26 Her hand reached for the tent peg,
    her right hand for the workman’s hammer.
She struck Sisera, she crushed his head,
    she shattered and pierced his temple.(BC)
27 At her feet he sank,
    he fell; there he lay.
At her feet he sank, he fell;
    where he sank, there he fell—dead(BD).

28 “Through the window(BE) peered Sisera’s mother;
    behind the lattice she cried out,(BF)
‘Why is his chariot so long in coming?
    Why is the clatter of his chariots delayed?’
29 The wisest of her ladies answer her;
    indeed, she keeps saying to herself,
30 ‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoils:(BG)
    a woman or two for each man,
colorful garments as plunder for Sisera,
    colorful garments embroidered,
highly embroidered garments(BH) for my neck—
    all this as plunder?(BI)

31 “So may all your enemies perish,(BJ) Lord!
    But may all who love you be like the sun(BK)
    when it rises in its strength.”(BL)

Then the land had peace(BM) forty years.

Footnotes

  1. Judges 5:3 Or of
  2. Judges 5:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  3. Judges 5:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  4. Judges 5:16 Or the campfires; or the saddlebags