1Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day , saying, 2For that the leaders took the lead in Israel , For that the people offered themselves willingly , Bless ye Jehovah . 3Hear , O ye kings ; give ear , O ye princes ; I , even I , will sing unto Jehovah ; I will sing praise to Jehovah , the God of Israel . 4Jehovah , when thou wentest forth out of Seir , When thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, The earth trembled , the heavens also dropped , Yea , the clouds dropped water . 5The mountains quaked at the presence of Jehovah , Even yon Sinai at the presence of Jehovah , the God of Israel . 6In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath , In the days of Jael , the highways were unoccupied , And the travellers walked through byways . 7The rulers ceased in Israel , they ceased , Until that I Deborah arose , That I arose a mother in Israel . 8They chose new gods; Then was war in the gates : Was there a shield or spear seen Among forty thousand in Israel ? 9My heart is toward the governors of Israel , That offered themselves willingly among the people : Bless ye Jehovah . 10Tell of it , ye that ride on white asses, Ye that sit on rich carpets , And ye that walk by the way . 11Far from the noise of archers , in the places of drawing water , There shall they rehearse the righteous acts of Jehovah , Even the righteous acts of his rule in Israel . Then the people of Jehovah went down to the gates .
The Battle and Its Consequences
12Awake , awake , Deborah ; Awake , awake , utter a song : Arise , Barak , and lead away thy captives , thou son of Abinoam. 13Then came down a remnant of the nobles and the people ; Jehovah came down for me against the mighty . 14Out of Ephraim came down they whose root is in Amalek ; After thee, Benjamin , among thy peoples ; Out of Machir came down governors , And out of Zebulun they that handle the marshal’s staff . 15And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah ; As was Issachar , so was Barak ; Into the valley they rushed forth at his feet . By the watercourses of Reuben There were great resolves of heart . 16Why sattest thou among the sheepfolds , To hear the pipings for the flocks ? At the watercourses of Reuben There were great searchings of heart . 17Gilead abode beyond the Jordan : And Dan , why did he remain in ships? Asher sat still at the haven of the sea , And abode by his creeks. 18Zebulun was a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death , And Naphtali , upon the high places of the field . 19The kings came and fought ; Then fought the kings of Canaan , In Taanach by the waters of Megiddo : They took no gain of money . 20From heaven fought the stars , From their courses they fought against Sisera . 21The river Kishon swept them away , That ancient river , the river Kishon . O my soul , march on with strength . 22Then did the horsehoofs stamp By reason of the prancings, the prancings of their strong ones. 23Curse ye Meroz , said the angel of Jehovah . Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof , Because they came not to the help of Jehovah , To the help of Jehovah against the mighty .
The Triumph of Jael
24Blessed above women shall Jael be , The wife of Heber the Kenite ; Blessed shall she be above women in the tent. 25He asked water , and she gave him milk ; She brought him butter in a lordly dish . 26She put her hand to the tent-pin, And her right hand to the workmen’s hammer ; And with the hammer she smote Sisera , she smote through his head ; Yea, she pierced and struck through his temples . 27At her feet he bowed , he fell , he lay ; At her feet he bowed , he fell : Where he bowed , there he fell down dead . 28Through the window she looked forth , and cried , The mother of Sisera cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the wheels of his chariots ? 29Her wise ladies answered her , Yea, she returned answer to herself , 30Have they not found , have they not divided the spoil ? A damsel , two damsels to every man ; To Sisera a spoil of dyed garments, A spoil of dyed garments embroidered , Of dyed garments embroidered on both sides , on the necks of the spoil ? 31So let all thine enemies perish, O Jehovah : But let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might . And the land had rest forty years .