Judges
Summary
Judges Chapter 5 is a triumphal poetic song composed by Deborah and Barak after their victory over Sisera. The "Song of Deborah" celebrates those tribes, Zebulun, Naphtali, Issachar, and Benjamin, who joined the fight, while rebuking those who stayed home, like Reuben and Dan. It vividly describes the battle, mentioning how even "the stars in their courses fought against Sisera" as the Kishon River swept the enemy away. The poem concludes with a powerful blessing for the courageous Jael and a prayer that all the LORD's enemies may perish, while His friends shine like the rising sun.
On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
"When the princes in Israel take the lead, when the people willingly offer themselves, praise the LORD!
"Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I, even I, will sing to the LORD; I will praise the LORD, the God of Israel, in song.
"When you, the LORD, went out from Seir, when you marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, the heavens poured, the clouds poured down water.
"The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel.
"In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were abandoned; travellers took to winding paths.
"Villagers in Israel would not fight; they held back until I, Deborah, arose, until I arose, a mother in Israel.
"God chose new leaders when war came to the city gates, but not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel.
"My heart is with Israel’s princes, with the willing volunteers among the people. Praise the LORD!
"You who ride on white donkeys, sitting on your saddle blankets, and you who walk along the road, consider this:
"Listen! Lower than the voice of the singers at the watering places, they recite the victories of the LORD, the victories of his villagers in Israel. "Then the people of the LORD went down to the city gates.
"'Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up, wake up, break out in song! Arise, Barak! Take captive your captives, son of Abinoam.'
"The remnant of the nobles came down; the people of the LORD came down to me against the mighty.
"Some came from Ephraim, whose roots were in Amalek; Benjamin was with the people who followed you. From Makir captains came down, from Zebulun those who bear a commander’s staff.
"The princes of Issachar were with Deborah; yes, Issachar was with Barak, sent under his command into the valley. In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart.
"Why did you stay among the sheepfolds to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart.
"Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan. And Dan, why did he linger by the ships? Asher remained on the coast and stayed in his coves.
"The people of Zebulun risked their very lives; so did Naphtali on the terraced fields.
"Kings came, they fought, the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; they took no plunder of silver.
"From the heavens the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera.
"The river Kishon swept them away, the age-old river, the river Kishon. March on, my soul; be strong!
"Then thundered the horses’ hooves, galloping, galloping go his mighty steeds.
"'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.'
"Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
"He asked for water, and she gave him milk; in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him curdled milk.
"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.
"At her feet he sank, he fell; there he lay. At her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell, dead.
"Through the window peered Sisera’s mother; behind the lattice she cried out, 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why is the clatter of his chariots delayed?'
"The wisest of her ladies answer her; indeed, she keeps saying to herself,
"'Are they not finding and dividing the plunder: a woman or two for each man, colourful garments as plunder for Sisera, colourful garments embroidered, highly wrought garments for my neck, all this as plunder?'
"So may all your enemies perish, the LORD! But may all who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength." Then the land had peace for forty years.