 1 Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day saying, 2 Praise the Lord for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves. 3 Hear, O kings. Give ear, O princes. I, even I, will sing to the Lord, I will sing to the Lord God of Israel. 4 Lord, when you left Seir, when you marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water. 5 The mountains quaked 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 empty, and the travelers walked through crooked ways. 7 The leaders ceased in Israel. They ceased until I, Deborah, arose. Until I arose, a mother in Israel. 8 They chose new gods. Then war was in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen among 40,000 in Israel? 9 My heart is toward the lawgivers of Israel who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless the Lord. 10 Speak, you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit in judgment and walk by the way. 11 Louder than the voice of the dividers between the watering places, there they will tell again the righteous acts of the Lord, the righteous acts of His leaders in Israel. Then the people of the Lord will go down to the gates. 12 Awake, awake, Deborah. Awake, awake, sing a song. Arise, Barak, lead your captivity captive, son of Abinoam. 13 Then He made me tread on the remnant of the nobles among the people. The Lord made me have dominion over the mighty. 14 Out of Ephraim there was a root of them against Amalek. After you, Benjamin, with your people. Out of Machir came down commanders, and out of Zebulun came they who handle the pen of the writer. 15 The rulers of Issachar were with Deborah, even Issachar, and also Barak. He was sent on foot into the valley. There were great thoughts of heart for the divisions of Reuben. 16 Why did you stay among the sheepfolds to hear the bleating of the flocks? For in the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. 17 Gilead stayed beyond Jordan. And why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the seashore and remained in his havens. 18 Zebulun and Naphtali were a people who put their lives in danger of death in the high places of the field. 19 Kings came and fought. Then the kings of Canaan fought in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo. They took no gain of silver. 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, you trampled in strength. 22 Then did the hooves of horses beat, from the galloping, the galloping of their mighty ones. 23 Curse Meroz, said the angel of the Lord. Curse the people of it bitterly, because they did not come to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty. 24 Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite will be blessed among women. She will be blessed more than women in the tent. 25 He asked for water, and she gave him milk. She brought forth butter in a lordly dish. 26 She put her hand to the peg, and her right hand to the workman's hammer. She hammered Sisera. She smashed his head, she pierced and struck through his temple. 27 He bowed between her feet, he fell, he lay down. Between her feet he bowed. He fell. Where he bowed, there he fell down dead. 28 The mother of Sisera looked out a window, and called out through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why do the wheels of his chariot wait? 29 Her wise ladies answered her, yes, she returned answer to herself, 30 Do they not find and divide the spoil? A womb, two wombs to a man's head, to Sisera a prize of dyed garments, a prize of embroidered dyed garments for the necks of those who take the spoil. 31 So let all your enemies perish, O Lord. But let them that love Him be like the sun when He goes forth in His might. The land had rest 40 years.
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