[[Judges 4|<< Judges 4]] | [[Judges|Judges]] | [[Judges 6|Judges 6 >>]] ### Judges 5 1 THEN sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying, ^1 2 Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves. ^2 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. ^3 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. ^4 5 The mountains melted from before the LORD, _even_ that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel. ^5 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. ^6 7 _The_ _inhabitants_ _of_ the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel. ^7 8 They chose new gods; then _was_ war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel? ^8 9 My heart _is_ toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD. ^9 10 Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way. ^10 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. ^11 12 Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam. ^12 13 Then he made him that remains have dominion over the nobles among the people: the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty. ^13 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. ^14 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. ^15 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. ^16 17 Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches. ^17 18 Zebulun and Naphtali _were_ a people _that_ jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field. ^18 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. ^19 20 They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera. ^20 21 The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength. ^21 22 Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones. ^22 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. ^23 24 Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent. ^24 25 He asked water, _and_ she gave _him_ milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish. ^25 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. ^26 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. ^27 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? ^28 29 Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself, ^29 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? ^30 31 So let all thine enemies perish, O LORD: but _let_ them that love him _be_ as the sun when he goes forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years. ^31