The Song of Deborah and Barak

(Deuteronomy 32:1-47)

1And Deborah singeth — also Barak son of Abinoam — on that day, saying: —

2‘For freeing freemen in Israel, For a people willingly offering themselves Bless ye Jehovah.

3Hear, ye kings; give ear, ye princes, I, to Jehovah, I — I do sing, I sing praise to Jehovah, God of Israel.

4Jehovah, in Thy going forth out of Seir, In Thy stepping out of the field of Edom, Earth trembled, also the heavens dropped, Also thick clouds dropped water.

5Hills flowed from the face of Jehovah, This one — Sinai — From the face of Jehovah, God of Israel.

6In the days of Shamgar son of Anath — In the days of Jael — The ways have ceased, And those going in the paths go [in] crooked ways.

7Villages ceased in Israel — they ceased, Till that I arose — Deborah, That I arose, a mother in Israel.

8He chooseth new gods, Then war [is] at the gates! A shield is not seen — and a spear Among forty thousand in Israel.

9My heart [is] to the lawgivers of Israel, Who are offering themselves willingly among the people, Bless ye Jehovah!

10Riders on white asses — Sitters on a long robe — And walkers by the way — meditate!

11By the voice of shouters Between the places of drawing water, There they give out righteous acts of Jehovah, Righteous acts of His villages in Israel, Then ruled in the gates have the people of Jehovah.

12Awake, awake, Deborah; Awake, awake, utter a song; Rise, Barak, and take captive thy captivity, Son of Abinoam.

13Then him who is left of the honourable ones He caused to rule the people of Jehovah, He caused me to rule among the mighty.

14Out of Ephraim their root [is] against Amalek. After thee, Benjamin, among thy peoples. Out of Machir came down lawgivers, And out of Zebulun those drawing with the reed of a writer.

15And princes in Issachar [are] with Deborah, Yea, Issachar [is] right with Barak, Into the valley he was sent on his feet. In the divisions of Reuben, Great [are] the decrees of heart!

16Why hast thou abode between the boundaries, To hear lowings of herds? For the divisions of Reuben, Great [are] the searchings of heart!

17Gilead beyond the Jordan did tabernacle, And Dan — why doth he sojourn [in] ships? Asher hath abode at the haven of the seas, And by his creeks doth tabernacle.

18Zebulun [is] a people who exposed its soul to death, Naphtali also — on high places of the field.

19Kings came — they fought; Then fought kings of Canaan, In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; Gain of money they took not!

20From the heavens they fought: The stars from their highways fought with Sisera.

21The brook Kishon swept them away, The brook most ancient — the brook Kishon. Thou dost tread down strength, O my soul!

22Then broken were the horse-heels, By pransings — pransings of its mighty ones.

23Curse Meroz — said a messenger of Jehovah, Cursing, curse ye its inhabitants, For they came not to the help of Jehovah, To the help of Jehovah among the mighty!

24Blessed above women is Jael, Wife of Heber the Kenite, Above women in the tent she is blessed.

25Water he asked — milk she gave; In a lordly dish she brought near butter.

26Her hand to the pin she sendeth forth, And her right hand to the labourers’ hammer, And she hammered Sisera — she smote his head, Yea, she smote, and it passed through his temple.

27Between her feet he bowed — He fell, he lay down; Between her feet he bowed, he fell; Where he bowed, there he fell — destroyed.

28Through the window she hath looked out — Yea, she crieth out — the mother of Sisera, Through the lattice: Wherefore is his chariot delaying to come? Wherefore tarried have the steps of his chariot?

29The wise ones, her princesses, answer her, Yea, she returneth her sayings to herself:

30Do they not find? — they apportion spoil, A female — two females — for every head, Spoil of finger-work for Sisera, Spoil of embroidered finger-work, Finger-work — a pair of embroidered things, For the necks of the spoil!

31So do all Thine enemies perish, O Jehovah, And those loving Him [are] As the going out of the sun in its might!’ and the land resteth forty years.