| King James Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying, | 1On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang: |
| 2Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves. | 2When the leaders lead in Israel, when the people volunteer, praise the LORD. |
| 3Hear, 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. | 3Listen, kings! Pay attention, princes! I will sing to the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel. |
| 4LORD, 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 LORD, when You came from Seir, when You marched from the fields of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens poured rain, and the clouds poured water. |
| 5The mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel. | 5The mountains melted before the LORD, even Sinai before the LORD, 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. | 6In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the main ways were deserted because travelers kept to the side roads. |
| 7The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel. | 7Villages were deserted, they were deserted in Israel, until I, Deborah, 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? | 8Israel chose new gods, then war was in the gates. Not a shield or spear was seen among 40,000 in Israel. |
| 9My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD. | 9My heart is with the leaders of Israel, with the volunteers of the people. Praise the LORD! |
| 10Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way. | 10You who ride on white donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, and who travel on the road, give praise! |
| 11They 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. | 11Let them tell the righteous acts of the LORD, the righteous deeds of His warriors in Israel, with the voices of the singers at the watering places. Then the LORD's people went down to the gates." |
| 12Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam. | 12Awake! Awake, Deborah! Awake! Awake, sing a song! Arise, Barak, and take hold of your captives, son of Abinoam!" |
| 13Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty. | 13The survivors came down to the nobles; the LORD's people came down to me with the warriors. |
| 14Out 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. | 14Those with their roots in Amalek came from Ephraim; Benjamin came with your people after you. The leaders came down from Machir, and those who carry a marshal's staff came from Zebulun. |
| 15And 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. | 15The princes of Issachar were with Deborah; Issachar was with Barak. They set out at his heels in the valley. There was great searching of heart among the clans of Reuben. |
| 16Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. | 16Why did you sit among the sheepfolds listening to the playing of pipes for the flocks? There was great searching of heart among the clans of Reuben. |
| 17Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches. | 17Gilead remained beyond the Jordan. Dan, why did you linger at the ships? Asher remained at the seashore and stayed in his harbors. |
| 18Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field. | 18Zebulun was a people risking their lives, Naphtali also, on the heights of the battlefield. |
| 19The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money. | 19Kings came and fought. Then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they took no spoil of silver. |
| 20They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera. | 20The stars fought from the heavens; the stars fought with Sisera from their courses. |
| 21The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength. | 21The river Kishon swept them away, the ancient river, the river Kishon. March on, my soul, in strength! |
| 22Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones. | 22The horses' hooves then hammered-- the galloping, galloping of his stallions." |
| 23Curse 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. | 23Curse Meroz," says the Angel of the LORD," Bitterly curse her inhabitants, for they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty warriors." |
| 24Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent. | 24Jael is most blessed of women, the wife of Heber the Kenite; she is most blessed among tent-dwelling women. |
| 25He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish. | 25He asked for water; she gave him milk. She brought him curdled milk in a majestic bowl. |
| 26She 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. | 26She reached for a tent peg, her right hand, for a workman's mallet. Then she hammered Sisera-- she crushed his head; she shattered and pierced his temple. |
| 27At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead. | 27He collapsed, he fell, he lay down at her feet; he collapsed, he fell at her feet; where he collapsed, there he fell--dead. |
| 28The 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? | 28Sisera's mother looked through the window; she peered through the lattice, crying out:" Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why don't I hear the hoofbeats of his horses?" |
| 29Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself, | 29Her wisest princesses answer her; she even answers herself:" |
| 30Have 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? | 30Are they not finding and dividing the spoil-- a girl or two for each warrior, the spoil of colored garments for Sisera, the spoil of an embroidered garment or two for my neck?" |
| 31So let all thine enemies perish, O LORD: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years. | 31 LORD, may all your enemies perish as Sisera did. But may those who love Him be like the rising of the sun in its strength. And the land was peaceful 40 years. |
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