King James Bible

International Standard Version

1Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,

1Later that day, Deborah and Abinoam's son Barak celebrated by singing this song:

2Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.

2"When hair grows long in Israel, when the people give themselves willingly, bless 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, you kings! Turn your ears to me, you rulers! As for me, to the LORD I will sing! 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.

4LORD, when you left Seir, when you marched out from the grain field of Edom, the earth quaked and the heavens poured out rain; indeed, the clouds poured out water.

5The mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel.

5Mountains tremble at the presence of the LORD — even Sinai!—at the presence of the LORD 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.

6During the lifetime of Anath's son Shamgar and during the lifetime of Jael highways remained deserted, while travelers kept to back roads.

7The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.

7Rural populations plummeted in Israel; until I, Deborah, arose; until I—an Israeli mother—arose.

8They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?

8New gods were chosen, then war came to the city gates, but there wasn't a shield or spear to be seen among 40,000 soldiers of Israel.

9My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD.

9My heart is for the commanders of Israel, to those who work willingly among the people. Bless the LORD!

10Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way.

10"Speak up, you who ride white donkeys, sitting on cloth saddles while you travel on your way!

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.

11From the sound of those who divide their work loads at the watering troughs, there they will retell the righteous deeds of the LORD, the righteous victories for his rural people in Israel." Then the people of the LORD went down to the gates.

12Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.

12"Wake up! Wake up, Deborah! Wake up! Wake up, Deborah! Get up, Barak, and dispose of your captives, you 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.

13Then the survivors approached the nobles; the people of the LORD approached me in battle array.

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.

14Some came from Ephraim who had been harassed by Amalek, followed by Benjamin with your people. Some commanders came from Machir, along with some from Zebulun who carry a badge of office.

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 officials of Issachar were with Deborah, as was the tribe of Issachar and Barak. They rushed out into the valley at his heels along with divisions from Reuben's army. Great was their resolve of heart!

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 down among the sheepfolds? To hear the bleating of the flocks? Among the divisions of the army of Reuben there was great searching of heart.

17Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches.

17The tribe of Gilead remained on the other side of the Jordan River. As for the tribe of Dan, why did they stay on board their ships? The tribe of Asher sat by the seashore and remained near its harbors.

18Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.

18The tribe of Zebulun did not worry about their lives at the price of death; neither did the tribe of Naphtali also on high places of the field.

19The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.

19"Kings came to fight, then battled the kings of Canaan at Taanach near the waters of Megiddo. They took no silver as the spoils of war.

20They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.

20The stars fought from heaven; they fought against Sisera from their orbits.

21The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.

21The current of the Kishon River swept them downstream, that ancient current, the Kishon's current! March on strongly, my soul!

22Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.

22Then loud was the beat of the horses' hooves— from the galloping, galloping war steeds!

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.

23"'Meroz is cursed!' declared the angel of the LORD. 'Utterly and totally cursed are its inhabitants, because they never came to the aid of the LORD, to the aid of the LORD against the valiant warriors!'"

24Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.

24"Blessed above all women is Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite; most blessed is she among women who live in tents!

25He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.

25Sisera asked for water— she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him yogurt!

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 out one hand for the tent peg, and her other for the workman's mallet. Then she struck Sisera, smashing his head, shattering and piercing 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 crumpled to the ground between her feet, where he fell down and collapsed. Between her feet he crumpled, Fallen 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?

28"Back at home, out the window Sisera's mother peered, lamenting through the lattice. 'Why is his chariot delayed in returning? 'Why do the hoof beats of his chariots wait?'

29Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself,

29Her wise attendants find an answer for her; in fact, she tells the same words to 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?

30They're busy finding and dividing the war booty, aren't they? A girl or two for each valiant warrior, and some dyed materials for Sisera— perhaps dyed, embroidered war booty— or some detailed embroidery for my neck as the booty of war!

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"May all of your enemies perish like this, LORD! But may those who love him be like the ascending sun in its strength!" Then the land enjoyed quiet for 40 years.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.