| New International Version | NET Bible |
| 1On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song: | 1On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this victory song: |
| 2"When the princes in Israel take the lead, when the people willingly offer themselves-- praise the LORD! | 2"When the leaders took the lead in Israel, When the people answered the call to war--Praise the LORD! |
| 3"Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I, even I, will sing to the LORD; I will praise the LORD, the God of Israel, in song. | 3Hear, O kings! Pay attention, O rulers! I will sing to the LORD! I will sing to the LORD God of Israel! |
| 4"When you, LORD, went out from Seir, when you marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, the heavens poured, the clouds poured down water. | 4O LORD, when you departed from Seir, when you marched from Edom's plains, the earth shook, the heavens poured down, the clouds poured down rain. |
| 5The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel. | 5The mountains trembled before the LORD, the God of Sinai; before the LORD God of Israel. |
| 6"In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were abandoned; travelers took to winding paths. | 6In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael caravans disappeared; travelers had to go on winding side roads. |
| 7Villagers in Israel would not fight; they held back until I, Deborah, arose, until I arose, a mother in Israel. | 7Warriors were scarce, they were scarce in Israel, until you arose, Deborah, until you arose as a motherly protector in Israel. |
| 8God chose new leaders when war came to the city gates, but not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel. | 8God chose new leaders, then fighters appeared in the city gates; but, I swear, not a shield or spear could be found, among forty military units in Israel. |
| 9My heart is with Israel's princes, with the willing volunteers among the people. Praise the LORD! | 9My heart went out to Israel's leaders, to the people who answered the call to war. Praise the LORD! |
| 10"You who ride on white donkeys, sitting on your saddle blankets, and you who walk along the road, consider | 10You who ride on light-colored female donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, you who walk on the road, pay attention! |
| 11the voice of the singers at the watering places. They recite the victories of the LORD, the victories of his villagers in Israel. "Then the people of the LORD went down to the city gates. | 11Hear the sound of those who divide the sheep among the watering places; there they tell of the Lord's victorious deeds, the victorious deeds of his warriors in Israel. Then the LORD's people went down to the city gates-- |
| 12Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up, wake up, break out in song! Arise, Barak! Take captive your captives, son of Abinoam.' | 12Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up, wake up, sing a song! Get up, Barak! Capture your prisoners of war, son of Abinoam! |
| 13"The remnant of the nobles came down; the people of the LORD came down to me against the mighty. | 13Then the survivors came down to the mighty ones; the LORD's people came down to me as warriors. |
| 14Some came from Ephraim, whose roots were in Amalek; Benjamin was with the people who followed you. From Makir captains came down, from Zebulun those who bear a commander's staff. | 14They came from Ephraim, who uprooted Amalek, they follow after you, Benjamin, with your soldiers. From Makir leaders came down, from Zebulun came the ones who march carrying an officer's staff. |
| 15The princes of Issachar were with Deborah; yes, Issachar was with Barak, sent under his command into the valley. In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart. | 15Issachar's leaders were with Deborah, the men of Issachar supported Barak; into the valley they were sent under Barak's command. Among the clans of Reuben there was intense heart searching. |
| 16Why did you stay among the sheep pens to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart. | 16Why do you remain among the sheepfolds, listening to the shepherds playing their pipes for their flocks? As for the clans of Reuben--there was intense searching of heart. |
| 17Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan. And Dan, why did he linger by the ships? Asher remained on the coast and stayed in his coves. | 17Gilead stayed put beyond the Jordan River. As for Dan--why did he seek temporary employment in the shipyards? Asher remained on the seacoast, he stayed by his harbors. |
| 18The people of Zebulun risked their very lives; so did Naphtali on the terraced fields. | 18The men of Zebulun were not concerned about their lives; Naphtali charged on to the battlefields. |
| 19"Kings came, they fought, the kings of Canaan fought. At Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo, they took no plunder of silver. | 19Kings came, they fought; the kings of Canaan fought, at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they took no silver as plunder. |
| 20From the heavens the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera. | 20From the sky the stars fought, from their paths in the heavens they fought against Sisera. |
| 21The river Kishon swept them away, the age-old river, the river Kishon. March on, my soul; be strong! | 21The Kishon River carried them off; the river confronted them--the Kishon River. Step on the necks of the strong! |
| 22Then thundered the horses' hooves-- galloping, galloping go his mighty steeds. | 22The horses' hooves pounded the ground; the stallions galloped madly. |
| 23Curse Meroz,' said the angel of the LORD. 'Curse its people bitterly, because they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.' | 23Call judgment down on Meroz,' says the LORD's angelic messenger; 'Be sure to call judgment down on those who live there, because they did not come to help in the LORD's battle, to help in the LORD's battle against the warriors.' |
| 24"Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women. | 24The most rewarded of women should be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite! She should be the most rewarded of women who live in tents. |
| 25He asked for water, and she gave him milk; in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him curdled milk. | 25He asked for water, and she gave him milk; in a bowl fit for a king, she served him curds. |
| 26Her hand reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman's hammer. She struck Sisera, she crushed his head, she shattered and pierced his temple. | 26Her left hand reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workmen's hammer. She "hammered" Sisera, she shattered his skull, she smashed his head, she drove the tent peg through his temple. |
| 27At her feet he sank, he fell; there he lay. At her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell--dead. | 27Between her feet he collapsed, he fell limp and was lifeless; between her feet he collapsed and fell limp, in the spot where he collapsed, there he fell limp--violently murdered! |
| 28"Through the window peered Sisera's mother; behind the lattice she cried out, 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why is the clatter of his chariots delayed?' | 28Through the window she looked; Sisera's mother cried out through the lattice: 'Why is his chariot so slow to return? Why are the hoofbeats of his chariot-horses delayed?' |
| 29The wisest of her ladies answer her; indeed, she keeps saying to herself, | 29The wisest of her ladies answer; indeed she even thinks to herself, |
| 30Are they not finding and dividing the spoils: a woman or two for each man, colorful garments as plunder for Sisera, colorful garments embroidered, highly embroidered garments for my neck-- all this as plunder?' | 30No doubt they are gathering and dividing the plunder--a girl or two for each man to rape! Sisera is grabbing up colorful cloth, he is grabbing up colorful embroidered cloth, two pieces of colorful embroidered cloth, for the neck of the plunderer!' |
| 31"So may all your enemies perish, LORD! But may all who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength." Then the land had peace forty years. | 31May all your enemies perish like this, O LORD! But may those who love you shine like the rising sun at its brightest!" And the land had rest for forty years. |
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