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Judges 5
Contemporary English Version
Judges 5
Contemporary English Version
Deborah and Barak Sing for the Lord
5 After the battle was over that day, Deborah and Barak sang this song:
2 We praise you, Lord!
Our soldiers volunteered,
ready to follow you.
3 Listen, kings and rulers,
while I sing for the Lord,
the God of Israel.
4 Our Lord, God of Israel,
when you came from Seir,
where the Edomites live,
5 (A) rain poured from the sky,
the earth trembled,
and mountains shook.
6 In the time of Shamgar
son of Anath,
and now again in Jael's time,
roads were too dangerous
for caravans.
Travelers had to take
the back roads,
7 and villagers couldn't work
in their fields.[a]
Then Deborah[b] took command,
protecting Israel as a mother
protects her children.
8 The Israelites worshiped
other gods,
and the gates of their towns
were then attacked.[c]
But they had no shields
or spears to fight with.
9 I praise you, Lord,
and I am grateful
for those leaders and soldiers
who volunteered.
10 Listen, everyone!
Whether you ride a donkey
with a padded saddle
or have to walk.
11 Even those who carry water[d]
to the animals will tell you,
“The Lord has won victories,
and so has Israel.”
Then the Lord's people marched
down to the town gates
12 and said, “Deborah, let's go!
Let's sing as we march.
Barak, capture our enemies.”
13 The Lord's people who were left
joined with their leaders
and fought at my side.[e]
14 Troops came from Ephraim,
where Amalekites once lived.
Others came from Benjamin;
officers and leaders came
from Machir and Zebulun.
15 The rulers of Issachar
came along with Deborah,
and Issachar followed Barak
into the valley.
But the tribe of Reuben
was no help at all![f]
16 Reuben, why did you stay
among your sheep pens?[g]
Was it to listen to shepherds
whistling for their sheep?
No one could figure out
why Reuben wouldn't come.[h]
17 The people of Gilead stayed
across the Jordan.
Why did the tribe of Dan
remain on their ships
and the tribe of Asher
stay along the coast
near the harbors?
18 But soldiers of Zebulun
and Naphtali
risked their lives
to attack the enemy.[i]
19 Canaanite kings fought us
at Taanach by the stream
near Megiddo[j]—
but they couldn't rob us
of our silver.[k]
20 From their pathways in the sky
the stars[l] fought Sisera,
21 and his soldiers were swept away
by the ancient Kishon River.
I will march on and be brave.
22 Sisera's horses galloped off,
their hoofs thundering
in retreat.
23 The Lord's angel said,
“Put a curse on Meroz Town!
Its people refused
to help the Lord fight
his powerful enemies.”
24 But honor Jael,
the wife of Heber
from the Kenite clan.
Give more honor to her
than to any other woman
who lives in tents.
Yes, give more honor to her
than to any other woman.
25 Sisera asked for water,
but Jael gave him milk—
cream in a fancy cup.
26 She reached for a tent-peg
and held a hammer
in her right hand.
And with a blow to the head,
she crushed his skull.
27 Sisera sank to his knees
and fell dead at her feet.
28 Sisera's mother looked out
through her window.
“Why is he taking so long?”
she asked.
“Why haven't we heard
his chariots coming?”
29 She and her wisest women
gave the same answer:
30 “Sisera and his troops
are finding treasures
to bring back—
a woman, or maybe two,
for each man,
and beautiful dresses
for those women to wear.”[m]
31 Our Lord, we pray
that all your enemies
will die like Sisera.
But let everyone who loves you
shine brightly like the sun
at dawn.
Midian Steals Everything from Israel
There was peace in Israel for about 40 years.
Footnotes
- 5.7 villagers … fields: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 5.7 Deborah: Or “I, Deborah.”
- 5.8 The Israelites … attacked: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 5.11 Even … water: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 5.13 side: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 13.
- 5.15 But … at all: Or “But the people of Reuben couldn't make up their minds.”
- 5.16 sheep pens: Or “campfires.”
- 5.16 No … come: Or “The people of Reuben couldn't make up their minds.”
- 5.18 to attack the enemy: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 5.19 stream near Megiddo: Probably refers to one of the streams that flow into the Kishon River.
- 5.19 rob us of our silver: The army that won a battle would take everything of value from the dead enemy soldiers.
- 5.20 stars: In ancient times, the stars were sometimes regarded as supernatural beings.
- 5.30 and beautiful … wear: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Judges 5
New International Version
Judges 5
New International Version
The Song of Deborah
5 On that day Deborah(A) and Barak son of Abinoam(B) sang this song:(C)
2 “When the princes in Israel take the lead,
when the people willingly offer(D) themselves—
praise the Lord!(E)
3 “Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers!
I, even I, will sing to[a] the Lord;(F)
I will praise the Lord, the God of Israel, in song.(G)
4 “When you, Lord, went out(H) from Seir,(I)
when you marched from the land of Edom,
the earth shook,(J) the heavens poured,
the clouds poured down water.(K)
5 The mountains quaked(L) before the Lord, the One of Sinai,
before the Lord, the God of Israel.
6 “In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,(M)
in the days of Jael,(N) the highways(O) were abandoned;
travelers took to winding paths.(P)
7 Villagers in Israel would not fight;
they held back until I, Deborah,(Q) arose,
until I arose, a mother in Israel.
8 God chose new leaders(R)
when war came to the city gates,(S)
but not a shield or spear(T) was seen
among forty thousand in Israel.
9 My heart is with Israel’s princes,
with the willing volunteers(U) among the people.
Praise the Lord!
10 “You who ride on white donkeys,(V)
sitting on your saddle blankets,
and you who walk along the road,
consider 11 the voice of the singers[b] at the watering places.
They recite the victories(W) of the Lord,
the victories of his villagers in Israel.
“Then the people of the Lord
went down to the city gates.(X)
12 ‘Wake up,(Y) wake up, Deborah!(Z)
Wake up, wake up, break out in song!
Arise, Barak!(AA)
Take captive your captives,(AB) son of Abinoam.’
13 “The remnant of the nobles came down;
the people of the Lord came down to me against the mighty.
14 Some came from Ephraim,(AC) whose roots were in Amalek;(AD)
Benjamin(AE) was with the people who followed you.
From Makir(AF) captains came down,
from Zebulun those who bear a commander’s[c] staff.
15 The princes of Issachar(AG) were with Deborah;(AH)
yes, Issachar was with Barak,(AI)
sent under his command into the valley.
In the districts of Reuben
there was much searching of heart.
16 Why did you stay among the sheep pens[d](AJ)
to hear the whistling for the flocks?(AK)
In the districts of Reuben
there was much searching of heart.
17 Gilead(AL) stayed beyond the Jordan.
And Dan, why did he linger by the ships?
Asher(AM) remained on the coast(AN)
and stayed in his coves.
18 The people of Zebulun(AO) risked their very lives;
so did Naphtali(AP) on the terraced fields.(AQ)
19 “Kings came(AR), they fought,
the kings of Canaan fought.
At Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo,(AS)
they took no plunder of silver.(AT)
20 From the heavens(AU) the stars fought,
from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 The river Kishon(AV) swept them away,
the age-old river, the river Kishon.
March on, my soul; be strong!(AW)
22 Then thundered the horses’ hooves—
galloping, galloping go his mighty steeds.(AX)
23 ‘Curse 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.’
24 “Most blessed of women(AY) be Jael,(AZ)
the wife of Heber the Kenite,(BA)
most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
25 He asked for water, and she gave him milk;(BB)
in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him curdled milk.
26 Her 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.(BC)
27 At her feet he sank,
he fell; there he lay.
At her feet he sank, he fell;
where he sank, there he fell—dead(BD).
28 “Through the window(BE) peered Sisera’s mother;
behind the lattice she cried out,(BF)
‘Why is his chariot so long in coming?
Why is the clatter of his chariots delayed?’
29 The wisest of her ladies answer her;
indeed, she keeps saying to herself,
30 ‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoils:(BG)
a woman or two for each man,
colorful garments as plunder for Sisera,
colorful garments embroidered,
highly embroidered garments(BH) for my neck—
all this as plunder?(BI)’
31 “So may all your enemies perish,(BJ) Lord!
But may all who love you be like the sun(BK)
when it rises in its strength.”(BL)
Then the land had peace(BM) forty years.
Footnotes
- Judges 5:3 Or of
- Judges 5:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Judges 5:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Judges 5:16 Or the campfires; or the saddlebags
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.