Judges 5:18-23

The Message

^13-18Then the remnant went down to greet the brave ones.
    The people of God joined the mighty ones.
The captains from Ephraim came to the valley,
    behind you, Benjamin, with your troops.
Captains marched down from Makir,
    from Zebulun high-ranking leaders came down.
Issachar’s princes rallied to Deborah,
    Issachar stood fast with Barak,
    backing him up on the field of battle.
But in Reuben’s divisions there was much second-guessing.
    Why all those campfire discussions?
Diverted and distracted,
    Reuben’s divisions couldn’t make up their minds.
Gilead played it safe across the Jordan,
    and Dan, why did he go off sailing?
Asher kept his distance on the seacoast,
    safe and secure in his harbors.
But Zebulun risked life and limb, defied death,
    as did Naphtali on the battle heights.

^19-23The kings came, they fought,
    the kings of Canaan fought.
At Taanach they fought, at Megiddo’s brook,
    but they took no silver, no plunder.
The stars in the sky joined the fight,
    from their courses they fought against Sisera.
The torrent Kishon swept them away,
    the torrent attacked them, the torrent Kishon.
    Oh, you’ll stomp on the necks of the strong!
Then the hoofs of the horses pounded,
    charging, stampeding stallions.
“Curse Meroz,” says God’s angel.
    “Curse, double curse, its people,
Because they didn’t come when God needed them,
    didn’t rally to God’s side with valiant fighters.”