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Judges 5
1599 Geneva Bible
Judges 5
1599 Geneva Bible
5 1 The song and thanksgiving of Deborah and Barak, after the victory.
1 Then sang Deborah, and Barak the son of Abinoam the same day, saying,
2 Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel, and for the [a]people that offered themselves willingly.
3 Hear, ye kings, hearken ye princes: I, even I will sing unto the Lord: I will sing praise unto the Lord God of Israel.
4 Lord, (A)when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou departedst out of the field of (B)Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens rained, the clouds also dropped water.
5 (C)The mountains melted before the Lord, (D)as did that Sinai before the Lord God of Israel.
6 In the days of (E)Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of (F)Jael, the highways were [b]unoccupied, and the travelers walked through byways.
7 The towns were not inhabited: they decayed, I say, in Israel, until I Deborah came up, which rose up a [c]mother in Israel.
8 They chose new gods: then was war in the gates. Was there a [d]shield or spear seen among forty thousand of Israel?
9 Mine heart is set on the governors of Israel, and on them that are willing among the people: praise ye the Lord.
10 Speak ye that ride on [e]white asses, ye that dwell [f]by Middin, and that walk by the way.
11 For the noise of the archers appraised among the [g]drawers of water: there shall they rehearse the righteousness of the Lord, his righteousness of his towns in Israel: then did the people of the Lord go down to the gates.
12 Up Deborah, up, arise, and sing a song: arise Barak, and lead [h]thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.
13 For they that remain, have dominion over the mighty of the people: the Lord hath given me dominion over the strong.
14 Of Ephraim [i]their root arose against Amalek: and after thee Benjamin shall fight against thy people, O Amalek, of Machir came rulers, and of Zebulun, they that handle the pen of the [j]writer.
15 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah, and [k]Issachar, and also Barak: he was set on his feet in the valley: for the divisions of Reuben were great [l]thoughts of heart.
16 Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? for the divisions of Reuben were great thoughts of heart.
17 [m]Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why doth Dan remain in ships? Asher sat on the seashore, and tarried in his [n]decayed places.
18 But the people of Zebulun and Naphtali have jeopardized their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.
19 The Kings came and fought: then fought the Kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo: they received no gain of [o]money.
20 They fought from heaven, even the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.
21 The River Kishon [p]swept them away, that ancient river the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast marched valiantly.
22 Then were the horse hoofs broken with the oft beating together of their mighty men.
23 Curse ye [q]Meroz: (said the Angel of the Lord) curse the inhabitants thereof, because they came not to help the Lord, to help the Lord against the mighty.
24 Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite shall be blessed above other women: blessed shall she be above women dwelling in tents.
25 He asked water, and she gave him milk: she brought forth [r]butter in a lordly dish.
26 She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workman’s hammer: with the hammer smote she Sisera: she smote off his head, after she had wounded and pierced his temples.
27 He bowed him down at her feet, he fell down, and lay still: at her feet he bowed him down, and fell: and when he had sunk down, he lay there [s]dead.
28 The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long a coming? why tarry the [t]wheels of his chariots?
29 Her wise ladies answered her, Yea. [u]She answered herself with her own words,
30 Have they not gotten, and they divide the spoil? every man hath a maid or two. Sisera hath a prey of diverse colored garments, a prey of sundry colors made of needle work: of diverse colors of needle work on both sides, [v]for the chief of the spoil.
31 So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord: but they that love him, shall be as the [w]Sun when he riseth in his might, and the land had rest forty years.
Footnotes
- Judges 5:2 To wit, the two tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali.
- Judges 5:6 For fear of the enemies.
- Judges 5:7 Miraculously stirred up of God to pity them and deliver them.
- Judges 5:8 They had no heart to resist their enemies.
- Judges 5:10 Ye governors.
- Judges 5:10 As in danger of your enemies.
- Judges 5:11 For now you may draw water without fear of your enemies.
- Judges 5:12 To wit, them that kept thy people in captivity.
- Judges 5:14 Joshua first fought against Amalek, and Saul destroyed him.
- Judges 5:14 Even the learned did help to fight.
- Judges 5:15 Even the whole tribe.
- Judges 5:15 They marveled, that they came not over Jordan to help them.
- Judges 5:17 She reproveth all them that came not to help their brethren in their necessity.
- Judges 5:17 Either by beating of the sea, or by mining.
- Judges 5:19 They won nothing, but lost all.
- Judges 5:21 As a besom doeth the filth of the house.
- Judges 5:23 It was a city near to Tabor, where they fought.
- Judges 5:25 Some read churned milk in a great cup.
- Judges 5:27 Hebrew, destroyed.
- Judges 5:28 Or, feet.
- Judges 5:29 That is, she comforted herself.
- Judges 5:30 Because he was chief of the army.
- Judges 5:31 Shall grow daily more and more in God’s favor.
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
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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