(KJV) Judges 5¹

⥃The Song of Deborah and Barak ^{[ Exodus 15:1–21 ]}

[1] Then sang Deborah² and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying, [2] Praise ye the Lord for the avenging³ of Israel, when⁴ the people willingly offered themselves. [3] Hear, O ye kings⁵; give ear, O ye princes; I, [even] I⁶, will sing unto the Lord; I will sing [praise] to the Lord God of Israel. [4] Lord⁷, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth⁸ trembled, and the heavens dropped⁹, the clouds also dropped water. [5] The mountains¹⁰ melted¹¹ from before the Lord, [even] that Sinai¹² from before the Lord God of Israel. [6] In the days of Shamgar¹³ the son of Anath, in the days of Jael¹⁴, the highways¹⁵ were unoccupied, and the travellers¹⁶ walked through byways¹⁷. [7] [The inhabitants of] the villages¹⁸ ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother¹⁹ in Israel. [8] They chose new gods²⁰; then [was] war in the gates: was there²¹ a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel? [9] My heart [is] toward the governors of Israel, that offered²² themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the Lord. [10] Speak²³, ye that ride²⁴ on white asses, ye that sit²⁵ in judgment, and walk by the way. [11] [They that are delivered] from the noise²⁶ of archers in the places²⁷ of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts²⁸ of the Lord, [even] the righteous acts [toward the inhabitants] of his villages²⁹ in Israel: then shall the people of the Lord go down³⁰ to the gates. [12] Awake, awake, Deborah³¹: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead³² thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam. [13] Then he made³³ him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the Lord³⁴ made me have dominion over the mighty. [14] Out of Ephraim³⁵ [was there] a root of them against Amalek³⁶; after³⁷ thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir³⁸ came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen³⁹ of the writer. [15] And the princes⁴⁰ of Issachar [were] with Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak⁴¹: he was sent on foot⁴² into the valley. For the⁴³ divisions of Reuben [there were] great thoughts⁴⁴ of heart. [16] Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds⁴⁵, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For⁴⁶ the divisions of Reuben [there were] great⁴⁷ searchings of heart. [17] Gilead⁴⁸ abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher⁴⁹ continued on the sea shore⁵⁰, and abode in his breaches⁵¹. [18] Zebulun⁵² and Naphtali [were] a people [that] jeoparded⁵³ their lives⁵⁴ unto the death in the high⁵⁵ places of the field. [19] The kings⁵⁶ came [and] fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach⁵⁷ by the waters of Megiddo; they took⁵⁸ no gain of money. [20] They fought⁵⁹ from heaven; the stars⁶⁰ in their courses⁶¹ fought against Sisera. [21] The river of Kishon⁶² swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul⁶³, thou hast trodden down strength. [22] Then were the horsehoofs⁶⁴ broken by the means of the pransings⁶⁵, the pransings of their mighty ones⁶⁶. [23] Curse ye⁶⁷ Meroz⁶⁸, said the angel⁶⁹ of the Lord, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came⁷⁰ not to the help⁷¹ of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty. [24] Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.⁷² [25] He asked⁷³ water, [and] she gave [him] milk; she brought forth butter⁷⁴ in a lordly dish. [26] She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen’s hammer; and with the⁷⁵ hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off⁷⁶ his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples. [27] At⁷⁷ her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where⁷⁸ he bowed, there he fell down dead⁷⁹. [28] The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through⁸⁰ the lattice, Why is⁸¹ his chariot [so] long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots? [29] Her wise ladies answer⁸²ed her, yea, she returned answer to herself, [30] Have they not sped⁸³? have they [not] divided the prey; to every man⁸⁴ a damsel [or] two; to Sisera a prey of divers⁸⁵ 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? [31] So let⁸⁶ all thine enemies perish, O Lord: but [let] them that⁸⁷ love him [be] as the sun⁸⁸ when he goeth forth in his might. And the land⁸⁹ had rest forty years.