The Song of Deborah and Barak

(Deuteronomy 32:1-47)

1Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,

2For that the leaders took the lead in Israel, for that the people offered themselves willingly, bless ye the LORD.

3Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel.

4LORD, when thou wentest forth out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens also dropped, yea, the clouds dropped water.

5The mountains flowed down at the presence of the LORD, even yon Sinai at the presence of the LORD, the God of Israel.

6In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.

7The rulers ceased in Israel, they ceased, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.

8They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?

9My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people: bless ye the LORD.

10Tell of it, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit on rich carpets, and ye that walk by the way.

11Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, even the righteous acts of his rule in Israel. Then the people of the LORD went down to the gates.

12Awake, awake, Deborah; awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.

13Then came down a remnant of the nobles and the people; the LORD came down for me against the mighty.

14Out of Ephraim came down they whose root is in Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy peoples; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the marshal's staff.

15And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; as was Issachar, so was Barak; into the valley they rushed forth at his feet. By the watercourses of Reuben there were great resolves of heart.

16Why satest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the pipings for the flocks? At the watercourses of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.

17Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and Dan, why did he remain in ships? Asher sat still at the haven of the sea, and abode by his creeks.

18Zebulun was a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death, and Naphtali, upon the high places of the field.

19The kings came and fought; then fought the kings of Canaan; in Taanach by the waters of Meggido: they took no gain of money.

20They fought from heaven, the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.

21The river Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, march on with strength.

22Then did the horsehoofs stamp by reason of the pransings, the pransings of their strong ones.

23Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.

24Blessed above women shall Jael be, the wife of Heber the Kenite, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.

25He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought him butter in a lordly dish.

26She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote through his head, yea, she pierced and struck through his temples.

27At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead.

28Through the window she looked forth, and cried, the mother of Sisera cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots?

29Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself,

30Have they not found, have they not divided the spoil? a damsel, two damsels to every man; to Sisera a spoil of divers colours, a spoil of divers colours of embroidery, of divers colours of embroidery on both sides, on the necks of the spoil?

31So let all thine enemies perish, O LORD: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.