Judges 5 - Introduction

2 The Song of Deborah and Barak.

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

2 Praise ye the Lord, for the auenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselues.

3 Heare, O ye kings, giue eare, O ye Princes: I, euen I will sing vnto the Lord, I wil sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.

4 Lord, [Note: Deuteronomy 4:11.] when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heauens dropped, the clouds also dropped water.

5 [Note: Psalms 97:5.] The mountaines [Note: Hebrew: flowed.] melted from before the Lord, euen [Note: Exodus 19:18.] that Sinai, from before the Lord God of Israel.

6 In the dayes of [Note: Judges 3:31.] Shamgar the son of Anath, in the dayes of [Note: Judges 4:18.] Iael, the high wayes were vnoccupied, and the [Note: Hebrew: walkers of paths.] traueilers walked thorow [Note: Hebrew: crooked wayes.] by-wayes.

7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, vntill that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.

8 They chose new gods; then was warre in the gates: was there a shield or speare seene among fourtie thousand in Israel?

9 My heart is toward the gouernours of Israel, that offered themselues willingly among the people: Blesse ye the Lord.

10 [Note: Or, meditate.] Speake yee that ride on white asses, yee that sit in Iudgement, and walke by the way.

11 They that are deliuered from the noise of Archers in the places of drawing water; there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord, euen the [Note: Hebrew: righteousnesses of the Lord.] righteous acts towards the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of the Lord goe downe to the gates.

[The song of Deborah and Barak.]

12 Awake, awake Deborah: awake, awake, vtter a song: arise Barak, and leade thy captiuitie captiue, thou sonne of Abinoam.

13 Then hee made him that remaineth, haue dominion ouer the Nobles among the people: the Lord made me haue dominion ouer the mightie.

14 Out of Ephraim was there a roote of them against Amalek, after thee Beniamin, among thy people: Out of Machir came downe gouernours, and out of Zebulun they that [Note: Hebrew: drawe with the pen, etc.] handle the pen of the writer.

15 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah: euen Issachar, and also Barak, he was sent on [Note: Hebrew: his feete.] foot into the valley: [Note: Or, in the diuisions, etc.] for the diuisions of Reuben, there were great [Note: Hebrew: impressions.] thoughts of heart.

16 Why abodest thou among the sheepefolds, to heare the bleatings of the flocks? [Note: Or, in.] for the diuisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.

17 Gilead abode beyond Iordan: and why did Dan remaine in ships? Asher continued on the sea [Note: Or, port.] shore, and abode in his [Note: Or, creeks.] breaches.

18 Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that [Note: Hebrew: exposed to reproch.] ieoparded their liues vnto 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 tooke no gaine of money.

20 They fought from heauen, the starres in their [Note: Hebrew: paths.] courses fought against Sisera.

21 The riuer of Kishon swept them away, that ancient riuer, the riuer Kishon: O my soule, thou hast troden downe strength.

22 Then were the horse hoofes broken, by the meanes of the [Note: Or, tramplings, or plungings.] pransings, the pransings of their mightie ones.

23 Curse ye Meroz (said the Angel of the Lord) curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof: because they came not to the helpe of the Lord, to the helpe of the Lord against the mighty.

24 Blessed aboue women shal Iael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be aboue women in the tent.

25 He asked water, and she gaue him milke, shee brought foorth butter in a lordly dish.

26 Shee put her hand to the naile, and her right hand to the workemens hammer: and with the hammer shee [Note: Hebrew: hammered.] smote Sisera, shee smote off his head,

[The song of Deborah and Barak.]

when she had pearsed & striken through his temples.

27 [Note: Hebrew: betweene.] At her feete he bowed, he fell, he lay downe: at her feet he bowed, he fell; where he bowed, there he fel down [Note: Hebrew: destroyed.] dead.

28 The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattesse, Why is his charet so long in comming? Why tarie the wheeles of his charets?

29 Her wise ladies answered her, yea she returned [Note: Hebrew: words.] answere to her selfe,

30 Haue they not sped? haue they not diuided the pray [Note: Hebrew: to the head of a man.] to euery man a damosell or two? To Sisera a pray of diuers colours, a pray of diuers colours, of needle worke, of diuers colours of needle worke on both sides, meet [Note: Hebrew: for the neckes of the spoils.] for the necks of them that take the spoile?

31 So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord: but let them that loue him, be as the Sunne when he goeth foorth in his might. And the land had rest fourtie yeeres.