Judges 5 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

On that day, Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:

When leaders led in Israel, when the people gave themselves willingly — give praise to Yahweh!

Listen, kings! Pay attention, rulers! I — I will sing to Yahweh, I will make music to Yahweh, the God of Israel.

Yahweh, when you marched out from Seir, when you strode from the fields of Edom, the earth trembled, the skies poured, the clouds released their water.

Mountains melted before Yahweh — even Sinai, before Yahweh, the God of Israel.

In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the roads were abandoned, and travelers took winding back paths.

Village life disappeared in Israel, it disappeared — until I, Deborah, arose, until I arose as a mother in Israel.

When they chose new gods, war came to the gates. Not a shield or spear could be seen among forty thousand in Israel.

My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel, to those among the people who gave themselves willingly — give praise to Yahweh!

You who ride white donkeys, you who sit on rich saddle cloths, and you who walk the roads — tell the story!

Louder than the voices at the watering places — there they retell the just acts of Yahweh, the just acts for his village people in Israel. Then the people of Yahweh went down to the gates.

Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up, wake up — sing a song! Rise up, Barak! Take your captives, son of Abinoam!

Then the survivors came down to the nobles; the people of Yahweh came down to me among the warriors.

From Ephraim came those rooted in Amalek's land; Benjamin followed, among your troops. From Makir, commanders came down; from Zebulun, those who carry the officer's staff.

The chiefs of Issachar stood with Deborah; Issachar, loyal to Barak, rushed into the valley at his heels. But in the clans of Reuben — deep searching of heart.

Why did you stay among the sheepfolds, listening to shepherds calling their flocks? In the clans of Reuben — deep searching of heart.

Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan. And Dan — why did he linger by the ships? Asher sat by the coast, settled along his harbors.

Zebulun — a people who risked their lives to the point of death. Naphtali too, on the heights of the open field.

Kings came — they fought. The kings of Canaan fought at Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo. They took no plunder of silver.

From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses, they fought against Sisera.

The Kishon River swept them away — that ancient river, the river Kishon. March on, my soul, with strength!

Then the horses' hooves hammered the ground — galloping, galloping went his mighty steeds.

'Curse Meroz,' said the messenger of Yahweh, 'curse its inhabitants bitterly — because they did not come to help Yahweh, to help Yahweh against the warriors.'

Most honored among women is Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite — most honored of women who dwell in tents.

He asked for water — she gave him milk. In a bowl fit for nobles, she brought him cream.

Her hand reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman's hammer. She hammered Sisera, she crushed his head, shattered and drove through his temple.

Between her feet he sank, he fell, he lay still. Between her feet he sank, he fell. Where he sank — there he fell, destroyed.

Through the window she peered — Sisera's mother cried out through the lattice: 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why do the hoofbeats delay?'

The wisest of her ladies answered her — and she repeated the words to herself:

'Aren't they finding and dividing the plunder? — a girl or two for each warrior, plunder of dyed cloth for Sisera, plunder of embroidered cloth, a piece or two of embroidered cloth for my neck.'

So let all your enemies be destroyed, Yahweh! But let those who love him be like the sun rising in its full strength. And the land had rest for forty years.