| Berean Study Bible | NET Bible |
| 1On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song: | 1On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this victory song: |
| 2“When the princes take the lead in Israel, when the people volunteer, bless the LORD. | 2"When the leaders took the lead in Israel, When the people answered the call to war--Praise the LORD! |
| 3Listen, O kings! Give ear, O princes! I will sing to the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel. | 3Hear, O kings! Pay attention, O rulers! I will sing to the LORD! I will sing to the LORD God of Israel! |
| 4O LORD, when You went out from Seir, when You marched from the land of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens poured out rain, and the clouds poured down water. | 4O LORD, when you departed from Seir, when you marched from Edom's plains, the earth shook, the heavens poured down, the clouds poured down rain. |
| 5The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel. | 5The mountains trembled before the LORD, the God of Sinai; before the LORD God of Israel. |
| 6In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were deserted and the travelers took the byways. | 6In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael caravans disappeared; travelers had to go on winding side roads. |
| 7Life in the villages ceased; it ended in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose, a mother in Israel. | 7Warriors were scarce, they were scarce in Israel, until you arose, Deborah, until you arose as a motherly protector in Israel. |
| 8When they chose new gods, then war came to their gates. Not a shield or spear was found among forty thousand in Israel. | 8God chose new leaders, then fighters appeared in the city gates; but, I swear, not a shield or spear could be found, among forty military units in Israel. |
| 9My heart is with the princes of Israel, with the volunteers among the people. Bless the LORD! | 9My heart went out to Israel's leaders, to the people who answered the call to war. Praise the LORD! |
| 10You who ride white donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, and you who travel the road, ponder | 10You who ride on light-colored female donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, you who walk on the road, pay attention! |
| 11the voices of the singers at the watering places. There they shall recount the righteous acts of the LORD, the righteous deeds of His villagers in Israel. Then the people of the LORD went down to the gates: | 11Hear the sound of those who divide the sheep among the watering places; there they tell of the Lord's victorious deeds, the victorious deeds of his warriors in Israel. Then the LORD's people went down to the city gates-- |
| 12‘Awake, awake, O Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, O Barak, and take hold of your captives, O son of Abinoam!’ | 12Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up, wake up, sing a song! Get up, Barak! Capture your prisoners of war, son of Abinoam! |
| 13Then the survivors came down to the nobles; the people of the LORD came down to me against the mighty. | 13Then the survivors came down to the mighty ones; the LORD's people came down to me as warriors. |
| 14Some came from Ephraim, with their roots in Amalek; Benjamin came with your people after you. The commanders came down from Machir, the bearers of the marshal’s staff from Zebulun. | 14They came from Ephraim, who uprooted Amalek, they follow after you, Benjamin, with your soldiers. From Makir leaders came down, from Zebulun came the ones who march carrying an officer's staff. |
| 15The princes of Issachar were with Deborah, and Issachar was with Barak, rushing into the valley at his heels. In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision. | 15Issachar's leaders were with Deborah, the men of Issachar supported Barak; into the valley they were sent under Barak's command. Among the clans of Reuben there was intense heart searching. |
| 16Why did you sit among the sheepfolds to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision. | 16Why do you remain among the sheepfolds, listening to the shepherds playing their pipes for their flocks? As for the clans of Reuben--there was intense searching of heart. |
| 17Gilead remained beyond the Jordan. Dan, why did you linger by the ships? Asher stayed at the coast and remained in his harbors. | 17Gilead stayed put beyond the Jordan River. As for Dan--why did he seek temporary employment in the shipyards? Asher remained on the seacoast, he stayed by his harbors. |
| 18Zebulun was a people who risked their lives; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the battlefield. | 18The men of Zebulun were not concerned about their lives; Naphtali charged on to the battlefields. |
| 19Kings came and fought; then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they took no plunder of silver. | 19Kings came, they fought; the kings of Canaan fought, at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they took no silver as plunder. |
| 20From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera. | 20From the sky the stars fought, from their paths in the heavens they fought against Sisera. |
| 21The River Kishon swept them away, the ancient river, the River Kishon. March on, O my soul, in strength! | 21The Kishon River carried them off; the river confronted them--the Kishon River. Step on the necks of the strong! |
| 22Then the hooves of horses thundered—the mad galloping of his stallions. | 22The horses' hooves pounded the ground; the stallions galloped madly. |
| 23‘Curse Meroz,’ says the angel of the LORD. ‘Bitterly curse her inhabitants; for they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.’ | 23Call judgment down on Meroz,' says the LORD's angelic messenger; 'Be sure to call judgment down on those who live there, because they did not come to help in the LORD's battle, to help in the LORD's battle against the warriors.' |
| 24Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women. | 24The most rewarded of women should be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite! She should be the most rewarded of women who live in tents. |
| 25He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds. | 25He asked for water, and she gave him milk; in a bowl fit for a king, she served him curds. |
| 26She reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman’s hammer. She struck Sisera and crushed his skull; she shattered and pierced his temple. | 26Her left hand reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workmen's hammer. She "hammered" Sisera, she shattered his skull, she smashed his head, she drove the tent peg through his temple. |
| 27At her feet he collapsed, he fell, there he lay still; at her feet he collapsed, he fell; where he collapsed, there he fell dead. | 27Between her feet he collapsed, he fell limp and was lifeless; between her feet he collapsed and fell limp, in the spot where he collapsed, there he fell limp--violently murdered! |
| 28Sisera’s mother looked through the window; she peered through the lattice and lamented: ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? What has delayed the clatter of his chariots?’ | 28Through the window she looked; Sisera's mother cried out through the lattice: 'Why is his chariot so slow to return? Why are the hoofbeats of his chariot-horses delayed?' |
| 29Her wisest ladies answer; indeed she keeps telling herself, | 29The wisest of her ladies answer; indeed she even thinks to herself, |
| 30‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoil—a girl or two for each warrior, a plunder of dyed garments for Sisera, the spoil of embroidered garments for the neck of the looter?’ | 30No doubt they are gathering and dividing the plunder--a girl or two for each man to rape! Sisera is grabbing up colorful cloth, he is grabbing up colorful embroidered cloth, two pieces of colorful embroidered cloth, for the neck of the plunderer!' |
| 31So may all your enemies perish, O LORD! But may those who love You shine like the sun at its brightest.” And the land had rest for forty years. | 31May all your enemies perish like this, O LORD! But may those who love you shine like the rising sun at its brightest!" And the land had rest for forty years. |
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