The Song of Deborah and Barak (Exodus 15:1–21)
1 UDB On that day, Deborah and Barak (the son of Abinoam) sang this song: BSB BSB: On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
2 UDB "When the leaders of the Israelite people really lead them, and the people willingly follow them, it is time to praise Yahweh! BSB BSB: “When the princes take the lead in Israel, when the people volunteer, bless the LORD.
3 UDB Listen, you kings! Pay attention, you leaders! I will sing to Yahweh. With this song I will praise Yahweh, the God of Israel. BSB BSB: Listen, O kings! Give ear, O princes! I will sing to the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel.
4 UDB O Yahweh, when you came from Seir, when you marched from that land, also known as Edom, the earth shook, and rain poured down from the skies. BSB BSB: O 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.
5 UDB The mountains shook when you came, just like Mount Sinai shook when you appeared there, because you are Yahweh, the God of Israel. BSB BSB: The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel.
6 UDB When Shamgar was our leader and in the days of Jael, we were afraid to walk on the main roads; instead, caravans of travelers walked on winding, less-traveled roads to avoid being molested. BSB BSB: In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were deserted and the travelers took the byways.
7 UDB There were few warriors willing to fight in Israel until I, Deborah, became their leader. I became like a mother to the Israelite people. BSB BSB: Life in the villages ceased; it ended in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose, a mother in Israel.
8 UDB When the Israelite people abandoned Yahweh and chose new gods, enemies attacked the gates of the cities and then they took away the shields and spears from forty thousand Israelite soldiers. Not one was left with a metal weapon. BSB BSB: When they chose new gods, then war came to their gates. Not a shield or spear was found among forty thousand in Israel.
9 UDB I am thankful for the leaders and soldiers who volunteered to fight. I praise you, Yahweh, for them! BSB BSB: My heart is with the princes of Israel, with the volunteers among the people. Bless the LORD!
10 UDB You wealthy people who ride on donkeys, sitting on nice padded saddles, and you people who just walk on the road, think about all this! BSB BSB: You who ride white donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, and you who travel the road, ponder
11 UDB Listen to the voices of the singers who gather at the places where the animals drink water. They tell about how Yahweh acted righteously when he enabled the Israelite warriors to conquer their enemies. Yahweh's people marched down to the city gates. BSB BSB: the 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:
12 UDB The people came to my house and shouted, 'Deborah, wake up! Wake up and start singing!' They also shouted, 'Barak (son of Abinoam), get up, and capture our enemies!' BSB BSB: ‘Awake, awake, O Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, O Barak, and take hold of your captives, O son of Abinoam!’
13 UDB Later, some of the Israelite people who survived the battle came down from the highlands to where their leaders were. These were men who belonged to Yahweh, and they came down to me to fight their enemies alongside these warriors. BSB BSB: Then the survivors came down to the nobles; the people of the LORD came down to me against the mighty.
14 UDB Some came from the tribe descended from Ephraim. They came from land that once belonged to the descendants of Amalek. Men from the tribe descended from Benjamin followed them. Troops from the group descended from Machir also came down, and officers from the tribe descended from Zebulun came down, carrying staffs to show they were important. BSB BSB: Some 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.
15 UDB Leaders from the tribes descended from Issachar joined Barak and me. They followed Barak, rushing down into the valley. But men from the tribe descended from Reuben could not decide what they should do. BSB BSB: The 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.
16 UDB Why did you men stay at your fireplaces, waiting to hear the shepherds whistle for their flocks of sheep to come to the pens? Men in the tribe descended from Reuben could not decide whether or not they would join us to fight our enemies. BSB BSB: Why did you sit among the sheepfolds to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.
17 UDB Similarly, the men living in the Gilead area stayed at home, east of the Jordan River. And the men from the tribe descended from Dan, why did they stay home? The tribe descended from Asher sat by the seashore. They stayed in their coves. BSB BSB: Gilead remained beyond the Jordan. Dan, why did you linger by the ships? Asher stayed at the coast and remained in his harbors.
18 UDB But men from the tribe descended from Zebulun risked their lives on the battlefield, and men descended from Naphtali were ready to do that also. BSB BSB: Zebulun was a people who risked their lives; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the battlefield.
19 UDB The kings of Canaan fought us at Taanach, near the springs in Megiddo Valley. But since they did not defeat us, they did not carry away any silver or other treasures from the battle. BSB BSB: Kings came and fought; then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they took no plunder of silver.
20 UDB It was as though the stars in the heavens fought for us and as though those stars in their paths fought against Sisera. BSB BSB: From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 UDB The river Kishon swept them away— that river that has been there for ages. I will tell myself to be brave and continue marching on. BSB BSB: The River Kishon swept them away, the ancient river, the River Kishon. March on, O my soul, in strength!
22 UDB The hooves of the horses of Sisera's army pounded the ground. Those powerful horses kept galloping along. BSB BSB: Then the hooves of horses thundered—the mad galloping of his stallions.
23 UDB The angel sent by Yahweh said, 'I curse the people of the town of Meroz because they did not come to help Yahweh to defeat the mighty warriors of Canaan.' BSB BSB: ‘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.’
24 UDB But God is very pleased with Jael (the wife of Heber the Kenite). He is more pleased with her than with all the other women who live in tents. BSB BSB: Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
25 UDB Sisera asked for some water, and Jael gave him some milk. She brought him some yogurt in a bowl that was suitable for kings. BSB BSB: He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.
26 UDB Then, when he was asleep, she reached for a tent peg with her left hand, and she reached for a hammer with her right hand. She hit Sisera hard with it and crushed his head. She pounded the tent peg right through his head. BSB BSB: She 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.
27 UDB He collapsed at her feet and he fell and he lay there and did not move. At her feet he sank down, and there he fell limp. He was dead. BSB BSB: At her feet he collapsed, he fell, there he lay still; at her feet he collapsed, he fell; where he collapsed, there he fell dead.
28 UDB Sisera's mother looked out from her window. She waited for him to return. She said, 'Why is he taking so long to come home in his chariot? Why do I not hear the sound of the wheels of his chariot?' BSB BSB: Sisera’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?’
29 UDB Her wisest princesses replied to her, and she kept consoling herself by repeating those words: BSB BSB: Her wisest ladies answer; indeed she keeps telling herself,
30 UDB 'Perhaps they are dividing up the things and the people they captured after the battle. Each soldier will get one or two women who will bear them children. Sisera will get some beautiful robes and some beautiful embroidered robes for me.' BSB BSB: ‘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?’
31 UDB But that is not what happened! Yahweh, I hope that all your enemies will die as Sisera did! And I desire that all those who love you, Yahweh, be as strong as the sun when it rises!" There was peace again in the land for forty years. BSB BSB: So 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.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.