The Song of Deborah and Barak (Exodus 15:1–21)
1 ULT So Deborah and Barak, the son of Abinoam, sang on that day, saying: BSB BSB: On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
2 ULT “For the loosening of long hair in Israel, for the volunteering of the people, bless Yahweh! BSB BSB: “When the princes take the lead in Israel, when the people volunteer, bless the LORD.
3 ULT Listen, kings! Give ear, rulers! I, to Yahweh,{ even} I, may I sing. I will make music to 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 ULT Yahweh, at your going forth from Seir, at your marching from the field of Edom, the earth shook, the heavens also dripped, the dark clouds also dripped water. 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 ULT The mountains flowed from the face of Yahweh, this{ is} Sinai from the face of 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 ULT In the days of Shamgar, the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, roads ceased, and walkers of paths walked crooked roads. 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 ULT The peasantry ceased in Israel, they ceased, until when I, Deborah, arose, when I arose, a mother in Israel! BSB BSB: Life in the villages ceased; it ended in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose, a mother in Israel.
8 ULT He chose new gods, then fighting{ was}{ at} the gates; was a shield seen, or a spear, among 40, 000 in Israel? 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 ULT My heart is to the commanders of Israel, the ones volunteering themselves among the people. Bless Yahweh! BSB BSB: My heart is with the princes of Israel, with the volunteers among the people. Bless the LORD!
10 ULT Riders of white donkeys, sitters on carpet, walkers on the road, consider! BSB BSB: You who ride white donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, and you who travel the road, ponder
11 ULT From the voice of the singers at the watering places, there they celebrate the righteous acts of Yahweh, the righteous acts of his peasantry in Israel. Then the people of Yahweh went down to the 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 ULT Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, speak a song! Arise, Barak, and take captive your captivity, son of Abinoam. 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 ULT Then the remnant came down to the nobles, the people of Yahweh came down to me against the warriors. BSB BSB: Then the survivors came down to the nobles; the people of the LORD came down to me against the mighty.
14 ULT From Ephraim, their root{ is} in Amalek; after you, Benjamin, with your peoples; from Machir, commanders came down; and from Zebulun, the ones holding the scepter of a scribe. 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 ULT And my commanders in Issachar{ were} with Deborah, and{ as} Issachar, so Barak; into a valley he was sent at his feet. Among the divisions of Reuben, great{ were} the searchings of the heart. 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 ULT Why did you sit among the sheepfolds? To hear the piping for the flocks? As for the divisions of Reuben, great{ were} the searchings of the heart. 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 ULT Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan, and Dan, why did he sojourn{ on} ships? Asher remained at the coast of the seas, and he stayed among his harbors. 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 ULT Zebulun{ was} a people reproaching its soul unto death, also Naphtali on the heights of the field. BSB BSB: Zebulun was a people who risked their lives; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the battlefield.
19 ULT Kings came, they fought; then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo. Plunder of silver they did not take. 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 ULT From the heavens the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera. BSB BSB: From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 ULT The wadi of Kishon swept them away, the wadi of antiquity, the wadi of Kishon. March on, my soul,{ in} strength! BSB BSB: The River Kishon swept them away, the ancient river, the River Kishon. March on, O my soul, in strength!
22 ULT Then the hooves of a horse beat, from the galloping, the galloping of his mighty{ ones}. BSB BSB: Then the hooves of horses thundered—the mad galloping of his stallions.
23 ULT ‘Curse Meroz!’ said the angel of Yahweh.‘Cursing, you shall curse the dwellers of it, because they did not come to the aid of Yahweh, to the aid of Yahweh against the warriors.’ 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 ULT Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, is blessed from women, from women in the tent she is blessed. BSB BSB: Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
25 ULT Water he requested, milk she gave; in a bowl of nobles she brought curdled milk. BSB BSB: He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.
26 ULT They reached out, her hand to the peg and her right hand to a hammer of workmen. And she struck Sisera, she crushed his head, and she shattered and pierced his temple. 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 ULT Between her feet, he bowed, he fell, he lay down. Between her feet he bowed, he fell. At where he bowed, there he fell, destroyed. 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 ULT Through the window she looked and wailed, the mother of Sisera, through the lattice,‘Why has his chariot delayed to come? Why do the hoofbeats of his chariots tarry?’ 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 ULT The wise of her princesses answered, she also returned her answer to herself: BSB BSB: Her wisest ladies answer; indeed she keeps telling herself,
30 ULT ‘Are they not finding,{ are} they{ not} dividing spoil, a maiden, two maidens to the head of a warrior, spoil of dyed fabrics for Sisera, spoil of dyed fabrics{ and} embroidery, dyed fabric{ and} two embroideries for the necks of the spoil?’ 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 ULT So may all of your enemies perish, Yahweh! But{ may} the lovers of him{ be} like the going forth of the sun in its strength.” Then the land rested 40 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.