The Song of Deborah and Barak (Exodus 15:1–21)
1 UST At the time when the Israelites defeated Jabin’ s army, Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang a song to celebrate. This is the song that they sang: BSB BSB: On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
2 UST “We should all praise Yahweh for the Israelite men who promised to fight and who fought willingly. BSB BSB: “When the princes take the lead in Israel, when the people volunteer, bless the LORD.
3 UST Even the most important people in the world should pay attention to this! I am going to 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 UST Yahweh, when you came from Seir, when you marched from that land that people also call Edom, thunder shook the earth and clouds poured down rain 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 UST The mountains shook when you came, just as Mount Sinai shook when you appeared there, because you are Yahweh, the God whom we Israelites worship. BSB BSB: The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel.
6 UST After our leader Shamgar son of Anath died and before Jael helped us defeat the army of Jabin, we Israelites were afraid to walk on the main roads,{ because Jabin’ s soldiers would rob us}. Instead, when our people had to travel, they used little roads that wound through the countryside. 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 UST Israelites who lived in small villages left them and moved into walled cities{ for safety}. But then I, Deborah, became a leader of the Israelite people, and I protected them just as a mother protects her children. BSB BSB: Life in the villages ceased; it ended in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose, a mother in Israel.
8 UST When the Israelite people{ abandoned Yahweh} and began to worship different gods, enemies attacked their cities. The Israelites{ could barely defend themselves because they} had hardly any weapons. 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 UST So I am very thankful for the Israelite leaders and soldiers who willingly fought against Sisera. We should all praise Yahweh for them! BSB BSB: My heart is with the princes of Israel, with the volunteers among the people. Bless the LORD!
10 UST You wealthy people who ride on white donkeys, sitting on nice, padded saddles, and you poorer 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 UST Listen to the songs that people sing at the places along the road where travelers stop to get water. Those songs tell about how Yahweh acted righteously when he enabled the Israelite warriors to defeat their enemies. After that, Yahweh’ s people were able to return safely to their cities. 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 UST Sing energetically, Deborah! Sing from your own vivid recollections! Now is the time, Barak son of Abinoam, to show the prisoners that your army captured. 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 UST The Israelite people who had scattered for safety came down from the highlands to where their leaders were gathering an army. These were men who were loyal to Yahweh, and they came to help me, Barak, fight against the enemy soldiers. BSB BSB: Then the survivors came down to the nobles; the people of the LORD came down to me against the mighty.
14 UST Some soldiers came from the tribe of Ephraim. They came from land that had once belonged to the descendants of Amalek. Soldiers also came from the tribe of Benjamin. They reached the Israelite camp before the ones from Ephraim. Military leaders from the clan of Machir in the tribe of Manasseh led their troops to fight. So did officers from the tribe of Zebulun. They carried staffs to indicate their rank. 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 UST Leaders from the tribe of Issachar brought their soldiers when Deborah told Barak to gather an army. They fully supported Barak. He led these soldiers down into the valley{ to fight Sisera}. But the men of the tribe of 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 UST They should not have stayed away from the battle, taking care of their sheep and listening to shepherds playing their flutes. But the men of the tribe of Reuben could not decide what they should do. 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 UST So the men of all the tribes living in the Gilead area stayed at home, east of the Jordan River. And the men of the tribe of Dan just kept fishing in the sea{ when they should have been helping to fight against Sisera}. Similarly, the men of the tribe of Asher did not leave their harbors on the seacoast{ to come and help fight}. 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 UST But the soldiers from the tribe of Zebulun risked their lives on the battlefield. The soldiers from the tribe of Naphtali also risked their lives in order to occupy the high ground on the battlefield. BSB BSB: Zebulun was a people who risked their lives; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the battlefield.
19 UST Sisera brought an army of soldiers from many Canaanite kingdoms{ that were subject to Jabin} to fight against us. They fought a battle against us near the city of Taanach. That city is near the river that flows through the Valley of Megiddo. But{ they did not defeat us, and so} they did not carry any valuable things away 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 UST It was as if the stars in the sky fought for us, and as if those stars fought against Sisera, as they moved across the sky. BSB BSB: From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 UST The Kishon River, that river that has been there for a long time, was drowning Sisera’ s soldiers. So I told myself to be brave and to keep fighting. BSB BSB: The River Kishon swept them away, the ancient river, the River Kishon. March on, O my soul, in strength!
22 UST Then the horses of Sisera’ s army{ ran away from the battle. As they ran, they} pounded the ground with their hooves. Those powerful horses kept galloping along. BSB BSB: Then the hooves of horses thundered—the mad galloping of his stallions.
23 UST { After the battle,} an angel representing Yahweh said,‘The people who live in the town of Meroz did not help Yahweh by stopping Sisera’ s army from retreating. And so you must call for Yahweh to punish them by making bad things happen to them.’ 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 UST But God is very pleased with the woman whose name is 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 UST Although Sisera only asked for some water, Jael gave him some milk. She brought him some yogurt in the kind of bowl that rulers have. BSB BSB: He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.
26 UST Then{, when Sisera was asleep,} Jael picked up a tent peg with her left hand and a heavy hammer with her right hand. She pounded the tent peg into Sisera’ s head so hard that it went right through his temple. This smashed 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 UST As Jael stood over him, Sisera died{ from the crushing blow to his head}. He did not even move from where he was when she hit him. He died right there. 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 UST Sisera’ s mother looked out through her window{ to see whether he was returning from the battle}. She asked,‘Why is he taking so long to come home in his chariot? Why have I not yet heard his chariot horses pounding the ground with their feet?’ 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 UST Some tactful ladies in her household reassured her, and she told herself the same thing they told her: BSB BSB: Her wisest ladies answer; indeed she keeps telling herself,
30 UST ‘Sisera and his soldiers are probably{ late returning because they are} dividing up the things and the people they captured after the battle. Each soldier will get one or two women as slaves. Each of Sisera’ s soldiers will also get one or two expensive robes that have bright colors and gold thread for decoration. They will probably wear them home from the battle to show that they won.’ 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 UST { But that is not what happened!} Yahweh, I hope that all your enemies will die as Sisera did! And I wish that all those who love you, Yahweh, will be as strong as the sun when it rises!” After that, the land of Israel was a peaceful place for the next 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.