The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
King James Version KJV
1 On that day D'vorah and Barak the son of Avino'am sang this song:
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Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,
2 "When leaders in Isra'el dedicate themselves, and the people volunteer, you should all bless ADONAI.
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Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.
3 Hear, kings; listen, princes; I will sing to ADONAI! I will sing praise to ADONAI the God of Isra'el.
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Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.
4 "ADONAI, when you went out from Se'ir, when you marched out from the field of Edom; the earth quaked, and the sky shook; yes, the clouds poured down torrents.
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LORD, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water.
5 The mountains melted at the presence of ADONAI, at Sinai, before ADONAI the God of Isra'el.
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The mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel.
6 "In the days of Shamgar the son of 'Anat, in the days of Ya'el, the main roads were deserted; travelers walked the byways.
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In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.
7 The rulers ceased in Isra'el, they ceased, until you arose, D'vorah, arose a mother in Isra'el.
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The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.
8 "They chose new gods when war was at the gates. Was there a shield or spear to be seen among Isra'el's forty thousand men?
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They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?
9 My heart goes out to Isra'el's leaders and to those among the people who volunteer. All of you, bless ADONAI.
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My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD.
10 "You who ride white donkeys, sitting on soft saddle-blankets, and you walking on the road, talk about it!
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Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way.
11 Louder than the sound of archers at the watering-holes will they sound as they retell the righteous acts of ADONAI, the righteous acts of his rulers in Isra'el. "Then ADONAI's people marched down to the gates.
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They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of the LORD go down to the gates.
12 "Awake, awake, D'vorah! Awake, awake, break into song! Arise, Barak! Lead away your captives, son of Avino'am!
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Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.
13 "Then a remnant of the nobles marched down; the people of ADONAI marched down to me like warriors.
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Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty.
14 From Efrayim came those rooted in 'Amalek. Behind you, Binyamin is with your peoples. From Makhir the commanders marched down, and from Z'vulun those holding the musterer's staff.
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Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.
15 The princes of Yissakhar were with D'vorah, Yissakhar, along with Barak; into the valley they rushed forth behind him. Among the divisions of Re'uven they made great resolutions in their hearts.
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And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart.
16 But why did you stay at the pens for the sheep, and listen to the shepherd's flute playing for the flocks? Concerning the divisions of Re'uven there were great searchings of heart.
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Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
17 Gil'ad lives beyond the Yarden. Dan - why does he stay by the ships? Asher stayed by the shore of the sea, remaining near its bays.
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Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches.
18 The people of Z'vulun risked their lives, Naftali too, on the open heights.
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Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.
19 "Kings came; they fought. Yes, the kings of Kena'an fought at Ta'anakh, by the waters of Megiddo; but they took no spoil of silver.
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The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.
20 They fought from heaven, the stars in their courses; yes, they fought against Sisra.
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They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.
21 The Kishon River swept them away, that ancient river, the Kishon River. O my soul, march on with strength!
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The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.
22 Then the horses' hoofs pounded the ground, their mighty steeds galloping at full speed.
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Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.
23 "'Curse Meroz!' said the angel of ADONAI, 'Curse the people living there with a bitter punishment for not coming to help ADONAI, to help ADONAI against the mighty warriors.'
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Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.
24 "Ya'el will be blessed more than all women. The wife of Hever the Keini will be blessed more than any woman in the tent.
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Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.
25 He asked for water, and she gave him milk; In an elegant bowl she brought him curds.
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He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.
26 Then she took a tent peg in her left hand and a workman's hammer in her right; with the hammer she struck Sisra, pierced his skull, yes, she shattered and crushed his temple.
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She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.
27 He sank down at her feet, he fell and lay there; he sank at her feet, he fell - where he sank down, there he fell dead.
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At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead.
28 "Sisra's mother looks out the window; peering out through the lattice she wonders, 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why are his horses so slow to return?'
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The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots?
29 The wisest of her ladies answer her, and she repeats it to herself,
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Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself,
30 'Of course! They're collecting and dividing the spoil a girl, two girls for every warrior, for Sisra booty of dyed clothing, a plunder of colorfully embroidered garments, two embroidered scarves for every soldier's neck.'
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Have they not sped? have they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colours, a prey of divers colours of needlework, of divers colours of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil?
31 "May all your enemies perish like this, ADONAI; but may those who love him be like the sun going forth in its glory!" Then the land had rest for forty years.
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So let all thine enemies perish, O LORD: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The King James Version is in the public domain.