New Revised Standard NRS
The Message Bible MSG
1 Then Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying:
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That day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
2 "When locks are long in Israel, when the people offer themselves willingly— bless the Lord!
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When they let down their hair in Israel, they let it blow wild in the wind. The people volunteered with abandon, bless God!
3 "Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes; to the Lord I will sing, I will make melody to the Lord, the God of Israel.
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Hear O kings! Listen O princes! To God, yes to God, I'll sing, Make music to God, to the God of Israel.
4 "Lord, when you went out from Seir, when you marched from the region of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens poured, the clouds indeed poured water.
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God, when you left Seir, marched across the fields of Edom, Earth quaked, yes, the skies poured rain, oh, the clouds made rivers.
5 The mountains quaked before the Lord, the One of Sinai, before the Lord, the God of Israel.
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Mountains leapt before God, the Sinai God, before God, the God of Israel.
6 "In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, caravans ceased and travelers kept to the byways.
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In the time of Shamgar son of Anath, and in the time of Jael, Public roads were abandoned, travelers went by backroads.
7 The peasantry prospered in Israel, they grew fat on plunder, because you arose, Deborah, arose as a mother in Israel.
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Warriors became fat and sloppy, no fight left in them. Then you, Deborah, rose up; you got up, a mother in Israel.
8 When new gods were chosen, then war was in the gates. Was shield or spear to be seen among forty thousand in Israel?
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God chose new leaders, who then fought at the gates. And not a shield or spear to be seen among the forty companies of Israel.
9 My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless the Lord.
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Lift your hearts high, O Israel, with abandon, volunteering yourselves with the people - bless God!
10 "Tell of it, you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit on rich carpets and you who walk by the way.
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You who ride on prize donkeys comfortably mounted on blankets And you who walk down the roads, ponder, attend!
11 To the sound of musicians at the watering places, there they repeat the triumphs of the Lord, the triumphs of his peasantry in Israel. "Then down to the gates marched the people of the Lord.
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Gather at the town well and listen to them sing, Chanting the tale of God's victories, his victories accomplished in Israel. Then the people of God went down to the city gates.
12 "Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, utter a song! Arise, Barak, lead away your captives, O son of Abinoam.
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Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up, wake up, sing a song! On your feet, Barak! Take your prisoners, son of Abinoam!
13 Then down marched the remnant of the noble; the people of the Lord marched down for him against the mighty.
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Then the remnant went down to greet the brave ones. The people of God joined the mighty ones.
14 From Ephraim they set out into the valley, following you, Benjamin, with your kin; from Machir marched down the commanders, and from Zebulun those who bear the marshal's staff;
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The captains from Ephraim came to the valley, behind you, Benjamin, with your troops. Captains marched down from Makir, from Zebulun high-ranking leaders came down.
15 the chiefs of Issachar came with Deborah, and Issachar faithful to Barak; into the valley they rushed out at his heels. Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
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Issachar's princes rallied to Deborah, Issachar stood fast with Barak, backing him up on the field of battle. But in Reuben's divisions there was much second-guessing.
16 Why did you tarry among the sheepfolds, to hear the piping for the flocks? Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
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Why all those campfire discussions? Diverted and distracted, Reuben's divisions couldn't make up their minds.
17 Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan; and Dan, why did he abide with the ships? Asher sat still at the coast of the sea, settling down by his landings.
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Gilead played it safe across the Jordan, and Dan, why did he go off sailing? Asher kept his distance on the seacoast, safe and secure in his harbors.
18 Zebulun is a people that scorned death; Naphtali too, on the heights of the field.
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But Zebulun risked life and limb, defied death, as did Naphtali on the battle heights.
19 "The kings came, they fought; then fought the kings of Canaan, at Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; they got no spoils of silver.
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The kings came, they fought, the kings of Canaan fought. At Taanach they fought, at Megiddo's brook, but they took no silver, no plunder.
20 The stars fought from heaven, from their courses they fought against Sisera.
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The stars in the sky joined the fight, from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 The torrent Kishon swept them away, the onrushing torrent, the torrent Kishon. March on, my soul, with might!
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The torrent Kishon swept them away, the torrent attacked them, the torrent Kishon. Oh, you'll stomp on the necks of the strong!
22 "Then loud beat the horses' hoofs with the galloping, galloping of his steeds.
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Then the hoofs of the horses pounded, charging, stampeding stallions.
23 "Curse Meroz, says the angel of the Lord, curse bitterly its inhabitants, because they did not come to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty.
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"Curse Meroz," says God's angel. "Curse, double curse, its people, Because they didn't come when God needed them, didn't rally to God's side with valiant fighters."
24 "Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, of tent-dwelling women most blessed.
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Most blessed of all women is Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of homemaking women.
25 He asked water and she gave him milk, she brought him curds in a lordly bowl.
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He asked for water, she brought milk; In a handsome bowl, she offered cream.
26 She put her hand to the tent peg and her right hand to the workmen's mallet; she struck Sisera a blow, she crushed his head, she shattered and pierced his temple.
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She grabbed a tent peg in her left hand, with her right hand she seized a hammer. She hammered Sisera, she smashed his head, she drove a hole through his head.
27 He sank, he fell, he lay still at her feet; at her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell dead.
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He slumped at her feet. He fell. He sprawled. He slumped at her feet. He fell. Slumped. Fallen. Dead.
28 "Out of the window she peered, the mother of Sisera gazed through the lattice: "Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the hoofbeats of his chariots?'
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Sisera's mother waited at the window, a weary, anxious watch. "What's keeping his chariot? What delays his chariot's rumble?"
29 Her wisest ladies make answer, indeed, she answers the question herself:
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The wisest of her ladies-in-waiting answers with calm, reassuring words,
30 "Are they not finding and dividing the spoil?— A girl or two for every man; spoil of dyed stuffs for Sisera, spoil of dyed stuffs embroidered, two pieces of dyed work embroidered for my neck as spoil?'
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"Don't you think they're busy at plunder, dividing up the loot? A girl, maybe two girls, for each man, And for Sisera a bright silk shirt, a prize, fancy silk shirt! And a colorful scarf - make it two scarves - to grace the neck of the plunderer."
31 "So perish all your enemies, O Lord! But may your friends be like the sun as it rises in its might." And the land had rest forty years.
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Thus may all God's enemies perish, while his lovers be like the unclouded sun. The land was quiet for forty years.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.