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The Book of Judges

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- Chapter 5 -

(Exodus 15:1–21)
1
In that day, Deborah and Barak, the son of Abinoam, sang out, saying:
2
“All you of Israel who have willingly offered your lives to danger, bless the Lord!
3
Listen, O kings! Pay attention, O princes! It is I, it is I, who will sing to the Lord. I will sing a psalm to the Lord, the God of Israel!
4
O Lord, when you departed from Seir, and you crossed through the regions of Edom, the earth and the heavens were moved, and the clouds rained down water.
5
The mountains flowed away before the face of the Lord, and Sinai, before the face of the Lord God of Israel.
6
In the days of Shamgar, the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the paths were quiet. And whoever entered by them, walked along rough byways.(a)
7
The strong men ceased, and they rested in Israel, until Deborah rose up, until a mother rose up in Israel.
8
The Lord chose new wars, and he himself overturned the gates of the enemies. A shield with a spear was not seen among the forty thousand of Israel.
9
My heart loves the leaders of Israel. All you who, of your own free will, offered yourselves during a crisis, bless the Lord.
10
You who ride upon donkeys laboring, and you who sit in judgment, and you who walk along the way, speak out.
11
Where the chariots were struck together, and the army of the enemies was choked, in that place, let the justices of the Lord be described, and let his clemency be for the brave of Israel. Then did the people of the Lord descend to the gates, and obtain leadership.
12
Rise up, rise up, O Deborah! Rise up, rise up, and speak a canticle! Rise up, Barak, and seize your captives, O son of Abinoam.
13
The remnants of the people were saved. The Lord contended with the strong.
14
Out of Ephraim, he destroyed those with Amalek, and after him, out of Benjamin, those of your people, O Amalek. From Machir, there descended leaders, and from Zebulun, those who led the army to war.(b) (c)
15
The commanders of Issachar were with Deborah, and they followed the steps of Barak, who endangered himself, like one rushing headlong into a chasm. Reuben was divided against himself. Contention was found among great souls.(d)
16
Why do you live between two borders, so that you hear the bleating of the flocks? Reuben was divided against himself. Contention was found among great souls.
17
Gilead rested beyond the Jordan, and Dan was occupied with ships. Asher was living on the shore of the sea, and dwelling in the ports.
18
Yet truly, Zebulun and Naphtali offered their lives to death in the region of Merom.
19
The kings came and fought; the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach, beside the waters of Megiddo. And yet they took no spoils.
20
The conflict against them was from heaven. The stars, remaining in their order and courses, fought against Sisera.
21
The torrent of Kishon dragged away their carcasses, the onrushing torrent, the torrent of Kishon. O my soul, tread upon the stalwart!
22
The hoofs of the horses were broken, while the strongest of the enemies fled away with fury, and rushed on to ruin.
23
‘Cursed be the land of Meroz!’ said the Angel of the Lord. ‘Cursed be its inhabitants! For they did not come to the aid of the Lord, to the assistance of his most valiant men.’(e)
24
Blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. And blessed is she in her tabernacle.
25
He begged her for water, and she gave him milk, and she offered him butter in a dish fit for princes.
26
She put her left hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workman’s mallet. And she struck Sisera, seeking in his head a place for the wound, and strongly piercing his temples.
27
Between her feet, he was ruined. He fainted away and passed on. He curled up before her feet, and he lay there lifeless and miserable.
28
His mother gazed through a window and wailed. And she spoke from an upper room: ‘Why does his chariot delay in returning? Why are the feet of his team of horses so slow?’
29
One who was wiser than the rest of his wives responded to her mother-in-law with this:
30
‘Perhaps he is now dividing the spoils, and the most beautiful among the women is being selected for him. Garments of diverse colors are being delivered to Sisera as spoils, and various goods are being collected for the adornment of necks.’
31
O Lord, so may all your enemies perish! But may those who love you shine with splendor, as the sun shines at its rising.”
32
And the land rested for forty years.

Footnotes

(a)5:6 The paths rested:The ways to the sanctuary of God were unfrequented: and men walked in the by-ways of error and sin.(Challoner)
(b)5:14 Out of Ephraim, etc:The enemies straggling in their flight were destroyed, as they were running through the land of Ephraim, and of Benjamin, which lies after, that is beyond Ephraim: and so on to the very confines of Amalec. Or, it alludes to former victories of the people of God, particularly that which was freshest in memory, when the men of Ephraim and Benjamin, with Aod at their head, overthrew their enemies the Moabites with the Amalecites their allies. See chap. 3.(Challoner)
(c)5:14 Machir:The tribe of Manasses, whose eldest son was Machir.(Challoner)
(d)5:15 Divided against himself, etc:By this it seems that the valient men of the tribe of Ruben were divided in their sentiments, with relation to this war; which division kept them at home within their own borders, to hear the bleating of their flocks.(Challoner)
(e)5:23 Meroz:Where this land of Meroz was, which is here laid under a curse, we cannot find: nor is there mention of it anywhere else in holy writ. In the spiritual sense, they are cursed who refuse to assist the people of God in their warfare against their spiritual enemies.(Challoner)
(Exodus 15:1–21)
1
Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying,
2
“Because the leaders took the lead in Israel, because the people offered themselves willingly, be blessed, LORD!
3
“Hear, you kings! Give ear, you princes! I, even I, will sing to the LORD. I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel.
4
“LORD, when you went out of Seir, when you marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the sky also dropped. Yes, the clouds dropped water.
5
The mountains quaked at the LORD’s presence, even Sinai at the presence of the LORD, the God of Israel.
6
“In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied. The travelers walked through byways.
7
The rulers ceased in Israel. They ceased until I, Deborah, arose; Until I arose a mother in Israel.
8
They chose new gods. Then war was in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?
9
My heart is toward the governors of Israel, who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless the LORD!
10
“Speak, you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit on rich carpets, and you who walk by the way.
11
Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water, there they will rehearse the LORD’s righteous acts, the righteous acts of his rule in Israel. “Then the LORD’s people went down to the gates.
12
‘Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, utter a song! Arise, Barak, and lead away your captives, you son of Abinoam.’
13
“Then a remnant of the nobles and the people came down. The LORD came down for me against the mighty.
14
Those whose root is in Amalek came out of Ephraim, after you, Benjamin, among your peoples. Governors come down out of Machir. Those who handle the marshal’s staff came out of Zebulun.
15
The princes of Issachar were with Deborah. As was Issachar, so was Barak. They rushed into the valley at his feet. By the watercourses of Reuben, there were great resolves of heart.
16
Why did you sit among the sheepfolds? To hear the whistling for the flocks? At the watercourses of Reuben, there were great searchings of heart.
17
Gilead lived beyond the Jordan. Why did Dan remain in ships? Asher sat still at the haven of the sea, and lived by his creeks.
18
Zebulun was a people that jeopardized their lives to the death; Naphtali also, on the high places of the field.
19
“The kings came and fought, then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo. They took no plunder of silver.
20
From the sky the stars fought. From their courses, they fought against Sisera.
21
The river Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. My soul, march on with strength.
22
Then the horse hoofs stamped because of the prancing, the prancing of their strong ones.
23
‘Curse Meroz,’ said the LORD’s angel. ‘Curse bitterly its inhabitants, because they didn’t come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.’
24
“Jael shall be blessed above women, the wife of Heber the Kenite; blessed shall she be above women in the tent.
25
He asked for water. She gave him milk. She brought him butter in a lordly dish.
26
She put her hand to the tent peg, and her right hand to the workmen’s hammer. With the hammer she struck Sisera. She struck through his head. Yes, she pierced and struck through his temples.
27
At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay. At her feet he bowed, he fell. Where he bowed, there he fell down dead.
28
“Through the window she looked out, and cried: Sisera’s mother looked through the lattice. ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why do the wheels of his chariots wait?’
29
Her wise ladies answered her, Yes, she returned answer to herself,
30
‘Have they not found, have they not divided the plunder? A lady, two ladies to every man; to Sisera a plunder of dyed garments, a plunder of dyed garments embroidered, of dyed garments embroidered on both sides, on the necks of the plunder?’
31
“So let all your enemies perish, LORD, but let those who love him be as the sun when it rises in its strength.” Then the land had rest forty years.
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