Judges 5:6-24

6“In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, In the days of Jael, the highways were deserted, And travelers went by roundabout ways.

7The villagers ceased to be; they ceased in Israel Until I, Deborah, arose, Until I arose, a mother in Israel.

8They chose new gods; Then war was in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen Among forty thousand in Israel?

9My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel, The volunteers among the people; Bless the Lord!

10Sing of it, you who ride on white donkeys, You who sit on rich carpets, And you who walk by the way.

11At the sound of those who divide flocks among the watering places, There they shall recount the righteous acts of the Lord, The righteous acts toward His villagers in Israel. Then the people of the Lord went down to the gates.

12“Awake, awake, Deborah; Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, Barak, and lead away your captives, you son of Abinoam.

13Then down marched the survivors to the nobles; The people of the Lord marched down for Me against the mighty.

14From Ephraim those whose root is in Amalek came down, After you, Benjamin, with your relatives; From Machir came down commanders and rulers, And from Zebulun those who handle the scepter of the [office of] scribe.

15And the heads of Issachar came with Deborah; As Issachar, so was Barak; Into the valley they rushed at his heels; Among the divisions of Reuben There were great searchings of heart.

16Why [Reuben] did you linger among the sheepfolds, To hear the piping for the flocks? Among the divisions of Reuben There were great searchings of heart.

17Gilead remained beyond the Jordan; And why did Dan live as an alien on ships? Asher sat [still] on the seacoast, And remained by its landings. [These did not come to battle for God’s people.]

18But Zebulun was a people who risked their lives to the [point of] death; Naphtali also, on the heights of the field.

19“The kings came and fought; Then the kings of Canaan fought At Taanach by the waters of Megiddo. Spoils of silver they did not obtain.

20From the heavens the stars fought, From their courses they fought against Sisera.

21The torrent Kishon swept the enemy away, The ancient torrent, the torrent Kishon. O my soul, march on with strength.

22Then the horses’ hoofs beat [loudly] Because of the galloping—the galloping of his valiant and powerful steeds.

23‘Curse Meroz,’ said the messenger of the Lord, ‘Utterly curse its inhabitants; Because they did not come to the help of the Lord, To the help of the Lord against the mighty.’

24“Most blessed of women is Jael, The wife of Heber the Kenite; Most blessed is she of women in the tent.