¶ Then sang Deborah¹ and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,

Praise ye the LORD for the avenging² of Israel, when³ the people willingly offered themselves.

Hear, O ye kings⁴; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I,⁵ will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.

LORD⁶, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth⁷ trembled, and the heavens dropped⁸, the clouds also dropped water.

The mountains⁹ melted¹⁰ from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel.

¶ In the days of Shamgar¹¹ the son of Anath, in the days of Jael¹², the highways¹³ were unoccupied, and the travellers¹⁴ walked through byways.

The inhabitants of the villages¹⁵ ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother¹⁶ in Israel.

They chose new gods¹⁷; then was war in the gates: was there¹⁸ a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?

My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered¹⁹ themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD.

¶ Speak²⁰, ye that ride²¹ on white asses, ye that sit²² in judgment, and walk by the way.

They that are delivered from the noise²³ of archers in the places²⁴ of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts²⁵ of the LORD, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages²⁶ in Israel: then shall the people of the LORD go down²⁷ to the gates.

¶ Awake, awake, Deborah²⁸: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead²⁹ thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.

Then he made³⁰ him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the LORD³¹ made me have dominion over the mighty.

Out of Ephraim³² was there a root of them against Amalek³³; after³⁴ thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir³⁵ came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen³⁶ of the writer.

And the princes³⁷ of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak³⁸: he was sent on foot³⁹ into the valley. For the⁴⁰ divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts⁴¹ of heart.

Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds⁴², to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For⁴³ the divisions of Reuben there were great⁴⁴ searchings of heart.

Gilead⁴⁵ abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher⁴⁶ continued on the sea shore⁴⁷, and abode in his breaches.

Zebulun⁴⁸ and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded⁴⁹ their lives unto the death in the high⁵⁰ places of the field.

The kings⁵¹ came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach⁵² by the waters of Megiddo; they took⁵³ no gain of money.

¶ They fought⁵⁴ from heaven; the stars⁵⁵ in their courses⁵⁶ fought against Sisera.

The river of Kishon⁵⁷ swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul⁵⁸, thou hast trodden down strength.

Then were the horsehoofs⁵⁹ broken by the means of the pransings⁶⁰, the pransings of their mighty ones.

Curse ye⁶¹ Meroz⁶², said the angel⁶³ of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came⁶⁴ not to the help⁶⁵ of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.

¶⁶⁶Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.

He asked⁶⁷ water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter⁶⁸ in a lordly dish.

She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer; and with the⁶⁹ hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.

At⁷⁰ her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead⁷¹.

The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through⁷² the lattice, Why is⁷³ his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots?

Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer⁷⁴ to herself,

¶ Have they not sped⁷⁵? have they not divided the prey; to every man⁷⁶ 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?

So let⁷⁷ all thine enemies perish, O LORD: but let them that⁷⁸ love him be as the sun⁷⁹ when he goeth forth in his might. And the land⁸⁰ had rest forty years.