1 Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying, 2 Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves. 3 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 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 from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel.

6 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 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; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel? 9 My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD. 10 Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way. 11 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, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam. 13 Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty. 14 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 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 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 Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches. 18 Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field. 19 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 fought against Sisera. 21 The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength. 22 Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones. 23 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 Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent. 25 He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish. 26 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 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 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 Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself, 30 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 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.

1 Op die dag het Debora en Barak, die seun van Abinoam, gesing en gesê:

2 Omdat aanvoerders aangevoer het in Israel, omdat die volk hom gewillig getoon het -- prys die HERE!

3 Hoor, o konings! Luister, o vorste! Ek, tot eer van die HERE wil ek sing, tot eer van die HERE, die God van Israel, wil ek psalmsing.

4 HERE, toe U uitgetrek het uit Se‹r, toe U voortgestap het uit die veld van Edom, het die aarde gebeef, ook het die hemel gedrup, ook het die wolke water gedrup.

5 Berge het gewankel voor die aangesig van die HERE uit, hierdie Sinai voor die aangesig van die HERE, die God van Israel.

6 In die dae van Samgar, die seun van Anat, in die dae van Jael, was die paaie verlate, en die reisigers het langs sypaaie gegaan.

7 Leiers het ontbreek in Israel, ontbreek; totdat ek, Debora, opgestaan het, ek, 'n moeder in Israel, opgestaan het.

8 Kies hulle nuwe gode, dan is daar oorlog in die poorte; was daar skild of spies te sien onder veertig duisend in Israel?

9 My hart is vir die aanvoerders van Israel wat hulle gewillig betoon het onder die volk -- prys die HERE!

10 Julle wat op wit eselinne ry, wat op tapyte sit, wandelaars langs die paaie, dink na!

11 Vanweë die stem van die boogskutters tussen die drinkplekke, besing hulle daar die regverdige dade van die HERE, die regverdige dade van sy leiding in Israel. Toe het die volk van die HERE afgetrek na die poorte toe.

12 Word wakker, word wakker, Debora! Word wakker, word wakker, hef 'n lied aan! Staan op, Barak! en voer jou gevangenes weg, seun van Abinoam!

13 Toe het die oorblyfsel van die vername manne van die volk afgetrek, toe het die HERE vir my afgetrek onder die helde.

14 Uit Efraim, die wat hulle wortel in Amalek het; Benjamin, agter jou aan onder jou manskappe; uit Magir trek die aanvoerders af, en uit S,bulon die wat met die werwerstaf uittrek;

15 en vorste in Issaskar met Debora saam; en Issaskar soos Barak: in die dal storm hulle op sy voetspore. In die afdelings van Ruben was die voornemens van die hart groot.

16 Waarom het jy tussen die veekrale bly sit en luister na die fluitspel by die troppe vee? In die afdelings van Ruben was die voornemens van die hart groot.

17 G¡lead het rustig oorkant die Jordaan gebly; en Dan, waarom vertoef hy by die skepe? Aser het bly sit aan die seekus en aan sy baaie rustig gebly.

18 S,bulon is 'n volk wat sy siel gering ag tot die dood toe; ook N ftali op die hoogvlaktes.

19 Konings het gekom, geveg; toe het die konings van Kana„n geveg by T änag, by die waters van Meg¡ddo -- geen stuk silwer het hulle geneem nie.

20 Uit die hemel het die sterre geveg, uit hulle bane het hulle teen S¡sera geveg;

21 die spruit Kison het hulle afgedrywe, die spruit van ontmoeting, die spruit Kison! Tree op, my siel, met mag!

22 Toe het die perdepote geklap van die gejaag, die gejaag van hulle geweldiges.

23 Vloek Meros, sê die Engel van die HERE; ja, vervloek sy inwoners, omdat hulle die HERE nie tot hulp gekom het nie, die HERE tot hulp onder die helde.

24 Mag bo die vroue geseënd wees Jael, die vrou van Heber, die Keniet; geseënd wees bo die vroue in die tent!

25 Water het hy gevra, melk het sy gegee, in 'n sierlike skottel het sy dikmelk gebring.

26 Haar hand steek sy uit na die tentpen en haar regterhand na die werksman se hamer; en sy hamer S¡sera, verpletter sy kop en verbrysel en deurboor die slaap van sy hoof.

27 Tussen haar voete sak hy inmekaar, val, lê daar! Tussen haar voete sak hy inmekaar, val; waar hy inmekaarsak, daar lê hy -- morsdood.

28 Deur die venster kyk die moeder van S¡sera uit, en sy roep deur die venstertralie: Waarom vertoef sy wa om te kom? Waarom versuim die passe van sy wa-span?

29 Die skranderste van haar vorstinne antwoord haar, ja, sy self antwoord op haar woorde:

30 Hulle het seker buit gevind en verdeel dit: een slavin, twee slavinne vir elke man; 'n buit van bont klere vir S¡sera, 'n buit van bont klere, veelkleurige; 'n bont doek, twee veelkleuriges as buit vir my hals.

31 So moet al u vyande, HERE, omkom! Maar die wat Hom liefhet, is soos die opgang van die son in sy krag. En die land het veertig jaar lank gerus.