Judges 5
Open in the reader1On that day Bee and Lightning son of My-Father-Is-Pleasantness sang this song:
2“When the princes take the lead in Strives-with-God, when the people volunteer, bless He-Who-Is.
3Listen, O kings! Give ear, O princes! I will sing to He-Who-Is; I will sing praise to He-Who-Is, the God of Strives-with-God.
4O He-Who-Is, when You went out from Hairy, when You marched from the land of Red, the earth trembled, the heavens poured out rain, and the clouds poured down water.
5The mountains quaked before He-Who-Is, the One of Sinai, before He-Who-Is, the God of Strives-with-God.
6In the days of Shamgar son of Answer, in the days of Mountain-Goat, the highways were deserted and the travelers took the byways.
7Life in the villages ceased; it ended in Strives-with-God, until I, Bee, arose, a mother in Strives-with-God.
8When they chose new gods, then war came to their gates. Not a shield or spear was found among forty thousand in Strives-with-God.
9My heart is with the princes of Strives-with-God, with the volunteers among the people. Bless He-Who-Is!
10You who ride white donkeys, who sit on saddle blankets, and you who travel the road, ponder
11the voices of the singers at the watering places. There they shall recount the righteous acts of He-Who-Is, the righteous deeds of His villagers in Strives-with-God. Then the people of He-Who-Is went down to the gates:
12‘Awake, awake, O Bee! Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, O Lightning, and take hold of your captives, O son of My-Father-Is-Pleasantness!’
13Then the survivors came down to the nobles; the people of He-Who-Is came down to me against the mighty.
14Some came from Double-Fruit, with their roots in Amalek; Son-of-the-Right-Hand came with your people after you. The commanders came down from Salesman, the bearers of the marshal’s staff from Dwelling.
15The princes of There-Is-Reward were with Bee, and There-Is-Reward was with Lightning, rushing into the valley at his heels. In the clans of See-a-Son there was great indecision.
16Why did you sit among the sheepfolds to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the clans of See-a-Son there was great indecision.
17Heap-of-Witness remained beyond the Descender. Judge, why did you linger by the ships? Happy stayed at the coast and remained in his harbors.
18Dwelling was a people who risked their lives; My-Wrestling, too, on the heights of the battlefield.
19Kings came and fought; then the kings of Humbled fought at Taanach by the waters of Rendezvous, but they took no plunder of silver.
20From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21The River Winding swept them away, the ancient river, the River Winding. March on, O my soul, in strength!
22Then the hooves of horses thundered— the mad galloping of his stallions.
23‘Curse Meroz,’ says the messenger of He-Who-Is. ‘Bitterly curse her inhabitants; for they did not come to help He-Who-Is, to help He-Who-Is against the mighty.’
24Most blessed among women is Mountain-Goat, the wife of Company the Smith-One, most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
25He asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a magnificent bowl she brought him curds.
26She reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman’s hammer. She struck Sisera and crushed his skull; she shattered and pierced his temple.
27At her feet he collapsed, he fell, there he lay still; at her feet he collapsed, he fell; where he collapsed, there he fell dead.
28Sisera’s mother looked through the window; she peered through the lattice and lamented: ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? What has delayed the clatter of his chariots?’
29Her wisest ladies answer; indeed she keeps telling herself,
30‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoil— a girl or two for each warrior, a plunder of dyed garments for Sisera, the spoil of embroidered garments for the neck of the looter?’
31So may all Your enemies perish, O He-Who-Is! But may those who love You shine like the sun at its brightest.” And the land had rest for forty years.