Judges 5:6–11
6 “In the days of bShamgar, son of Anath,
in the days of cJael, dthe highways were abandoned,
and travelers kept to the byways.
7 The villagers ceased in Israel;
they ceased to be until I arose;
I, Deborah, arose as a mother in Israel.
8 eWhen new gods were chosen,
then war was in the gates.
fWas shield or spear to be seen
among forty thousand in Israel?
9 My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel
who goffered themselves willingly among the people.
Bless the Lord.
10 “Tell of it, hyou who ride on white donkeys,
you who sit on rich carpets2
and you who walk by the way.
11 To the sound of musicians3 at the watering places,
there they repeat the righteous triumphs of the Lord,
the righteous triumphs of his villagers in Israel.
“Then down to the gates marched the people of the Lord.
Judges 5:6–11 — The New International Version (NIV)
6 “In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,
in the days of Jael, the highways were abandoned;
travelers took to winding paths.
7 Villagers in Israel would not fight;
they held back until I, Deborah, arose,
until I arose, a mother in Israel.
8 God chose new leaders
when war came to the city gates,
but not a shield or spear was seen
among forty thousand in Israel.
9 My heart is with Israel’s princes,
with the willing volunteers among the people.
Praise the Lord!
10 “You who ride on white donkeys,
sitting on your saddle blankets,
and you who walk along the road,
consider 11 the voice of the singers at the watering places.
They recite the victories of the Lord,
the victories of his villagers in Israel.
“Then the people of the Lord
went down to the city gates.
Judges 5:6–11 — King James Version (KJV 1900)
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.
Judges 5:6–11 — New Living Translation (NLT)
6 “In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,
and in the days of Jael,
people avoided the main roads,
and travelers stayed on winding pathways.
7 There were few people left in the villages of Israel—
until Deborah arose as a mother for Israel.
8 When Israel chose new gods,
war erupted at the city gates.
Yet not a shield or spear could be seen
among forty thousand warriors in Israel!
9 My heart is with the commanders of Israel,
with those who volunteered for war.
Praise the Lord!
10 “Consider this, you who ride on fine donkeys,
you who sit on fancy saddle blankets,
and you who walk along the road.
11 Listen to the village musicians
gathered at the watering holes.
They recount the righteous victories of the Lord
and the victories of his villagers in Israel.
Then the people of the Lord
marched down to the city gates.
Judges 5:6–11 — The New King James Version (NKJV)
6 “In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath,
In the days of Jael,
The highways were deserted,
And the travelers walked along the byways.
7 Village life ceased, it ceased in Israel,
Until I, Deborah, arose,
Arose a mother in Israel.
8 They chose new gods;
Then there was war in the gates;
Not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel.
9 My heart is with the rulers of Israel
Who offered themselves willingly with the people.
Bless the Lord!
10 “Speak, you who ride on white donkeys,
Who sit in judges’ attire,
And who walk along the road.
11 Far from the noise of the archers, among the watering places,
There they shall recount the righteous acts of the Lord,
The righteous acts for His villagers in Israel;
Then the people of the Lord shall go down to the gates.
Judges 5:6–11 — New Century Version (NCV)
6 “In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,
in the days of Jael, the main roads were empty.
Travelers went on the back roads.
7 There were no warriors in Israel
until I, Deborah, arose,
until I arose to be a mother to Israel.
8 At that time they chose to follow new gods.
Because of this, enemies fought us at our city gates.
No one could find a shield or a spear
among the forty thousand people of Israel.
9 My heart is with the commanders of Israel.
They volunteered freely from among the people.
Praise the Lord!
10 “You who ride on white donkeys
and sit on saddle blankets,
and you who walk along the road, listen!
11 Listen to the sound of the singers
at the watering holes.
There they tell about the victories of the Lord,
the victories of the Lord’s warriors in Israel.
Then the Lord’s people went down to the city gates.
Judges 5:6–11 — American Standard Version (ASV)
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 rulers ceased in Israel, they ceased,
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 Jehovah.
10 Tell of it, ye that ride on white asses,
Ye that sit on rich carpets,
And ye that walk by the way.
11 Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water,
There shall they rehearse the righteous acts of Jehovah,
Even the righteous acts of his rule in Israel.
Then the people of Jehovah went down to the gates.
Judges 5:6–11 — 1890 Darby Bible (DARBY)
6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, The roads were unused, and the travellers on highways went by crooked paths. 7 The villages ceased in Israel, Ceased 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, who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless Jehovah! 10 Ye that ride on white she-asses, ye that sit on carpets, and ye that walk by the way, consider. 11 Because of the voice of those who divide the spoil in the midst of the places of drawing water; There they rehearse the righteous acts of Jehovah, His righteous acts toward his villages in Israel. Then the people of Jehovah went down to the gates.
Judges 5:6–11 — GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)
6 In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath,
in the days of Jael,
roads were deserted.
Those who traveled took back roads.
7 Villages in Israel were deserted—
deserted until I, Deborah, took a stand—
took a stand as a mother of Israel.
8 When the people chose new gods,
war broke out inside the city gates.
Not a weapon was seen among 40,000 in Israel.
9 My heart goes out to Israel’s commanders,
to those people who volunteered.
Praise the Lord!
10 You people who ride on brown donkeys,
who sit on saddle blankets,
and who walk on the road—think.
11 Listen to the voices of those singing at the wells.
Over and over again they repeat
the victories of the Lord,
the victories for his villages in Israel.
Then the Lord’s people went down to the city gates.
Judges 5:6–11 — The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
6 In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,
in the days of Jael,
the main ways were deserted
because travelers kept to the side roads.
7 Villages were deserted,
they were deserted in Israel,
until I, Deborah, arose,
a mother in Israel.
8 Israel chose new gods,
then war was in the gates.
Not a shield or spear was seen
among 40,000 in Israel.
9 My heart is with the leaders of Israel,
with the volunteers of the people.
Praise the Lord!
10 You who ride on white donkeys,
who sit on saddle blankets,
and who travel on the road, give praise!
11 Let them tell the righteous acts of the Lord,
the righteous deeds of His warriors in Israel,
with the voices of the singers at the watering places.
Then the Lord’s people went down to the gates.
Judges 5:6–11 — The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
6 “In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,
in the days of Jael, caravans ceased
and travelers kept to the byways.
7 The peasantry prospered in Israel,
they grew fat on plunder,
because you arose, Deborah,
arose as a mother in Israel.
8 When new gods were chosen,
then war was in the gates.
Was shield or spear to be seen
among forty thousand in Israel?
9 My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel
who offered themselves willingly among the people.
Bless the Lord.
10 “Tell of it, you who ride on white donkeys,
you who sit on rich carpets
and you who walk by the way.
11 To the sound of musicians at the watering places,
there they repeat the triumphs of the Lord,
the triumphs of his peasantry in Israel.
“Then down to the gates marched the people of the Lord.
Judges 5:6–11 — The Lexham English Bible (LEB)
6 “In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,
in the days of Jael, the caravans had ceased,
the travelers, they kept to the byways.
7 The warriors ceased;
they failed to appear in Israel,
until I, Deborah, arose;
I arose as a mother in Israel.
8 God chose new leaders,
then war was at the gates;
a small shield or a spear was not seen
among forty thousand in Israel.
9 My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel,
those offering themselves willingly among the people;
bless Yahweh!
10 The riders of white female donkeys,
those sitting on saddle blankets,
and those going on the way, talk about it!
11 At the sound of those dividing the sheep
among the watering places,
there they will recount the righteous deeds of Yahweh,
the righteous deeds for his warriors in Israel.
Then the people of Yahweh went down to the gates.
Judges 5:6–11 — New International Reader’s Version (1998) (NIrV)
6 “The roads were deserted. So travelers used the winding paths.
That happened in the days of Shamgar, the son of Anath.
It happened in the days of Jael.
7 Life in the villages of Israel stopped.
It stopped until I, Deborah, came.
I came as a mother in Israel.
8 The people chose new gods.
Then war came to the city gates.
But no shields or spears were seen anywhere.
There weren’t any among 40,000 men in Israel.
9 My heart is with the princes in Israel.
It’s with the people who follow them just because they want to.
Praise the Lord!
10 “Some of you ride on white donkeys.
Some of you sit on your saddle blankets.
Some of you walk along the road.
Think about 11 the voices of the singers at the watering places.
They sing about the right things the Lord does.
They sing about the right things his warriors in Israel do.
“The people of the Lord
went down to the city gates.
Judges 5:6–11 — New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (NASB95)
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.
7 “The peasantry ceased, they ceased in Israel,
Until I, Deborah, arose,
Until I arose, a mother in Israel.
8 “New gods were chosen;
Then war was in the gates.
Not a shield or a spear was seen
Among forty thousand in Israel.
9 “My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel,
The volunteers among the people;
Bless the Lord!
10 “You who ride on white donkeys,
You who sit on rich carpets,
And you who travel on the road—sing!
11 “At the sound of those who divide flocks among the watering places,
There they shall recount the righteous deeds of the Lord,
The righteous deeds for His peasantry in Israel.
Then the people of the Lord went down to the gates.