The Song of Deborah and Barak

1 aThen Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying,

2 “aThat 1the leaders led in Israel,

That bthe people volunteered,

Bless the Lord!

3 “Hear, O kings; give ear, O rulers!

aI—to the Lord, I will sing,

I will sing praise to the Lord, the God of Israel.

4 “aLord, when You went out from Seir,

When You marched from the field of Edom,

bThe earth quaked, the heavens also dripped,

Even the clouds dripped water.

5 “aThe mountains 1quaked at the presence of the Lord,

bThis Sinai, at the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel.

6 “In the days of aShamgar the son of Anath,

In the days of bJael, the highways 1were deserted,

And travelers 2went by 3roundabout ways.

7 “The peasantry ceased, they ceased in Israel,

Until I, Deborah, arose,

Until I arose, a mother in Israel.

8 “aNew 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 athe commanders of Israel,

The volunteers among the people;

Bless the Lord!

10 “aYou who ride on 1white donkeys,

You who sit on rich carpets,

And you who travel on the road—2sing!

11 “At the sound of those who divide flocks among athe watering places,

There they shall recount bthe righteous deeds of the Lord,

The righteous deeds for His 1peasantry in Israel.

Then the people of the Lord went down cto the gates.

12 “aAwake, awake, Deborah;

Awake, awake, 1sing a song!

Arise, Barak, and btake away your captives, O son of Abinoam.

13 “Then survivors came down to the nobles;

The people of the Lord came down to me as warriors.

14 “From Ephraim those whose root is ain Amalek came down,

Following you, Benjamin, with your peoples;

From Machir commanders came down,

And from Zebulun those who wield the staff of 1office.

15 “And the 1princes of Issachar were with Deborah;

As was Issachar, so was Barak;

Into the valley they rushed aat his 2heels;

Among the divisions of Reuben

There were great resolves of heart.