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[1] Then sang Deborah, and Barak the son of Abinoam the same day, saying,
[2] Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel , and for the people that offered themselves willingly.
[3] Hear, ye kings, hearken ye princes: I, even I will sing unto the Lord: I will sing praise unto the Lord God of Israel.
[4] Lord, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou departest out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens rained, the clouds also dropped water.
[5] The mountains melted before the Lord, as did that Sinai 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 travelers walked through byways.
[7] The towns were not inhabited: they decayed, I say, in Israel, until I Deborah came up, which rose up 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 of Israel?
[9] Mine heart is set on the governors of Israel, and on them that are willing among the people: praise ye the Lord.
[10] Speak ye that ride on white asses, ye that dwell by Middin, and that walk by the way.
[11] For the noise of the archers appaised among the drawers of water: there shall they rehearse the righteousness of the Lord, his righteousness of his towns in Israel: then did the people of the Lord go down to the gates.
[12] Up Deborah, up, arise, and sing a song: arise Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.
[13] For they that remain, have dominion over the mighty of the people: the Lord hath given me dominion over the strong.
[14] Of Ephraim their root arose against Amalek and after thee, Benjamin shall fight against thy people, O Amalek: of Machir came rulers, and of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.
[15] And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah, and Issachar, and also Barak: he was set on his feet in the valley: for the divisions of Reuben were great thoughts of heart.
[16] Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben were great thoughts of heart.
[17] Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why doth Dan remain in ships? Asher sat on the seashore, and tarried in his decayed places.
[18] But the people of Zebulun and Naphtali have 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 received no gain of money.
[20] They fought from heaven, even the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.
[21] The river Kishon sweep them away, that ancient river the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast marched valiantly.
[22] Then were the horse hoofs broken with the oft beating together of their mighty men.
[23] Curse ye Meroz: (said the angel of the Lord) curse the inhabitants thereof, because they came not to help the Lord, to help the Lord against the mighty.
[24] Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite shall be blessed above other women: blessed shall she be above women dwelling in tents.
[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 workman's hammer: with the hammer smote she Sisera: she smote off his head, after she had wounded, and pierced his temples.
[27] He bowed him down at her feet, he fell down, and lay still: at her feet he bowed him down, and fell: and when he had sunk down, he lay there dead.
[28] The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long a coming? Why tarry the wheels of his chariots?
[29] Her wise ladies answered her, Yea. She answered herself with her own words,
[30] Have they not gotten, and they divide the spoil? Every man hath a maid or two. Sisera hath a prey of divers colored garments, a prey of sundry colors made of needle work: of divers colors of needle work on both sides, for the chief of the spoil.
[31] So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord: but they that love him, shall be as the sun when he riseth in his might, and the land had rest forty years.
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