Judges 5:11-25

¹¹Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water, there they will rehearse the LORD’s righteous acts, the righteous acts of his rule in Israel. “Then the LORD’s people went down to the gates.

¹²‘Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, utter a song! Arise, Barak, and lead away your captives, you son of Abinoam.’

¹³“Then a remnant of the nobles and the people came down. The LORD came down for me against the mighty.

¹⁴Those whose root is in Amalek came out of Ephraim, after you, Benjamin, amongst your peoples. Governors come down out of Machir. Those who handle the marshal’s staff came out of Zebulun.

¹⁵The princes of Issachar were with Deborah. As was Issachar, so was Barak. They rushed into the valley at his feet. By the watercourses of Reuben, there were great resolves of heart.

¹⁶Why did you sit amongst the sheepfolds? To hear the whistling for the flocks? At the watercourses of Reuben, there were great searchings of heart.

¹⁷Gilead lived beyond the Jordan. Why did Dan remain in ships? Asher sat still at the haven of the sea, and lived by his creeks.

¹⁸Zebulun was a people that jeopardised their lives to the death; Naphtali also, on the high places of the field.

¹⁹“The kings came and fought, then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo. They took no plunder of silver.

²⁰From the sky the stars fought. From their courses, they fought against Sisera.

²¹The river Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. My soul, march on with strength.

²²Then the horse hoofs stamped because of the prancing, the prancing of their strong ones.

²³‘Curse Meroz,’ said the LORD’s angel. ‘Curse bitterly its inhabitants, because they didn’t come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.’

²⁴“Jael shall be blessed above women, the wife of Heber the Kenite; blessed shall she be above women in the tent.

²⁵He asked for water. She gave him milk. She brought him butter in a lordly dish.