6. In the days of Shamgar, Anath’s son,in the days of Jael, caravans ceased.Those traveling by roadkept to the backroads.
7. Villagers disappeared;they disappeared in Israel,until you, Deborah, arose,until you arose as a mother in Israel.
8. When they chose new gods,then war came to the city gates.Yet there wasn’t a shield or spear to be seenamong forty thousand in Israel!
9. My heart is with Israel’s commanders,who willingly offered themselves among the people—bless the Lord!
10. You who ride white donkeys,who sit on saddle blankets,who walk along the road: tell of it.
11. To the sound of instruments at the watering places,there they repeat the Lord’s victories,his villagers’ victories in Israel.Then the Lord’s people marched down to the city gates.
12. "Wake up, wake up, Deborah!Wake up, wake up, sing a song!Arise, Barak!Capture your prisoners,Abinoam’s son!"
13. Then those who remained marched down against royalty;the Lord’s people marched down against warriors.
14. From Ephraim they set out into the valley,after you, Benjamin, with your people!From Machir commanders marched down,and from Zebulun those carrying the official’s staff.
15. The leaders of Issachar came along with Deborah;Issachar was attached to Barak,and was sent into the valley behind him.Among the clans of Reubenthere was deep soul-searching.
16. "Why did you stay back among the sheep pens,listening to the music for the flocks?"For the clans of Reubenthere was deep soul-searching.
17. Gilead stayed on the other side of the Jordan,and Dan, why did he remain with the ships?Asher stayed by the seacoast,camping at his harbors.
18. Zebulun is a people that readily risked death;Naphtali too in the high countryside.
19. Kings came and made war;the kings of Canaan foughtat Taanach by Megiddo’s waters,but they captured no spoils of silver.
20. The stars fought from the sky;from their orbits they fought against Sisera.
21. The Kishon River swept them away;the advancing river, the Kishon River.March on, my life, with might!
22. Then the horses’ hooves poundedwith the galloping, galloping of their stallions.
23. "Curse Meroz," says the Lord’s messenger,"curse its inhabitants bitterly,because they didn’t come to the Lord’s aid,to the Lord’s aid against the warriors."
24. May Jael be blessed above all women;may the wife of Heber the Kenitebe blessed above all tent-dwelling women.