New King James Version

Judges 5:1-14 New King James Version (NKJV)

1. Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying:

2. “When leaders lead in Israel,When the people willingly offer themselves,Bless the Lord!

3. “Hear, O kings! Give ear, O princes!I, even I, will sing to the Lord;I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.

4. “Lord, when You went out from Seir,When You marched from the field of Edom,The earth trembled and the heavens poured,The clouds also poured water;

5. The mountains gushed before the Lord,This Sinai, before the Lord God of Israel.

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 IsraelWho 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.

12. “Awake, awake, Deborah!Awake, awake, sing a song!Arise, Barak, and lead your captives away,O son of Abinoam!

13. “Then the survivors came down, the people against the nobles;The Lord came down for me against the mighty.

14. From Ephraim were those whose roots were in Amalek.After you, Benjamin, with your peoples,From Machir rulers came down,And from Zebulun those who bear the recruiter’s staff.