A singer, a prophetess, a judge, and a mother in Israel. The land had rest for 40 years after Sisera was defeated.
The Song of Deborah and Barak (Judges 5)
Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day:
* “That the leaders took the lead in [Israel](/view/Israel),
* that the people [o](/view/O)ffered themselves willingly,
* [bless](/view/Bless) the Lord!
* “Hear, [O](/view/O) [king](/view/King)s; give [ear](/view/Ear), [O](/view/O) princes;
* to the Lord I will [sin](/view/Sin)g;
* I will make melody to the Lord, the [God](/view/God) [o](/view/O)f [Israel](/view/Israel).
* “Lord, when you went [o](/view/O)ut from [Seir](/view/Seir),
* when you marched from the region [o](/view/O)f [Edom](/view/Edom),
* the [earth](/view/Earth) trembled
* and the [heaven](/view/Heaven)s dropped,
* yes, the clouds dropped [water](/view/Water).
* The [mountain](/view/Mountain)s quaked before the Lord,
* [eve](/view/Eve)n [Sin](/view/Sin)[ai](/view/AI) before the Lord,[a] the [God](/view/God) [o](/view/O)f [Israel](/view/Israel).
* “In the [day](/view/Day)s [o](/view/O)f Shamgar, son [o](/view/O)f Anath,
* in the [day](/view/Day)s [o](/view/O)f Jael, the highways were abandoned,
* and travelers kept to the byways.
* The villagers ceased in [Israel](/view/Israel);
* they ceased to be until I arose;
* I, [Deborah](/view/Deborah), arose as a [mother](/view/Mother) in [Israel](/view/Israel).
* When new [god](/view/God)s were chosen,
* then [war](/view/War) was in the [gate](/view/Gate)s.
* Was [shield](/view/Shield) [o](/view/O)r [spear](/view/Spear) to be seen
* [amon](/view/Amon)g forty thousand in [Israel](/view/Israel)?
* My [heart](/view/Heart) goes [o](/view/O)ut to the [commander](/view/Commander)s [o](/view/O)f [Israel](/view/Israel)
* who [o](/view/O)ffered themselves willingly [amon](/view/Amon)g the people.
* [Bless](/view/Bless) the Lord.
* “[Tell](/view/Tell) [o](/view/O)f it, you who ride [o](/view/O)n white [donkey](/view/Donkey)s,
* you who sit [o](/view/O)n [rich](/view/Rich) carpets[b]
* and you who walk by the way.
* To the sound [o](/view/O)f [music](/view/Music)ians[c] at the [water](/view/Water)ing places,
* there they repeat the [righteous](/view/Righteous) triumphs [o](/view/O)f the Lord,
* the [righteous](/view/Righteous) triumphs [o](/view/O)f his villagers in [Israel](/view/Israel).
* “Then down to the [gate](/view/Gate)s marched the people [o](/view/O)f the Lord.
* “Awake, awake, [Deborah](/view/Deborah)!
* Awake, awake, break [o](/view/O)ut in a [song](/view/Song)!
* Arise, [Barak](/view/Barak), lead away your captives,
* [O](/view/O) son [o](/view/O)f Abinoam.
* Then down marched the remnant [o](/view/O)f the [nob](/view/Nob)le;
* the people [o](/view/O)f the Lord marched down for me against the [mighty](/view/Mighty).
* From [Ephraim](/view/Ephraim) their root they marched down into the [valley](/view/Valley),[d]
* following you, [Benjamin](/view/Benjamin), with your kinsmen;
* from [Machir](/view/Machir) marched down the [commander](/view/Commander)s,
* and from Zebulun those who [bear](/view/Bear) the lieutenant's[[e](/view/E)] staff;
* the princes [o](/view/O)f Issachar came with [Deborah](/view/Deborah),
* and Issachar [faith](/view/Faith)ful to [Barak](/view/Barak);
* into the [valley](/view/Valley) they rushed at his heels.
* [Amon](/view/Amon)g the clans [o](/view/O)f [Reu](/view/Reu)ben
* there were great [sea](/view/Sea)rchings [o](/view/O)f [heart](/view/Heart).
* Why did you sit still [amon](/view/Amon)g the [sheep](/view/Sheep)folds,
* to hear the whistling for the flocks?
* [Amon](/view/Amon)g the clans [o](/view/O)f [Reu](/view/Reu)ben
* there were great [sea](/view/Sea)rchings [o](/view/O)f [heart](/view/Heart).
* [Gilead](/view/Gilead) stayed beyond the [Jordan](/view/Jordan);
* and [Dan](/view/Dan), why did he stay with the ships?
* Asher sat still at the coast [o](/view/O)f the [sea](/view/Sea),
* staying by his [land](/view/Land)ings.
* Zebulun is a people who risked their lives to the death;
* [Naphtali](/view/Naphtali), too, [o](/view/O)n the heights [o](/view/O)f the [field](/view/Field).
* “The [king](/view/King)s came, they fought;
* then fought the [king](/view/King)s [o](/view/O)f [Canaan](/view/Canaan),
* at Taanach, by the [water](/view/Water)s [o](/view/O)f Megiddo;
* they got no spoils [o](/view/O)f [silver](/view/Silver).
* From [heaven](/view/Heaven) the [star](/view/Star)s fought,
* from their [course](/view/Course)s they fought against [Sisera](/view/Sisera).
* The torrent [Kish](/view/Kish)[o](/view/O)n swept them away,
* the ancient torrent, the torrent [Kish](/view/Kish)[o](/view/O)n.
* March [o](/view/O)n, my soul, with might!
* “Then loud beat the horses' hoofs
* with the galloping, galloping [o](/view/O)f his steeds.
* “[Curse](/view/Curse) Meroz, says the [angel](/view/Angel) [o](/view/O)f the Lord,
* [curse](/view/Curse) its inhabitants [thor](/view/Thor)[o](/view/O)ughly,
* because they did not come to the help [o](/view/O)f the Lord,
* to the help [o](/view/O)f the Lord against the [mighty](/view/Mighty).
*“Most [bless](/view/Bless)[e](/view/E)d [o](/view/O)f women be Jael,
* the wife [o](/view/O)f [Hebe](/view/Hebe)r the [Kenite](/view/Kenite),
* [o](/view/O)f [tent](/view/Tent)-dwelling women most [bless](/view/Bless)[e](/view/E)d.
* He asked for [water](/view/Water) and she gave him [milk](/view/Milk);
* she brought him [curd](/view/Curd)s in a [nob](/view/Nob)le's [bow](/view/Bow)l.
* She sent her [hand](/view/Hand) to the [tent](/view/Tent) peg
* and her right [hand](/view/Hand) to the [work](/view/Work)men's mallet;
* she struck [Sisera](/view/Sisera);
* she crushed his [head](/view/Head);
* she shattered and pierced his [temple](/view/Temple).
* Between her [feet](/view/Feet)
* he sank, he [fell](/view/Fell), he lay still;
* between her [feet](/view/Feet)
* he sank, he [fell](/view/Fell);
* where he sank,
* there he [fell](/view/Fell)—dead.
* “[O](/view/O)ut [o](/view/O)f the [window](/view/Window) she peered,
* the [mother](/view/Mother) [o](/view/O)f [Sisera](/view/Sisera) wailed through the lattice:
* ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming?
* Why tarry the hoofbeats [o](/view/O)f his chariots?’
* Her wisest princesses answer,
* indeed, she answers herself,
* ‘Have they not found and divided the spoil?—
* A womb [o](/view/O)r two for [eve](/view/Eve)ry [man](/view/Man);
* spoil [o](/view/O)f dyed [material](/view/Material)s for [Sisera](/view/Sisera),
* spoil [o](/view/O)f dyed [material](/view/Material)s [e](/view/E)mbroidered,
* two pieces [o](/view/O)f dyed [work](/view/Work) [e](/view/E)mbroidered for the neck as spoil?’
* “So may all your [e](/view/E)nemies perish, [O](/view/O) Lord!
* But your friends be like the [sun](/view/Sun) as he [rise](/view/Rise)s in his might.”