1 På den tiden sang Deborah og Barak, Abinoams sønn, denne sangen:

At that time Deborah and Barak, the son of Abinoam, made this song, saying:

2 For de som har usjenert hår blant Israels krigere, for folket som ga seg selv fritt, gi Herren ære.

Because of the flowing hair of the fighters in Israel, because the people gave themselves freely, give praise to the Lord.

3 Hør etter, konger; gi akt, herskere; jeg, nettopp jeg, vil synge for Herren; jeg vil lage melodi for Herren, Israels Gud.

Give attention, O kings; give ear, O rulers; I, even I, will make a song to the Lord; I will make melody to the Lord, the God of Israel.

4 Herre, da du dro ut fra Seir, beveget som en hær fra Edoms mark, skalv jorden og himlene ble urolige, og skyene sendte ut vann.

Lord, when you went out from Seir, moving like an army from the field of Edom, the earth was shaking and the heavens were troubled, and the clouds were dropping water.

5 Fjellene skalv for Herren, for Herren, Israels Gud.

The mountains were shaking before the Lord, before the Lord, the God of Israel.

6 I Shamgars, Anat's sønns dager, i Jaels dager, ble landeveiene ikke brukt, og reisende gikk på sideveier.

In the days of Shamgar, the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were not used, and travellers went by side roads.

7 Landsbyene var borte i Israel, borte, inntil du, Deborah, kom frem, inntil du kom frem som en mor i Israel.

Country towns were no more in Israel, *** were no more, till you, Deborah, came up, till you came up as a mother in Israel.

8 De hadde ingen til å lage våpen, det var ikke flere væpnede menn i byene; var det å se skjold eller spyd blant førti tusen i Israel?

They had no one to make arms, there were no more armed men in the towns; was there a body-cover or a spear to be seen among forty thousand in Israel?

9 Kom, dere herskere i Israel, dere som ga dere selv fritt blant folket: gi Herren ære.

Come, you rulers of Israel, you who gave yourselves freely among the people: give praise to the Lord.

10 La dem tenke over dette, de som rir på hvite esler, og de som går på veien.

Let them give thought to it, who go on white asses, and those who are walking on the road.

11 Lytt til kvinnene som ler ved kildene; der vil de igjen fortelle om Herrens rettskafne gjerninger, alle hans rettskafne handlinger i Israel.

Give ear to the women laughing by the water-springs; there they will give again the story of the upright acts of the Lord, all the upright acts of his arm in Israel.

12 Våkn opp! våkn opp! Deborah: våkn opp! våkn opp! syng en sang: Stå opp, Barak, og ta fangen de som tok deg til fange, Abinoams sønn.

Awake! awake! Deborah: awake! awake! give a song: Up! Barak, and take prisoner those who took you prisoner, O son of Abinoam.

13 Da gikk lederne ned til portene; Herrens folk gikk ned blant de sterke.

Then the chiefs went down to the doors; the Lord's people went down among the strong ones.

14 Fra Efraim kom de ned i dalen; etter deg, Benjamin, blant ditt folk; fra Makir kom kapteinene ned, og fra Sebulon de som har herskerens stav i hånden.

Out of Ephraim they came down into the valley; after you, Benjamin, among your tribesmen; from Machir came down the captains, and from Zebulun those in whose hand is the ruler's rod.

15 Dine ledere, Issakar, var med Deborah; og Naftali var tro mot Barak; ned i dalen gikk de med hast ved hans føtter. I Reuben var det splittelser, og stor hjertesiling.

Your chiefs, Issachar, were with Deborah; and Naphtali was true to Barak; into the valley they went rushing out at his feet. In Reuben there were divisions, and great searchings of heart.

16 Hvorfor holdt du deg stille blant sauene, og hørte ikke annet enn gjeterens fløytespill til flokkene?

Why did you keep quiet among the sheep, hearing nothing but the watchers piping to the flocks?

17 Gilead ble værende på andre siden av Jordan; og Dan drev ved skipene sine; Asjer holdt stand ved kysten, bodde ved sine havner.

Gilead was living over Jordan; and Dan was waiting in his ships; Asher kept in his place by the sea's edge, living by his inlets.

18 Det var Sebulons folk som satte livet sitt i fare, helt til døden, sammen med Naftali på markens høyder.

It was the people of Zebulun who put their lives in danger, even to death, with Naphtali on the high places of the field.

19 Kongene kom til kamp, Kanaans konger var i strid; i Taanak ved Megiddos vann: de tjente ingen fortjeneste i sølv.

The kings came on to the fight, the kings of Canaan were warring; in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo: they took no profit in money.

20 Stjernene fra himmelen var i kamp; fra sine baner kjempet de mot Sisera.

The stars from heaven were fighting; from their highways they were fighting against Sisera.

21 Kison-elven tok dem vilt med seg, stanset deres flukt, Kison-elven. Gi ære, min sjel, til Herrens styrke!

The river Kishon took them violently away, stopping their flight, the river Kishon. Give praise, O my soul, to the strength of the Lord!

22 Så slo hestenes hover kraftig med trampene, trampene fra deres krigshester.

Then loudly the feet of the horses were sounding with the stamping, the stamping of their war-horses.

23 En forbannelse, en forbannelse over Meroz! sa Herrens engel. En bitter forbannelse over hennes innbyggere! Fordi de ikke kom Herren til hjelp, til Herrens hjelp blant de sterke.

A curse, a curse on Meroz! said the angel of the Lord. A bitter curse on her townspeople! Because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord among the strong ones.

24 Velsignelser være over Jael, mer enn over alle kvinner! Større velsignelser enn noen i teltene!

Blessings be on Jael, more than on all women! Blessings greater than on any in the tents!

25 Hans forespørsel var vann, hun ga ham melk; hun satte smør foran ham på et vakkert fat.

His request was for water, she gave him milk; she put butter before him on a fair plate.

26 Hun strakte hånden ut til teltplugg, og høyrehånden til arbeiderens hammer; og hun ga Sisera et slag, knuste hodet hans, såret og drev gjennom pannen hans.

She put out her hand to the tent-pin, and her right hand to the workman's hammer; and she gave Sisera a blow, crushing his head, wounding and driving through his brow.

27 Bøyd ved hennes føtter gikk han ned, han falt utstrakt; bøyd ved hennes føtter gikk han ned; der han bøyde seg, der falt han i døden.

Bent at her feet he went down, he was stretched out; bent at her feet he went down; where he was bent down, there he went down in death.

28 Fra vinduet speidet hun og skrek, Siseras mor ropte ut gjennom vinduet, Hvorfor er vognen hans så lenge unna? Når vil lyden av hjulene hans høres?

Looking out from the window she gave a cry, the mother of Sisera was crying out through the window, Why is his carriage so long in coming? When will the noise of his wheels be sounding?

29 Hennes kloke kvinner svarte henne, ja, hun svarte også seg selv igjen,

Her wise women gave answer to her, yes, she made answer again to herself,

30 Holder de ikke på å dele byttet; en ung jente eller to til hver mann; og til Sisera kapper med farget broderi, vakkert arbeidet på begge sider, til dronningens hals?

Are they not getting, are they not parting the goods among them: a young girl or two to every man; and to Sisera robes of coloured needlework, worked in fair colours on this side and on that, for the neck of the queen?

31 Slik måtte ødeleggelse komme over alle dine hatere, Herre; men la dine elskede være som solen som går ut i sin styrke. Og i førti år hadde landet fred.

So may destruction come on all your haters, O Lord; but let your lovers be like the sun going out in his strength. And for forty years the land had peace.