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Judges 5:12-23
New International Version
Judges 5:12-23
New International Version
12 ‘Wake up,(A) wake up, Deborah!(B)
Wake up, wake up, break out in song!
Arise, Barak!(C)
Take captive your captives,(D) son of Abinoam.’
13 “The remnant of the nobles came down;
the people of the Lord came down to me against the mighty.
14 Some came from Ephraim,(E) whose roots were in Amalek;(F)
Benjamin(G) was with the people who followed you.
From Makir(H) captains came down,
from Zebulun those who bear a commander’s[a] staff.
15 The princes of Issachar(I) were with Deborah;(J)
yes, Issachar was with Barak,(K)
sent under his command into the valley.
In the districts of Reuben
there was much searching of heart.
16 Why did you stay among the sheep pens[b](L)
to hear the whistling for the flocks?(M)
In the districts of Reuben
there was much searching of heart.
17 Gilead(N) stayed beyond the Jordan.
And Dan, why did he linger by the ships?
Asher(O) remained on the coast(P)
and stayed in his coves.
18 The people of Zebulun(Q) risked their very lives;
so did Naphtali(R) on the terraced fields.(S)
19 “Kings came(T), they fought,
the kings of Canaan fought.
At Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo,(U)
they took no plunder of silver.(V)
20 From the heavens(W) the stars fought,
from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 The river Kishon(X) swept them away,
the age-old river, the river Kishon.
March on, my soul; be strong!(Y)
22 Then thundered the horses’ hooves—
galloping, galloping go his mighty steeds.(Z)
23 ‘Curse Meroz,’ said the angel of the Lord.
‘Curse its people bitterly,
because they did not come to help the Lord,
to help the Lord against the mighty.’
Footnotes
- Judges 5:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Judges 5:16 Or the campfires; or the saddlebags
Judges 5:12-23
King James Version
Judges 5:12-23
King James Version
12 Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.
13 Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the Lord made me have dominion over the mighty.
14 Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.
15 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart.
16 Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
17 Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches.
18 Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.
19 The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.
20 They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.
21 The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.
22 Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.
23 Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty.
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Judges 5:12-23
New King James Version
Judges 5:12-23
New King James Version
12 “Awake,(A) 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 (B)Amalek.
After you, Benjamin, with your peoples,
From Machir rulers came down,
And from Zebulun those who bear the recruiter’s staff.
15 And [a]the princes of Issachar were with Deborah;
As Issachar, so was Barak
Sent into the valley [b]under his command;
Among the divisions of Reuben
There were great resolves of heart.
16 Why did you sit among the sheepfolds,
To hear the pipings for the flocks?
The divisions of Reuben have great searchings of heart.
17 (C)Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan,
And why did Dan remain [c]on ships?
(D)Asher continued at the seashore,
And stayed by his inlets.
18 (E)Zebulun is a people who jeopardized their lives to the point of death,
Naphtali also, on the heights of the battlefield.
19 “The kings came and fought,
Then the kings of Canaan fought
In (F)Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo;
They took no spoils of silver.
20 They fought from the heavens;
The stars from their courses fought against Sisera.
21 (G)The torrent of Kishon swept them away,
That ancient torrent, the torrent of Kishon.
O my soul, march on in strength!
22 Then the horses’ hooves pounded,
The galloping, galloping of his steeds.
23 ‘Curse Meroz,’ said the [d]angel of the Lord,
‘Curse its inhabitants bitterly,
Because they did not come to the help of the Lord,
To the help of the Lord against the mighty.’
Footnotes
- Judges 5:15 So with LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg.; MT And my princes in Issachar
- Judges 5:15 Lit. at his feet
- Judges 5:17 Or at ease
- Judges 5:23 Or Angel
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.