This was the Haftarah for Shabbat Shirah to compliment Miriam's Song.
Judges
Chapter 4
4. Now Deborah was a woman prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth; she judged Israel at that time. 5. And she sat under the palm tree of Deborah, between Ramah and Beth-el, in the mountain of Ephriam; and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. 6. And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali. And she said to him, "Indeed the Lord, G-d of Israel, commanded, 'Go and draw toward Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun. 7. And I shall draw to you, to the brook Kishon, Sisera, the chieftain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will give him into your hand.' " 8. And Barak said to her, "If you will go with me then I shall go, but if you will not go with me, I shall not go." 9. And she said, "I shall surely go with you, but your glory will not be on the way which you go, for into the hand of a woman will the Lord deliver Sisera." And Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. 10. And Barak gathered Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and ten thousand men went up at his feet; and Deborah went up with him. 11. Now Heber the Kenite had separated from the Kenites, of the children of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses; and he pitched his tent as far as Elon-bezaanannim, which is by Kedesh. 12. And they told Sisera that Barak, the son of Abinoam, had gone up to Mount Tabor. 13. And Sisera gathered all his chariots, nine hundred iron chariots, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth-goiim, to the brook Kishon. 14. And Deborah said to Barak, "Rise, for this is the day which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. Did not the Lord go out before you?" And Barak went down from Mount Tabor, with ten thousand men after him. 15. And the Lord confused Sisera and all the chariots and all of the camp with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot, and fled on foot. 16. And Barak pursued the chariots and the camp, to Harosheth-goiim; and all of Sisera's camp fell by the edge of the sword, not even one was left. 17. And Sisera fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. 18. And Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, "Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not." And he turned in to her into the tent, and she covered him with a garment. 19. And he said to her, "Give me now a little water to drink, for I am thirsty;" and she opened the flask of milk and gave him to drink, and covered him. 20. And he said to her, "Stand in the doorway of the tent; and it shall be, if any man comes and asks you and says, 'Is a man here?,' then you shall say, 'There is not.' " 21. And Jael, the wife of Heber, took the tent-pin, and placed the hammer in her hand, and came to him stealthily, and thrust the pin into his temple, and it pierced through into the ground; and he was in a deep sleep and weary; and he died. 22. And behold, Barak pursued Sisera, and Jael came out to meet him, and she said to him, "Come and I will show you the man whom you seek," and he came to her, and behold, Sisera lay dead, and the pin was in his temple. 23. And G-d subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan, before the children of Israel. 24. And the hand of the children of Israel prevailed constantly harder against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin, king of Canaan.
Chapter 5
1. Now Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying. 2. "When breaches are made in Israel, when the people offer themselves willingly, bless the Lord. 3. Hear, O kings, give ear, O princes; I, to the Lord I shall sing, I shall sing to the Lord, the G-d of Israel. 4. Lord, when You went forth out of Seir, when You marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens also dripped; also the clouds dripped water. 5. The mountains melted at the presence of the Lord, this (was at) Sinai, because of the presence of the Lord, the G-d of Israel. 6. In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, caravans ceased, and travellers walked on crooked paths. 7. The open cities ceased, in Israel they ceased, until I Deborah arose; I arose as a mother in Israel. 8. When they chose new gods, then there was war in the cities; was there seen a shield or a spear (when the) forty thousand (went against) Israel? 9. My heart is toward the lawgivers of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people, (saying,) 'Bless the Lord.' 10. The riders of white donkeys, those that sit in judgment, and those that walk on the path, tell of it. 11. Instead of the noise of adversaries, between the places of drawing water, there they will tell the righteous acts of the Lord, the righteous acts of restoring open cities in Israel. Then the people of the Lord went down to the cities. 12. Praise! Praise! Deborah. Praise! Praise! Utter a song. Arise Barak, and capture your captives, son of Abinoam. 13. Then ruled a remnant among the mighty of the nations; the Lord dominated the strong for me. 14. Out of Ephraim, whose root was against Amalek; after you (will be) Benjamin with your abaters; out of Machir came down officers, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the scribe. 15. And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah, as was Issachar with Barak; into the valley they rushed forth with their feet. (But) among the divisions of Reuben, (there were) great resolves of heart. 16. Why do you sit between the borders, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? At the divisions of Reuben, (there are) great searchings of heart. 17. Gilead abides beyond the Jordan; and Dan, why does he gather into the ships? Asher dwelt at the shore of the seas, and by his breaches he abides. 18. Zebulun is a people that jeopardized their lives to die, as did Naphtali, upon 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. From heaven they fought; the stars from their courses fought against Sisera. 21. The brook Kishon swept them away, that ancient brook, the brook Kishon; tread down, O my soul, (their) strength. 22. Then were pounded the heels of the horses by reason of the prancings, the prancings of their mighty ones. 23. 'Curse you Meroz,' said the messenger of the Lord, 'curse you bitterly (you) inhabitants thereof,' because they came not to the aid of the Lord, to the aid of the Lord against the mighty. 24. Blessed above women shall Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, be; above women in the tent shall she be blessed. 25. Water he requested, (but) milk she gave him: in a lordly bowl she brought him cream. 26. She put forth her hand to the pin, and her right hand to strike the weary; she struck Sisera, pierced his head, and wounded and penetrated his temple. 27. At her feet he sank, fell, lay; at her feet he sank (and) fell; where he sank, there he fell down dead. 28. Through the window the mother of Sisera looked forth, and peered through the window; why is his chariot late in coming? Why tarry the strides of his chariots? 29. The wisest of her princesses answer her, she too returns answers to herself. 30. 'Are they not finding (and) dividing the spoils? A damsel, two damsels to every man; a spoil of dyed garments to Sisera, a spoil of dyed garments of embroidery; dyed garments of embroidery for the neck of the spoiler.' 31. So may perish all Your enemies, O Lord; but they that love Him (should be) as the sun when he goes forth in his might." And the land rested forty years.
Topic: Deborah's Song (Read 2184 times)