The most sacred Bible, whiche is the Holy Scripture conteyning the Old and New Testament / translated into English, and newly recognised with great diligence after most faythful exemplars, by Rychard Taverner.

¶ The songe and thankes gyuynge of Debora and Barak, after the vyctorye.

CAPI. V.

[ A] THen Debora & Barak y^e sonne of Abino∣am, sang the same daye saying: Bicause he hathe auenged the vengeaunce doone to Israel, the people offering them selues wyl∣lyngly: prayse ye the Lorde. Heare kynges, & harken Lordes, I am she, I am she that wyll synge, and gyue prayse vnto the Lorde God of Israel.

Lorde, when thou departedst out of Seir, & camest thorow the countreys of Edom, y^e erth trembled,* 1.1 and the earthe rayned, and the clou∣des dropped water:* 1.2 the mountaynes melted before the Lorde, euen mounte Sinai before the Lorde God of Israel.

In the dayes of Samgar the sonne of A∣nath, and in the dayes of Iael,* 1.3 the hye wayes were vnoccupied, and they that walked by pa∣thes, wēt by wayes that fet compasses about. The champions of Israel were discouraged & faynt herted, vntyll I Debora arose, vntyll I arose a mother in Israel.

God chose new facions of warre, for when [ B] they had warre at theyr gates / there was not sene amonge fourtye thousande, eyther shelde or spere in Israel. Myne hert loueth the main∣teners of the lawe in Israel, ye that willingly haue put youre selues in aduenture, blesse ye the Lorde, ye that ryde on goodly asses, and dwell besyde Middin. And ye y^e walke by the wayes, make dieies. Where as the charettes were broken a peces, where the hoste of oure aduersaries was choked, there shall they tell of the iustice of the Lorde, & how gracious was the stronge God of Israel: then the people of the Lorde went downe vnto the gates, & wan¦the mastrye.

Vp vp Debora, vp vp and synge a songe, vp Barak and take thy praye, thou sonne of Abi∣noam. Then they that had escaped, vnder Isra¦el raigned ouer the proudest of the people. The Lorde fought amonges the stronge.

Ephraim was the fyrst that destroyed Ama¦lek. And after hym BenIamin, amonge the people.

Of Machir came lerned men in the lawe,* 1.4 and of Zabulon that well coulde conueye an hoste to warre.

The Lordes of Isakar were with Debora. [ C] And as Barak, euen so was Isakar sente in to the valeye a fote, and put his life in auenture. But in the diuisions of Ruben were great ima¦ginacions of herte.

Wherfore abodest thou amonge the shepe foldes, to heare the bleatynges of the flockes. In the diuysyons of Ruben greate were the ymaginacions of herte. Galaad abode on the other syde Iordā, and taryed Dan in shyppes. And Aser sate in the hauens of the see, and a∣bode styll in his owne coostes. But Zabulon is a people that put theyr lyues in ieopardye of deathe, and Nephthalim in lyke maner, e∣uen vnto the toppe of the feldes, kynges came and foughte. Then foughte the kynge of Ca∣naan at Thanach, vpon the water of Magedo. But the syluer that they couered, they caryed not awaye.

Frome heuen came batayle: for the sterres beyng in theyr course, fought agaynst Sisara. The ryuer of Kison caught them awaye: that auncient riuer, the riuer Kison.

My soule, treade thou the myghtye vn∣der fote. Then theyr horses stombled as they fledde, that theyr mighty coursers leste praun∣synge.

Curse ye Meroz, bad y^e aungell of the Lorde curse, curse y^e inhabitours therof, bicause they [ D] came not forthe to helpe the Lorde, to helpe the Lorde amonge the myghty.

Blessed be Iael the wyfe of Haber the Ke∣nyte,

aboue other women: aboue other womē blessed be she in the tente.

He asked water, but she gaue him mylke, and broughte butter in a goodly dysshe.* 1.5 She caught a nayle in her lefte hande, and a wor∣kynge hammer in her ryghte, and nayled Si∣sara and wounded his heed, and persed and went thorowe his temples. Bytwene her fete he bowed him selfe, fell downe and laye styll: Bytwene her fete he sprauled and laye deed lyke a wretche.

Thorow a wyndow loked Sisaras mother and houled out of her chambre, why abideth his charet so longe that it commeth not, why tary the wheles of his waggans? The wysest of his wiues answered her: yea, and she answe¦red her owne wordes her selfe, haplye they haue founde, and diuyde the spoyle. A mayde, ye two maydes for a pece / a spoyle of dyuers colours for Sisara, a spoyle of dyuers colours with broudered workes, dyuers coloured, broudered workes for the necke for a praye. So perysshe all thyne ennemyes Lorde / but they that loue the, let them be as the sonne ry¦synge in his myght.

And the lande had rest fourtye yeres.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 .xix .c
• * 1.2

  Deuter .iiii. b Psalm .xcvi. a
• * 1.3

  Iudi .iii. d Iud .iiii .c
• * 1.4

  Iudi .iii. b
• * 1.5

  Iudi .iiii .c