Judges · Chapter 5

[ edit] And Delbora and Barach, þe ſone of Benoem, ſongen in þat day, ſeiynge, Ȝe þat wilfully offerden of Yrael ȝoure lyues to peryl, bliſſiþ to þe Lord. Here, ȝe kyngis; perſeyue, ȝe princes, wiþ eeris; Y am, Y am, þe whiche to þe Lord ſhal ſynge, and ſeye ſalm to þe God of Yrael. Lord, whanne þow wentiſt out fro Seyr, and paſſidiſt bi þe regiouns of Edom, þe erþe is meued, and heuens and clowdis droppeden wiþ watris; hillis floweden fro þe face of þe Lord, and Synai fro þe face of þe Lord God of Iſrael. In þe dais of Sangar, ſone of Anaþ, in þe dais of Jahel, reſtiden þe paþþis, and þo þat wenten in bi hem ȝeden a wey bi ſtreyt beryd paþþis out of þe weye.

Stronge men ſeſeden in Yrael, and reſtiden, to þe tyme þat Delbora roos, moder in Yrael. Newe bataylis haþ choſun þe Lord, and þe ȝatis of enemyes he ouerturnede; ſwerd and ſpeer aperyde not in fourti þowſand of Yrael. Myn herte ſhal loue þe princis of Yrael; ȝe þat bi propre wil han offrid ȝou to peryl, bliſſiþ to þe Lord; ȝe þat ſtien vp vpon ſhynynge aſſis, and ſittiþ aboue in doom, and goon in þe weye, ſpekiþ. Where þe chaaris ben hurtlid, and þe ooſt of þe enemyes is queynt, þere þe riȝtwiſneſſis of þe Lord ben told, and mercy into þe ſtroonge men of Yrael; þanne þe puple of þe Lord cam doun to þe ȝatis, and hadde þe prynſhod.

Ryſe, ryſe, Delbora, ryſe, and ſpek þe dyte of ſonge; ryſe, Barach, and þou, ſone of Abynoem, tak þi chaytyues. Þe relyues of þe puple ben ſaued; þe Lord in ſtronge men haþ fouȝten. Fro Effraym he haþ doon hem a wey into Amalech, and after hym fro Beniamyn in to þi puplis, O Amalech. Fro Machir princis deſcendiden, and fro Zabulon, þat ooſt ſhulden lede to fiȝt. Dukis of Yſachar weren wiþ Delbora, and þe ſteppis of Barach þei folweden, þe whiche, as into heuedi fallynge and helle, he ȝaf hym ſilf to peryl. Ruben aȝens hym diuydide, of greet willi men is foundun ſtryuynge. Whi dwelliſt þow bitwix two teermys, þat þow here þe noyſis of flockis?

Ruben aȝens hym dyuydide, of greet willi men is foundun a ſtrijf. Gad biȝonde Jordan reſtide, and Dan tentide to ſhippis. Aſer dwellid in þe brenk of þe ſee, and in hauens abood. Forſoþe Zabulon and Neptalym offerden her lyues to deeþ, in þe regioun of Moreme. Kyngis camen, and fouȝten; fouȝten þe kyngis of Chanaan in Thanaþ, biſide þe watris of Magedan; and neuerþelater no þing token þe praytakers. Fro heuene it is fouȝten aȝens hem; ſterrys dwellynge in ordre and in her courſe aȝens Syſaram fouȝten. Þe ſtreem of Syſon drowȝ þe careyns of hem, þe ſtreem of Cadunym, ſtreem of Cyſon. Treed þou, my ſoule, ſtronge men.

Cleas of hors fellen hem fleynge wiþ feerſe, and bi heedlynge fallinge þe mooſt ſtroonge men of enemyes. Curſe ȝe to þe loond of Meroþ, ſeide þe aungel of þe Lord, curſe ȝe to þe dwellers of it, for þei camen not to þe help of þe Lord, in to þe help of þe mooſt ſtronge men of hym. Bleſſid among wymmen Jahel, þe wijf of Aber Cynei; be ſhe bleſſid in hir tabernacle. To þe aſkynge water ſche ȝaf mylk, and in þe viole of pryncis ſhe brouȝte forþ butter. Þe left hoond ſhe putte to þe nayl, and þe riȝt to þe hamers of ſmyþis; and ſhe ſmoot Ciſaram, ſechynge in þe heed þe place of þe wound, and þe temple myȝtilich þrillynge.

Bitwix þe feet of hir he felle, failid, and dyede; and he was wrappid bifore þe feet of hir, and he lay out of lijf, and wretchidful. Bi þe wyndow biholdynge ȝollide þe moder of hym; and fro þe ſowpynge place ſhe ſpak, Whi tarieþ to turne aȝen þe chaar of hym? Whi taryeden þe feet of þe foure whelid cartis of hym? Oon wiſer þan þat oþer wijfis of hym to þe moder in lawe þes wordis anſwerde, Perauenture now he dyuydiþ ſpuylis, and þe mooſt feyr of wymmen is choſun to hym; cloþis of dyuers colours to Syſare ben taak into praye, and dyuerſe portenaunce to neckis to be anourned is born to gidre.

So periſchen alle þin enemyes, þou Lord; forſoþe þoo þat louen þee, as þe ſunne in his ryſynge ſhyneþ, ſo glitteren þei. And þe loond reſtide bi fourti ȝeer.