the Fourth Week of Advent
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Bishop's Bible
Judges 5
1 Then Debora and Barak the sonne of Abinoam sange the same day, saying:
2 Prayse ye the Lord, for the auengyng of Israel, and for the people that became so willing.
3 Heare O ye kinges, hearken O ye princes: I, euen I will syng vnto the Lord, I will prayse the Lord God of Israel.
4 Lorde, whan thou wentest out of Seir, whan thou departedst out of the fielde of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heauens rayned, the cloudes also dropped water:
5 The mountaynes melted before the Lord, euen as dyd Sinai before ye Lord God of Israel.
6 In the dayes of Samgar the sonne of Anath, in the dayes of Iael, the hye wayes were vnoccupied, and the trauelers walked thorowe bye wayes.
7 The inhabitants of the townes were gone, they were gone in Israel, vntyll I Debora came vp, which came vp a mother in Israel.
8 They chose new goddes, and then had they the enemie in the gates: was there a shielde or speare seene among fourtie thousande of Israel?
9 My heart loueth the gouerners of Israel, and them that are willyng among the people: O prayse ye the Lord.
10 Speake ye that ryde on fayre asses, ye that dwell by Middin, and that walke by the wayes.
11 For the noyse of the archers among the drawers of water ceassed, there shall they speake of the righteousnes of the Lorde, his righteousnesse in his vnfensed townes in Israel: Then shal the people of the Lorde go downe to the gates.
12 Up Debora vp, get thee vp, and sing a song: Arise Barac, and leade thy captiuitie captiue, thou sonne of Abinoam.
13 Then shall they that remayne, haue dominion of the proudest of the people: The Lord hath geuen me dominion ouer the mightie.
14 Out of Ephraim was there a roote of them agaynst Amelek, and after thee Beniamin among thy people: Out of Machir came rulers, and out of Zabulon they that handell the penne of the writer.
15 And of Isachar there were princes with Debora, and Isachar, and also Barak, he was sent on foote into the valley: for the diuisions of Ruben [were] great thoughtes of heart.
16 Why abodest thou among the sheepe foldes, to heare the bleatinges of the flockes? for the diuisions of Ruben, were great thoughtes of heart.
17 Gilead also abode beyonde Iordane: and why doth Dan remayne in shyppes? Aser cotinued on the sea shore, and taried in his decayed places.
18 [But] the people of Zabulon haue ieoparde their lyues euen vnto the death, lyke as dyd Nephthalim in the hye places of the fielde.
19 The kynges came and fought, then fought ye kynges of Chanaan in Thanach by the waters of Megiddo, and wan no money.
20 They fought from heauen, euen the starres in their courses fought agaynst Sisara.
21 The ryuer of Kison swept them away, that auncient ryuer the ryuer Kison: O my soule, thou hast marched valiauntly.
22 Then were the horse hoofes smitten asunder by the meanes of the praunsings that their mightie men made.
23 Curse ye the citie of Meros (sayd the angel of the Lord) curse the inhabitants therof: because they came not to helpe the Lord, to helpe the Lord against the mightie.
24 Iael the wyfe of Haber the Kenite, shalbe blessed aboue other women, blessed shall she be aboue other women in the tent.
25 He asked water, and she gaue him mylke, she brought foorth butter in a lordly dysshe.
26 She put her hande to the nayle, & her ryght hande to the smythes hammer: with the hammer smote she Sisara, & smote his head, wounded him, and pearsed his temples.
27 He bowed him downe at her feete, he fell downe, and lay styll: At her feete he bowed him selfe, & fell. And whe he had sunke downe, he lay there destroyed.
28 The mother of Sisara loked out at a wyndowe, and cryed thorowe the lattesse: Why is his charret so long a commyng? Why tary the wheeles of his charettes?
29 Al the wyse ladyes aunswered her, yea and her owne wordes aunswered her selfe.
30 Surely they haue found, they deuide the spoyles, euery man hath a damsell or two: Sisara hath a pray of diuers couloured garmentes, euen a pray of rayment dyed with sundry colours, and that are made of nedle worke: rayment of diuers colours and of nedle worke on both sydes, which is meete for him that is chiefe in distributing of ye spoyles.
31 So perishe all thine enemies, O Lord: But they that loue him, let them be as ye sunne whan he ryseth in his myght. And the lande had rest fourtie yeres.