Deborah's Song

1 Then Deborah and Barak, son of Abinoam, along with all the people, sang a hymn to the Lord on that day, saying, “See, from on high the Lord has shown us his glory, just as he did in the past when he sent forth his voice to confuse the languages of men. He selected our nation, rescued Abraham our forefather from the fire, chose him above all his brothers, shielded him from the fire, delivered him from the bricks of the tower’s construction, and gave him a son in his old age, brought him from a barren womb, and all the angels envied him, and the commanders of the hosts were jealous of him.⁠a 2 “When they were jealous of him, God said to him, ‘Sacrifice for me your child and offer for me that which I gave to you.’ Abraham did not contradict him and immediately went forth. As he went, he said to his son, ‘Now, my son, I offer you for a burnt offering and surrender you to him who gave you to me.’ 3 “The son said to his father, ‘Listen to me, father. If a lamb from the flock is accepted as an offering to the Lord as a pleasant aroma, and if sheep are destined for slaughter due to the sins of men, yet man is set to inherit the earth, how can you now say to me, “Come and inherit a life secure, and a time that cannot be measured”? What if I had not been born in the world to be offered as a sacrifice to him who made me? And this shall be my greatest fortune among all men, for no other such thing shall happen;⁠b and through me shall generations be taught, and by me shall peoples learn that the Lord has deemed the soul of a man worthy to be a sacrifice to him.’ 4 “And when his father had placed him upon the altar and had bound his feet to kill him, the Almighty quickly sent forth his voice from above, saying, ‘Do not kill your son, nor destroy the offspring of your body: for now I have made myself known to those who are unaware of me, and have silenced those who constantly speak ill of you.⁠c And your memory shall be before me forever, and your name and the name of this your son from one generation to another.’ 5 “And to Isaac, he gave two sons, who also came from a closed womb, for at that time their mother was in the third year of her marriage. And it will not be so with any other woman, nor shall any wife boast herself in this manner, who joins her husband in the third year. And to him were born two sons, Jacob and Esau. And God loved Jacob, but he hated Esau because of his actions. 6 “And it happened in the old age of their father, that Isaac blessed Jacob and sent him to Mesopotamia, and there he fathered twelve sons, and they went down into Egypt and dwelt there. 7 “And when their adversaries treated them harshly, the people cried out to the Lord, and their prayer was heard, and he brought them out from there, and led them to Mount Sinai, and revealed to them the foundation of understanding which he had prepared from the creation of the world; and then the foundation shook, the hosts sent forth the lightning on their paths, and the winds blew from their storehouses, and the earth was moved from her foundation, and the mountains and the rocks trembled in their places,⁠d and the clouds raised their waves against the flame of the fire that it should not consume the world. 8 “Then did the depths awake from their sources, and all the waves of the sea gathered. Then did Paradise exhale the scent of her fruits, and the cedars of Lebanon were uprooted from their foundations. And the animals of the field were frightened in the homes of the forests, and all his creations came together to witness the Lord when he established a covenant with the children of Israel. And all things that the Almighty said, these he observed, having Moses his beloved as a witness. 9 “And when he was near death, God assigned to him the heavens, and showed him these witnesses, saying, ‘Let the heaven which you have entered and the earth on which you have walked until now be a witness between me and you and my people. For the sun and the moon and the stars shall serve us.’ 10 “And when Joshua began to rule over the people, it happened on the day when he fought against the enemies, that the evening approached, while the battle was still fierce, and Joshua said to the sun and the moon, ‘O you servants appointed between the Almighty and his children, see now, the battle continues, and do you abandon your duty? Therefore, stand still today and provide light to his children, and cast darkness upon our enemies.’ And they did so. 11 “And now in these days, Sisera arose to enslave us, and we cried out to the Lord our God, and he commanded the stars, saying, ‘Leave your positions, and burn my enemies, that they may recognize my power.’ And the stars descended and scattered their camp and protected us without any effort. 12 “Therefore, we will not cease to sing praises, nor shall our mouths be silent from telling of his marvelous works: for he has remembered his promises, both new and old, and has shown us his salvation: and therefore does Jael boast among women, because she alone brought this victory to fruition, as she killed Sisera with her own hands.⁠e 13 “O earth, go forth, you heavens and lightnings, go, you angels and hosts, and tell the ancestors in the treasure-houses of their souls, and say, ‘The Almighty has not forgotten the least of all the promises he made with us, saying, “I will perform many wonders for your children.” And now from this day forward, it shall be known that whatever God has promised to men that he will fulfill, he will fulfill it, even if man dies.’ 14 “Sing praises, sing praises, O Deborah, and let the grace of a holy spirit awaken in you, and begin to praise the works of the Lord: for there will not again arise such a day, when the stars will bring news and defeat the enemies of Israel, as they were commanded. From this time onward, if Israel finds himself in difficulty, let him call upon these witnesses along with their servants, and they will go on a mission to the Most High, and he will remember this day, and will send deliverance to his covenant. 15 “And you, Deborah, begin to speak of what you saw in the field: how the people walked and went forth safely, and the stars fought on their behalf. Rejoice, O land, over those who dwell in you, for in you is the knowledge of the Lord which builds his stronghold in you. For it was rightly done that God took from you the rib of him who was first formed, knowing that from his rib Israel would be born. And your formation shall be a testimony of what the Lord has done for his people. 16 “Wait, O you hours of the day, and do not rush onward, that we may declare what our understanding can bring forth, for night will come upon us. And it shall be like the night when God struck the firstborn of the Egyptians for the sake of his firstborn. 17 “And then shall I end my hymn because the time will be hastened for his righteous ones. For I will sing to him as in the renewal of creation, and the people shall remember this deliverance, and it shall be a testimony to them. Let the sea also bear witness, along with its depths, for not only did God dry it up before the faces of our ancestors, but he also scattered and overcame our enemies.” 18 And when Deborah finished speaking, she went up with the people together to Shiloh, and they offered sacrifices and burnt offerings, and sounded the broad trumpets. And when they sounded and had offered the sacrifices, Deborah said, “This shall be a testimony of the trumpets between the stars and the Lord of them.”