But this the foe compell'd me to delay,
Lest that their adversaries, prouder grown,
Should, when they heard it, thus presume to say,
This, not the Lord, but our high hand hath done.
For in this people no discretion is,
Nor can their dullness reach to judge of this.
Oh! had they wisdom this to comprehend,
That so they might bethink them of their end!
How should one make a thousand run away,
Or two men put ten thousand to the foil,
Except their Rock had sold them for a prey,
And that the Lord had clos'd them up the while?
For though our foes themselves the judges were,
Their god they cannot with our God compare;
But they have vines like those that Sodom yields,
And such as are within Gomorrha fields.
They bear the grapes of gall upon their vine:
Extremely bitter are their clusters all;
Yea, made of dragon's venom is their wines,
And of the cruel asp's infectious gall.
And can this, ever, be forgot of me,
Or not be sealed where my treasures be?
Sure, mine is vengeance, and I will repay:
Their feet shall slide at their appointed day.
Their time of ruin near at hand is come:
Those things, that shall befall them, haste will make;
For then the Lord shall give his people doom,
And on his servants kind compassion take :
When he perceives their strength bereft and gone,
And that in prison they are left alone,
Where are their Gods become, he then shall say, Their Rock, on whom affiance they did lay?
Who are the fattest of their sacrifice?
Who of their drink-oblations drank the wine?
Let those unto their succour now arise,
And under their protection them enshrine.
Behold, consider now, that I am He,
And that there is no other God with me:
I kill and make alive; I wound, I cure;
And there is none can from my hand assure.
For up to Heav'n on high my hand I rear,
And, as I live for ever, this I say:
When I my shining sword to whet prepare,
And shall my hand to acting vengeance lay,
I will not cease till I my foes requite,
And am aveng'd on all that bear me spite;
But in their blood, which I shall make to flow,
Will steep mine arrows, till they drunken grow.
My sword shall eat the flesh and drink the blood;
Who shall be either slain or brought in thrall,
When I begin this vengeance on my foes.
Sing therefore with his people, nations all!
For he his servants' blood with blood will pay,
And due avengement on his foes will lay;
But to his land compassion he will shew,
And on his people mercy shall bestow.
The Song of Deborah and Barak.
SING praises, Israel! to the Lord,
That thee avenged so,
When to the fight, with free accord,
The people forth did
You kings give ear,
You princes hear,
While to the Lord I raise
My voice aloud,
And sing to God,
The Lord of Israel, praise.
When thou departed'st, Lord, from Seir,
When thou left'st Edom field,
Earth shook, the heavens dropped there,
The clouds did water yield.
Lord at thy sight
A trembling fright
Upon the mountains fell :
E'en at thy look
Mount Sinai shook,
Lord God of Israel!
Not long ago, in Shamghar's days,
Did Anath's valiant son,
And late, in Jael's time, the ways
Frequented were of none:
The passengers
Were wanderers
In crooked paths unknown,
And none durst dwell
Through Israel,
But in a walled town;
Until I, Deborah, arose,
Who rose a mother there,
In Israel when new Gods they chose,
That fill'd their gates with war.
And they had there
Nor shield nor spear
In their possession then,
To arm for fight
'Mong forty thousand men.
To those that Israel's captains are,
My heart doth much incline;
To those, I mean, that willing were,
O Lord, the praise be thine!
Sing ye for this,
Whose use it is
To ride on asses grey,
All ye that yet
On Middin sit,
Or travel by the way!
The place, where they their water drew,
From archers now is clear;
The Lord's uprightness they shall shew,
And his just dealings there.
The hamlets all
His righteousness record;
And down unto
The gates shall go
The people of the Lord.
Arise, O Deborah, arise!
Rise, rise, and sing a song!
Abinoam's son, O Barak! rise,
Thy captains lead along!
Their princes all
By him made thrall
To the survivor be;
To triumph on
The mighty one
The Lord vouchsafed me.
A root from out of Ephraim
'Gainst Amalek arose;
And, of the people, next to him,
The Benjamites were those.
From Machir, where
Good leaders are,
Came well experienc'd men;
And they came down
From Zabulon,
That handle well the pen.
Along with Deborah did go
The lords of Isachar;
With Isachar, e'en Barak too,
Was one among them there.
He forth was sent,
And marching went
On foot the lower way;
For Reuben, where
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