Tuesday, October 30, 2018

The Song of Deborah


When the princes in Israel take the lead,

    when the people willingly offer themselves—
    praise the Lord!
“Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers!

    I, even I, will sing to the Lord;
    I will praise the Lord, the God of Israel, in song.

“When you, Lord, went out from Seir,

    when you marched from the land of Edom,
the earth shook, the heavens poured,
    the clouds poured down water.
 
The mountains quaked before the Lord, the One of Sinai,
    before the Lord, the God of Israel.

“In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,

    in the days of Jael, the highways were abandoned;
    travelers took to winding paths.
 
Villagers in Israel would not fight;
    they held back until I, Deborah, arose,
    until I arose, a mother in Israel.

God chose new leaders
    when war came to the city gates,
but not a shield or spear was seen
    among forty thousand in Israel.
 
My heart is with Israel’s princes,
    with the willing volunteers among the people.
    Praise the Lord!
“You who ride on white donkeys,

    sitting on your saddle blankets,
    and you who walk along the road,
consider
  the voice of the singers at the watering places.
    They recite the victories of the Lord,
    the victories of his villagers in Israel.
“Then the people of the Lord

    went down to the city gates.
 
‘Wake up, wake up, Deborah!
    Wake up, wake up, break out in song!
Arise, Barak!
    Take captive your captives, son of Abinoam.’

“The remnant of the nobles came down;

    the people of the Lord came down to me against the mighty.

Some came from Ephraim, whose roots were in Amalek;
    Benjamin was with the people who followed you.
From Makir captains came down,
    from Zebulun those who bear a commander’s staff.
 
The princes of Issachar were with Deborah;
    yes, Issachar was with Barak,
    sent under his command into the valley.
In the districts of Reuben
    there was much searching of heart.
Why did you stay among the sheep pens
    to hear the whistling for the flocks?
In the districts of Reuben
    there was much searching of heart.
 
Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan.
    And Dan, why did he linger by the ships?
Asher remained on the coast
    and stayed in his coves.

The people of Zebulun risked their very lives;
    so did Naphtali on the terraced fields.

“Kings came, they fought,

    the kings of Canaan fought.
At Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo,
    they took no plunder of silver.
 
From the heavens the stars fought,
    from their courses they fought against Sisera.
 The river Kishon swept them away,

    the age-old river, the river Kishon.
    March on, my soul; be strong!
 
Then thundered the horses’ hooves—
    galloping, galloping go his mighty steeds.
 
‘Curse Meroz,’ said the angel of the Lord.
    ‘Curse its people bitterly,
because they did not come to help the Lord,
    to help the Lord against the mighty.’

“Most blessed of women be Jael,

    the wife of Heber the Kenite,
    most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
 
He asked for water, and she gave him milk;
    in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him curdled milk.

Her hand reached for the tent peg,
    her right hand for the workman’s hammer.
She struck Sisera, she crushed his head,
    she shattered and pierced his temple.
At her feet he sank,
    he fell; there he lay.
At her feet he sank, he fell;
    where he sank, there he fell—dead.
“Through the window peered Sisera’s mother;

    behind the lattice she cried out,
‘Why is his chariot so long in coming?
    Why is the clatter of his chariots delayed?’
The wisest of her ladies answer her;
    indeed, she keeps saying to herself,
 
‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoils:
    a woman or two for each man,
colorful garments as plunder for Sisera,
    colorful garments embroidered,
highly embroidered garments for my neck—
    all this as plunder?

“So may all your enemies perish, Lord!

    But may all who love you be like the sun
    when it rises in its strength.


Judges 5 :1-31



Saturday, October 20, 2018

A Song of Triumph


Psalm 68 The Passion Translation

For the Pure and Shining One
David’s poetic song of praise

God! Arise with awesome power,
    and every one of your enemies will scatter in fear!
Chase them away—all these God-haters.
    Blow them away as a puff of smoke.
    Melt them away like wax in the fire.
    One good look at you and the wicked vanish.

But let all your godly lovers be glad!
    Yes, let them all rejoice in your presence
    and be carried away with gladness.
    Let them laugh and be radiant with joy!
Let them sing their celebration-songs
    for the coming of the cloud rider whose name is Yah!
5–6 
To the fatherless he is a father.
    To the widow he is a champion friend.
    To the lonely he gives a family.
    To the prisoners he leads into prosperity until they sing for joy.
    This is our Holy God in his Holy Place!
    But for the rebels there is heartache and despair.

O Lord, it was you who marched in front of your people,
    leading them through the wasteland.
Pause in his presence
The earth shook beneath your feet; the heavens filled with clouds
    before the presence of the God of Sinai.
    The sacred mountain shook at the sight of the face of Israel’s God.
You, O God, sent the reviving rain upon your weary inheritance,
    showers of blessing to refresh it.
10 
So there your people settled.
    And in your kindness you provided the poor with abundance.
11 
God Almighty declares the word of the gospel with power,
    and the warring women of Zion deliver its message:
12 
“The conquering legions have themselves been conquered.
    Look at them flee!”
    Now Zion’s women are left to gather the spoils.
13 
When you sleep between sharpened stakes,
    I see you sparkling like silver and glistening like gold,
    covered by the beautiful wings of a dove!
14 
When the Almighty found a king for himself,
    it became white as snow in his shade.
15–16 
O huge, magnificent mountain,
    you are the mighty kingdom of God!
    All the other peaks, though impressive and imposing,
    look with envy on you, Mount Zion!
    For Zion is the mountain where God has chosen to live forever.
17 
Look! The mighty chariots of God!
    Ten thousands upon ten thousands,
    more than anyone could ever number.
    God is at the front,
    leading them all from Mount Sinai into his sanctuary
    with the radiance of holiness upon him.
18 
He ascends into the heavenly heights,
    taking his many captured ones with him,
    leading them in triumphal procession.
    And gifts were given to men, even the once rebellious,
    so that they may dwell with Yah.
19 
What a glorious God!
    He gives us salvation over and over,
    then daily he carries our burdens!
Pause in his presence
20 
Our God is a mighty God who saves us over and over!
    For the Lord, Yahweh, rescues us
    from the ways of death many times.
21 
But he will crush every enemy, shattering their strength.
    He will make heads roll
    for they refuse to repent of their stubborn, sinful ways.
22 
I hear the Lord God saying to all the enemies of his people,
“You’d better come out of your hiding places,
    all of you who are doing your best to stay far away from me.

    Don’t you know there’s no place to hide?
23 
For my people will be the conquerors;
    they will soon have you under their feet.
    They will crush you until there is nothing left!”
24 
O God, my King, your triumphal processions
    keep moving onward in holiness;
    you’re moving onward toward the Holy Place!
25 
Leaders in front, then musicians,
    with young maidens in between, striking their tambourines.
26 
And they sing, “Let all God’s princely people rejoice!
    Let all the congregations bring their blessing to God, saying,
    ‘The Lord of the fountain! The Lord of the fountain of life!
    The Lord of the fountain of Israel!’”
27 
Astonishingly, it’s the favored youth leading the way:
    princes of praise in their royal robes,
    and exalted princes are among them,
    along with princes who have wrestled with God.
28–29 
Display your strength, God, and we’ll be strong!
    For your miracles have made us who we are.
    Lord, do it again,
    and parade from your temple your mighty power.
    By your command even kings will bring gifts to you.
30 
God, rebuke the beast-life that hides within us!
    Rebuke those who claim to be “strong ones,”
    who lurk within the congregation
    and abuse the people out of their love for money.
    God scatters the people who are spoiling for a fight.
31 
Africa will send her noble envoys to you, O God.
    They will come running, stretching out their hands in love to you.
32 
Let all the nations of the earth sing songs of praise to almighty God!
    Go ahead, all you nations—sing your praise to the Lord!
Pause in his presence
33 
Make music for the one who strides the ancient skies.
    Listen to his thunderous voice of might split open the heavens.
34 
Give it up for God, for he alone has all the strength and power!
    Proclaim his majesty! For his glory shines down on Israel.
    His mighty strength soars in the clouds of glory.
35 
God, we are consumed with awe, trembling before you
    as your glory streams from your Holy Place.
    The God of power shares his mighty strength with Israel
    and with all his people.
    God, we give our highest praise to you!