Bible in Basic English
Then loudly the feet of the horses were sounding with the stamping, the stamping of their war-horses.
A curse, a curse on Meroz! said the angel of the Lord. A bitter curse on her townspeople! Because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord among the strong ones.
Blessings be on Jael, more than on all women! Blessings greater than on any in the tents!
His request was for water, she gave him milk; she put butter before him on a fair plate.
She put out her hand to the tent-pin, and her right hand to the workman's hammer; and she gave Sisera a blow, crushing his head, wounding and driving through his brow.
Bent at her feet he went down, he was stretched out; bent at her feet he went down; where he was bent down, there he went down in death.
Looking out from the window she gave a cry, the mother of Sisera was crying out through the window, Why is his carriage so long in coming? When will the noise of his wheels be sounding?
Her wise women gave answer to her, yes, she made answer again to herself,
Are they not getting, are they not parting the goods among them: a young girl or two to every man; and to Sisera robes of coloured needlework, worked in fair colours on this side and on that, for the neck of the queen?
So may destruction come on all your haters, O Lord; but let your lovers be like the sun going out in his strength. And for forty years the land had peace.
— Judges 5:22-1964, Bible in Basic English
“The horses’ hooves pounded the ground; the stallions galloped madly. ‘Call judgment down on Meroz,’ says the LORD’s angel;‘Be sure to call judgment down on those who live there, because they did not come to help in the LORD’s battle, to help in the LORD’s battle against the warriors.’ The most rewarded of women should be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite! She should be the most rewarded of women who live in tents. He asked for water, and she gave him milk; in a bowl fit for a king, she served him curds. Her left hand reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workmen’s hammer. She“hammered” Sisera, she shattered his skull, she smashed his head, she drove the tent peg through his temple. Between her feet he collapsed, he fell limp and was lifeless; between her feet he collapsed and fell, in the spot where he collapsed, there he fell– violently killed! Through the window she looked; Sisera’s mother cried out through the lattice:‘Why is his chariot so slow to return? Why are the hoofbeats of his chariot-horses delayed?’ The wisest of her ladies answer; indeed she even thinks to herself, ‘No doubt they are gathering and dividing the plunder– a girl or two for each man to rape! Sisera is grabbing up colorful cloth, he is grabbing up colorful embroidered cloth, two pieces of colorful embroidered cloth, for the neck of the plunderer!’ May all your enemies perish like this, O LORD! But may those who love you shine like the rising sun at its brightest!” And the land had rest for forty years.”
The kings came on to the fight, the kings of Canaan were warring; in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo: they took no profit in money.
The stars from heaven were fighting; from their highways they were fighting against Sisera.
The river Kishon took them violently away, stopping their flight, the river Kishon. Give praise, O my soul, to the strength of the Lord!
Then loudly the feet of the horses were sounding with the stamping, the stamping of their war-horses.
A curse, a curse on Meroz! said the angel of the Lord. A bitter curse on her townspeople! Because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord among the strong ones.
Blessings be on Jael, more than on all women! Blessings greater than on any in the tents!
His request was for water, she gave him milk; she put butter before him on a fair plate.
She put out her hand to the tent-pin, and her right hand to the workman's hammer; and she gave Sisera a blow, crushing his head, wounding and driving through his brow.
Bent at her feet he went down, he was stretched out; bent at her feet he went down; where he was bent down, there he went down in death.
Looking out from the window she gave a cry, the mother of Sisera was crying out through the window, Why is his carriage so long in coming? When will the noise of his wheels be sounding?
Her wise women gave answer to her, yes, she made answer again to herself,
Are they not getting, are they not parting the goods among them: a young girl or two to every man; and to Sisera robes of coloured needlework, worked in fair colours on this side and on that, for the neck of the queen?
So may destruction come on all your haters, O Lord; but let your lovers be like the sun going out in his strength. And for forty years the land had peace.