Judges 4

1 After Ehud died, the Israelites again did evil in the sight of the LORD.

2 So the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his forces was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-hagoyim.

3 Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, because Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron, and he had harshly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years.

4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time.

5 And she would sit under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, where the Israelites would go up to her for judgment.

6 She summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “Surely the LORD, the God of Israel, is commanding you: ‘Go and march to Mount Tabor, taking with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun.

7 And I will draw out Sisera the commander of Jabin’s army, his chariots, and his troops to the River Kishon, and I will deliver him into your hand.’”

8 Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.”

9 “I will certainly go with you,” Deborah replied, “but the road you are taking will bring you no honor, because the LORD will be selling Sisera into the hand of a woman.” So Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh,

10 where he summoned Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him.

11 Now Heber the Kenite had moved away from the Kenites, the descendants of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent by the great tree of Zaanannim, which was near Kedesh.

12 When Sisera was told that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up Mount Tabor,

13 he summoned all nine hundred of his iron chariots and all the men with him, from Harosheth-hagoyim to the River Kishon.

14 Then Deborah said to Barak, “Arise, for this is the day that the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the LORD gone before you?” So Barak came down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him.

15 And in front of him the LORD routed with the sword Sisera, all his charioteers, and all his army. Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled on foot.

16 Then Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth-hagoyim, and the whole army of Sisera fell by the sword; not a single man was left.

17 Meanwhile, Sisera had fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.

18 Jael went out to greet Sisera and said to him, “Come in, my lord. Come in with me. Do not be afraid.” So he entered her tent, and she covered him with a blanket.

19 Sisera said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a container of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him again.

20 “Stand at the entrance to the tent,” he said, “and if anyone comes and asks you, ‘Is there a man here?’ say, ‘No.’”

21 But as he lay sleeping from exhaustion, Heber’s wife Jael took a tent peg, grabbed a hammer, and went silently to Sisera. She drove the peg through his temple and into the ground, and he died.

22 When Barak arrived in pursuit of Sisera, Jael went out to greet him and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man you are seeking.” So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera dead, with a tent peg through his temple.

23 On that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan before the Israelites.

24 And the hand of the Israelites grew stronger and stronger against Jabin king of Canaan until they destroyed him.

1 ¶ And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead.

2 And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host [was] Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.

3 And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.

4 ¶ And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.

5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.

6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, [saying], Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?

7 And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.

8 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, [then] I will not go.

9 And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.

10 ¶ And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.

11 Now Heber the Kenite, [which was] of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which [is] by Kedesh.

12 And they shewed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor.

13 And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, [even] nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that [were] with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon.

14 And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this [is] the day in which the LORD hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the LORD gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.

15 And the LORD discomfited Sisera, and all [his] chariots, and all [his] host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off [his] chariot, and fled away on his feet.

16 But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword; [and] there was not a man left.

17 ¶ Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for [there was] peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.

18 And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle.

19 And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him.

20 Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and enquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No.

21 Then Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.

22 And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her [tent], behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail [was] in his temples.

23 So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.

24 And the hand of the children of Israel prospered, and prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.

1 But the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, because Ehud was dead.

2 And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of the Canaanites, which sat in Hazor: and his captain of the host was Zisserah, and he dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.

3 And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron, and compelled the children of Israel by force twenty years.

4 In those days there was a judge in Israel, Deborah the prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth.

5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel, in mount Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up unto her in judgment.

6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam, of Kedesh-naphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded thee? Go up to mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of Zebulun?

7 For I will bring Sisserah the captain of the host of Jabin unto thee by the river Kishon, with his chariots, and with his multitude, and will deliver him into thy hand.

8 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, I will not go.

9 And she said: I will go with thee, but the prize shall not be thine in this journey which thou doest, but the LORD will deliver Sissera into the hand of a woman. So Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.

10 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh, and went on foot with ten thousand men. And Deborah also went with him.

11 And Heber the Kenite went out from among the Kenites, from among the sons of Hobab, Moses' brother in law, and pitched his tent by the oaks of Zaanaim beside Kedesh.

12 And it was told Zisserah that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor.

13 And he called all his chariots together, nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river Kishon,

14 And Deborah said unto Barak, Arise, this is the day when the LORD hath delivered Zisserah into thine hand: for the LORD will go forth before thee. So Barak came down from mount Tabor, and the ten thousand men after him.

15 And the LORD affrighted Sisserah, and all his chariots, and all his host, at the edge of Barak's sword: and Sisserah leaped from his chariot, and fled on foot.

16 And Barak pursued after the chariots and after the host unto Harosheth of the nations. And all the host of Sisera fell before the edge of the sword, and not one remained.

17 And Sisserah fled on foot to the tabernacle of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite. For king Jabin of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite were at peace with one another.

18 And Jael went out to meet Sisserah, and said unto him, Depart, my lord, depart unto me, and fear not. And he went in unto her into her tent: and she covered him with a mantle.

19 And he said unto her, Give me a little water to drink, for I thirst. So she put on a milk-pot, and gave him to drink, and covered him.

20 And he said unto her, Enter in at the door of the tabernacle, and if any man come and ask whether any man be here, say, No man.

21 And Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the tabernacle, and a hammer in her hand, and went in unto him softly, and smote the nail through his sleep, and he sank to the earth. And he fell asleep, and fainted, and died.

22 And it came to pass, as Barak pursued after Sissera, that Jael went out to meet him, and said unto him, Come hither, and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he was come in unto her, Sissera lay dead, and the nail was in his sleep.

23 So God restrained Jabin king of the Canaanites in those days before the children of Israel.

24 And the hand of the children of Israel continued, and waxed strong against Jabin king of the Canaanites, until they cut him off. Ch. 5, v. 1. Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang at that time, saying: