< Judges 4 >

1 And the children of Israel again did evil in the eyes of the Lord when Ehud was dead.
And the children of Israel again did the evil in the eyes of the Lord, when Ehud was dead.
2 And the Lord gave them up into the hands of Jabin, king of Canaan, who was ruling in Hazor; the captain of his army was Sisera, who was living in Harosheth of the Gentiles.
And the Lord sold them into the hand of Yabin the king of Canaan, that reigned in Chazor; and the captain of his army was Sissera, who dwelt in Charosheth-hagoyim.
3 Then the children of Israel made prayer to the Lord; for he had nine hundred iron war-carriages, and for twenty years he was very cruel to the children of Israel.
And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord; for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and he oppressed the children of Israel with might twenty years.
4 Now Deborah, a woman prophet, the wife of Lapidoth, was judge of Israel at that time.
And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, —she judged Israel at that time.
5 (And she had her seat under the palm-tree of Deborah between Ramah and Beth-el in the hill-country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel came up to her to be judged.)
And she held her sitting under the palm-tree of Deborah between Ramah and Beth-el on the mountain of Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
6 And she sent for Barak, the son of Abinoam, from Kedesh-naphtali, and said to him, Has not the Lord, the God of Israel, given orders saying, Go and get your force into line in Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?
And she sent and called Barak the son of Abino'am out of Kedesh-naphtali; and she said unto him, Behold, the Lord the God of Israel hath commanded, Go and lead on 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 make Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his war-carriages and his forces, come against you at the river Kishon, where I will give him into your hands.
And I will draw unto thee, to the brook Kishon, Sissera, the captain of Yabin's army, and his chariots and his multitude; and I will give him up into thy hand.
8 And Barak said to her, If you will go with me then I will go; but if you will not go with me I will not go.
And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then will I go; but if thou wilt not go with me, I will not go.
9 And she said, I will certainly go with you: though you will get no honour in your undertaking, for the Lord will give Sisera into the hands of a woman. So Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh.
And she said, I will indeed go with thee; nevertheless it will not be for thy honor, on the way which thou goest; for into the hand of a woman will the Lord deliver Sissera; and Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.
10 Then Barak sent for Zebulun and Naphtali to come to Kedesh; and ten thousand men went up after him, and Deborah went up with him.
And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali together to Kedesh; and there went up in his train ten thousand men; also Deborah went up with him.
11 Now Heber the Kenite, separating himself from the rest of the Kenites, from the children of Hobab, the brother-in-law of Moses, had put up his tent as far away as the oak-tree in Zaanannim, by Kedesh.
Now Cheber the Kenite had severed himself from the Kenites, from the children of Chobab the father-in-law of Moses; and he had pitched his tent as far as Elon-beza'anannim, which is near Kedesh.
12 And word was given to Sisera that Barak, the son of Abinoam, had gone up to Mount Tabor.
And they told Sissera that Barak the son of Abino'am was gone up to mount Tabor.
13 So Sisera got together all his war-carriages, nine hundred war-carriages of iron, and all the people who were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles as far as the river Kishon.
And Sissera called together all his chariots, nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Charosheth-hagoyim unto the brook Kishon.
14 Then Deborah said to Barak, Up! for today the Lord has given Sisera into your hands: has not the Lord gone out before you? So Barak went down from Mount Tabor and ten thousand men after him.
And Deborah said unto Barak, Up! for this is the day on which the Lord hath given Sissera into thy hand; behold, the Lord is gone out before thee: so Barak went down from mount Tabor, with ten thousand men after him.
15 And the Lord sent fear on Sisera and all his war-carriages and all his army before Barak; and Sisera got down from his war-carriage and went in flight on foot.
And the Lord confounded Sissera, and all his chariots, and all his army, with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sissera alighted from his chariot, and fled away on foot.
16 But Barak went after the war-carriages and the army as far as Harosheth of the Gentiles; and all Sisera's army was put to the sword; not a man got away.
And Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the army, unto Charosheth-hagoyim: and all the army of Sissera fell by the edge of the sword; there was not left even one.
17 But Sisera went in flight on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between Jabin, king of Hazor, and the family of Heber the Kenite.
But Sissera had fled away on foot to the tent of Ja'el the wife of Cheber the Kenite; for there was peace between Yabin the king of Chazor and the house of Cheber the Kenite.
18 And Jael went out to Sisera, and said to him, Come in, my lord, come in to me without fear. So he went into her tent, and she put a cover over him.
And Ja'el went out to meet Sissera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in unto me, fear not: and he turned in unto her into the tent, and she covered him with a blanket.
19 Then he said to her, Give me now a little water, for I have need of a drink. And opening a skin of milk, she gave him drink, and put the cover over him again.
And he said unto her, Give me to drink, I pray thee, a little water; for I am thirsty: and she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him to drink, and covered him up.
20 And he said to her, Take your place at the door of the tent, and if anyone comes and says to you, Is there any man here, say, No.
And he said unto her, Stand at the door of the tent; and it shall be, that, when any man should come and ask of thee, and say, Is there any man here? thou shalt say, No.
21 Then Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent-pin and a hammer and went up to him quietly, driving the pin into his head, and it went through his head into the earth, for he was in a deep sleep from weariness; and so he came to his end.
And Ja'el the wife of Cheber took thereupon the nail of the tent, and placed a hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and struck the nail into his temple, and it became fastened in the ground; but he was fast asleep and weary; so he died.
22 Then Jael went out, and meeting Barak going after Sisera, said to him, Come, and I will let you see the man you are searching for. So he came into her tent and saw, and there was Sisera stretched out dead with the tent-pin in his head.
And, behold, Barak came in pursuit of Sissera, and Ja'el came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will show thee the man whom thou art seeking: and he came to her, and behold, Sissera was lying dead, with the nail in his temple.
23 So that day God overcame Jabin, king of Canaan, before the children of Israel.
So did God humble on that day Yabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.
24 And the power of the children of Israel went on increasing against Jabin, king of Canaan, till he was cut off.
And the hand of the children of Israel became constantly heavier upon Yabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Yabin the king of Canaan.

< Judges 4 >