Judges 4
1 After Ehud died, the people of Israel once again did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh.
And the sons of Israel again did the thing that was wicked in the sight of Yahweh, —when, Ehud, was dead.
2 Yahweh sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was named Sisera, and he lived in Harosheth Haggoyim.
So Yahweh sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor, —now, the prince of his host, was Sisera, and, he, dwelt in Harosheth of the nations.
3 The people of Israel called out to Yahweh for help, because Sisera had nine hundred iron chariots and he oppressed the people of Israel with force for twenty years.
And the sons of Israel made outcry unto Yahweh, —for he had, nine hundred chariots of iron, and, he, oppressed the sons of Israel heavily, twenty years.
4 Now Deborah, a prophetess (the wife of Lappidoth), was a leading judge in Israel at that time.
And, Deborah, a woman who was a prophetess, wife of Lapidoth, she, was judging Israel, at that time:
5 She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came to her to settle their disputes.
she used to sit, therefore, under the palm-tree of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel, in the hill country of Ephraim, —and the sons of Israel came up to her, for justice.
6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali. She said to him, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, commands you, 'Go to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men from Naphtali and Zebulun.
And she sent and called for Barak son of Abinoam, out of Kadesh-naphtali, —and said unto him—Hath not Yahweh God of Israel, commanded, —Come and draw towards Mount Tabor, and bring with thee—ten thousand men, of the sons of Naphtali, and of the sons of Zebulun;
7 I will draw out Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, to meet you by the Kishon River, with his chariots and his army, and I will give you victory over him.'”
and I will draw unto thee, unto the torrent of Kishon, Sisera, prince of the host of Jabin, with his chariots, and with his multitude, —and will deliver him into thy hand?
8 Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go, but if you do 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 She said, “I will certainly go with you. However, the road on which you are going will not lead to your honor, for Yahweh will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh.
And she said—I will, go, with thee; only, it shall not be, thine own honour, that shall arise from the journey which thou art about to take, for, into the hand of a woman, will Yahweh sell Sisera. So Deborah arose, and went with Barak, towards Kadesh.
10 Barak called for the men of Zebulun and Naphtali to come together at Kedesh. Ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah went along with him.
And Barak called together Zebulun and Naphtali, towards Kadesh, and there went up at his feet—ten thousand men, —and Deborah, went up with him.
11 Now Heber (the Kenite) had separated himself from the Kenites—they were the descendants of Hobab (Moses' father-in-law)—and he pitched his tent by the oak in Zaanannim near Kedesh.
Now, Heber the Kenite, had separated himself from the Kenites, even from the sons of Hobab, father-in-law of Moses, —and moved his tent as far as the oak of Zaanaim, which is near Kadesh.
12 When they told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor,
And they told Sisera that Barak, son of Abinoam, had gone up to Mount Tabor.
13 Sisera called out all his chariots, nine hundred iron chariots, and all the soldiers who were with him, from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River.
So Sisera called together all his chariots—nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, —from Harosheth of the nations, unto the torrent of Kishon.
14 Deborah said to Barak, “Go! For this is the day in which Yahweh has given you victory over Sisera. Is not Yahweh leading you?” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him.
Then said Deborah unto Barak—Up! for, this, is the day on which Yahweh hath delivered Sisera into thy hand, hath not, Yahweh, gone forth before thee? So Barak went down from Mount Tabor, with ten thousand men after him.
15 Yahweh confused Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword. And Sisera got down from his chariot and ran away on foot.
And Yahweh put to flight Sisera and all the chariots and all the host, with the edge of the sword, before Barak, —so Sisera alighted from his chariot, and fled on foot.
16 But Barak pursued the chariots and the army to Harosheth Haggoyim, and the whole army of Sisera was killed by the edge of the sword, and not a man survived.
Now, Barak, pursued the chariots, and the host, as far as Harosheth of the nations, —and all the host of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword, there was not left so much as one.
17 But Sisera ran away on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the family of Heber the Kenite.
Now, Sisera, had fled on foot, unto the tent of Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin, king of Hazer, and the house of Heber the Kenite.
18 Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Turn aside, my master; turn aside to me and do not be afraid.” So he turned aside to her and came into her tent, and she covered him with a blanket.
And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him: Turn aside, my lord, turn aside with me, do not fear. So he turned aside with her into the tent, and she threw over him a coverlet.
19 He said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” She opened a leather bag of milk and gave him drink, and then she covered him up again.
And he said unto her—Let me drink, I pray thee, a little water, for I am thirsty. So she opened the bottle of milk, and gave him to drink, and spread over him the coverlet.
20 He said to her, “Stand at the opening of the tent. If someone comes and asks you, 'Is anyone here?', say 'No'.”
And he said unto her, Stand at the entrance of the tent, —and it shall be, if any man come and ask thee and say—Is there here a man? that thou shalt say, There is not.
21 Then Jael (the wife of Heber) took a tent peg and a hammer in her hand and went in secretly to him, for he was in a deep sleep, and she hammered the tent peg into the side of his head until it went down into the ground, and he died.
Then took Jael, wife of Heber, the tent-pin, and put the mallet in her hand, and went in unto him, softly, and smote the tent-pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground, —he being fast asleep and shrouded in darkness, and he died.
22 As Barak was pursuing Sisera, Jael want out to meet him and said to him, “Come, I will show you the man you are looking for.” So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera dead, with the tent peg in the side of his head.
And lo! Barak—in pursuit of Sisera! So Jael went forth to meet him, and said unto him, Come and let me shew thee—the man whom thou art seeking. And he came in with her, and lo! Sisera—lying dead, with the tent-pin in his temples.
23 So on that day God defeated Jabin, the king of Canaan, before the people of Israel.
Thus God subdued, on that day, Jabin king of Canaan, —before the sons of Israel.
24 The might of the people of Israel grew stronger and stronger against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they destroyed him.
And the hand of the sons of Israel went on, waxing more and more heavy upon Jabin king of Canaan, —until they had cut off Jabin king of Canaan.
