Judges 4
Deborah and Barak
1And again the ⌞Israelites⌟ ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
did evil in the eyes of Yahweh, and Ehud died. 2So Yahweh sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, and he was living in Harosheth Haggoyim. 3And the ⌞Israelites⌟ ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
cried to Yahweh, as he had nine hundred iron chariots, ▼▼Hebrew “chariot”
and he oppressed the ⌞Israelites⌟ ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
⌞cruelly⌟ ▼▼Literally “with force”
for twenty years. ▼▼Hebrew “year”
4Now at that time Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging ▼▼Or “leading”
Israel. 5And she used to sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the ⌞Israelites⌟ ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
went up to her for judgment. 6She sent and called for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh Naphtali and said to him, “Has not Yahweh the God of Israel commanded you? ‘Go, ⌞march to⌟ ▼▼Literally “take the lead at”
Mount Tabor, and take ten thousand men from the descendants ▼▼Or “sons/children”
of Naphtali and Zebulun. 7⌞I will draw out⌟ ▼▼Literally “I will draw to you”
Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and troops, to the wadi ▼▼A valley that is dry most of the year, but contains a stream during the rainy season
of Kishon, and I will give him into your hand.’ ” 8Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you do not go with me, I will not go.” 9She said, “Surely I will go with you; however, there will be no glory for you in ⌞the path you are taking⌟, ▼▼Or “the way you are going”
for Yahweh will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” And Deborah stood up and went with Barak to Kedesh. 10Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and ⌞they went up behind him⌟, ▼▼Literally “they went up in his feet”
ten thousand men, and Deborah went up with him. 11And Heber the Kenite was separated from the other Kenites, ▼▼Hebrew “Kenite”
that is, from the descendants ▼▼Or “sons/children”
of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses. And ⌞he was encamped⌟ ▼▼Literally “he spread his tent”
at Elon-bezaanannim, which is near Kedesh. 12When they ▼▼The subject is not specified in Hebrew
reported to Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, 13Sisera summoned all his chariots—all nine hundred chariots ▼▼Hebrew “chariot”
of iron—and the entire army that was with him from Harosheth Haggoyim to the wadi ▼▼A valley that is dry most of the year, but contains a stream during the rainy season
of Kishon. 14And Deborah said to Barak, “Get up! This is the day that Yahweh has given Sisera into your hand. Has Yahweh not gone out before you?” So Barak went out from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. 15And Yahweh threw Sisera and all his chariots and army into confusion ▼▼Or “routed Sisera and all his chariots and army”
before ⌞the edge of Barak’s sword⌟; ▼▼Literally “the mouth of the sword before Barak”
and Sisera dismounted from his chariot and fled on foot. 16But Barak pursued after the chariots ▼▼Hebrew “chariot”
and army as far as Harosheth Haggoyim, and all of Sisera’s army fell to ⌞the edge of the sword⌟; ▼▼Literally “the mouth of the sword”
no one was left. 17Sisera 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. 18And Jael came out to meet Sisera, and she said to him, “Turn aside, my lord; turn aside to me and do not be afraid.” So he turned aside into her tent, and she covered him ⌞with a blanket⌟. ▼▼Literally “with a covering/rug”
19And he said to her, “Please, give me a drink of water, because I am thirsty.” So she opened a skin vessel of milk and gave him a drink and covered him. 20And he said to her, “Stand at the doorway of the tent, and if anyone comes and asks you, and says, ‘Is there anyone here?’ You must answer, ‘No.’ ” 21But Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, took in her hand a tent peg and a hammer, and she went softly ▼▼Or “secretly”
to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the ground; he was fast asleep since he was exhausted, and he died. 22And behold, Barak was pursuing Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him, and she said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.” And he came with her and saw that Sisera was lying dead with the peg in his temple. 23On that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan before the ⌞Israelites⌟. ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
24And the hand of the ⌞Israelites⌟ ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
⌞pressed harder⌟ ▼▼Literally “went harder”
and harder on Jabin king of Canaan, until they destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.
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