Judges 4
4
Deborah, the Woman Judge
1After Ehud died, the Israelites again did what the Lord said was wrong. 2So he let Jabin, a king of Canaan who ruled in the city of Hazor, defeat Israel. Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim, was the commander of Jabin’s army. 3Because he had nine hundred iron chariots and was very cruel to the people of Israel for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help.
4A prophetess named Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, was judge of Israel at that time. 5Deborah would sit under the Palm Tree of Deborah, which was between the cities of Ramah and Bethel, in the mountains of Ephraim. And the people of Israel would come to her to settle their arguments.
6Deborah sent a message to Barak son of Abinoam. Barak lived in the city of Kedesh, which is in the area of Naphtali. Deborah said to Barak, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go and gather ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them to Mount Tabor. 7I will make Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, and his chariots, and his army meet you at the Kishon River. I will hand Sisera over to you.’ ”
8Then Barak said to Deborah, “I will go if you will go with me, but if you won’t go with me, I won’t go.”
9“Of course I will go with you,” Deborah answered, “but you will not get credit for the victory. The Lord will let a woman defeat Sisera.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. 10At Kedesh, Barak called the people of Zebulun and Naphtali together. From them, he gathered ten thousand men to follow him, and Deborah went with him also.
11Now Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law. Heber had put up his tent by the great tree in Zaanannim, near Kedesh.
12When Sisera was told that Barak son of Abinoam had gone to Mount Tabor, 13Sisera gathered his nine hundred iron chariots and all the men with him, from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River.
14Then Deborah said to Barak, “Get up! Today is the day the Lord will hand over Sisera. The Lord has already cleared the way for you.” So Barak led ten thousand men down Mount Tabor. 15As Barak approached, the Lord confused Sisera and his army and chariots. The Lord defeated them with the sword, but Sisera left his chariot and ran away on foot. 16Barak and his men chased Sisera’s chariots and army to Harosheth Haggoyim. With their swords they killed all of Sisera’s men; not one of them was left alive.
17But Sisera himself ran away to the tent where Jael lived. She was the wife of Heber, one of the Kenite family groups. Heber’s family was at peace with Jabin king of Hazor. 18Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Come into my tent, master! Come in. Don’t be afraid.” So Sisera went into Jael’s tent, and she covered him with a rug.
19Sisera said to Jael, “I am thirsty. Please give me some water to drink.” So she opened a leather bag of milk and gave him a drink. Then she covered him up.
20He said to her, “Go stand at the entrance to the tent. If anyone comes and asks you, ‘Is anyone here?’ say, ‘No.’ ”
21But Jael, the wife of Heber, took a tent peg and a hammer and quietly went to Sisera. Since he was very tired, he was in a deep sleep. She hammered the tent peg through the side of Sisera’s head and into the ground. And so Sisera died.
22At that very moment Barak came by Jael’s tent, chasing Sisera. Jael went out to meet him and said, “Come. I will show you the man you are looking for.” So Barak entered her tent, and there Sisera lay dead, with the tent peg in his head.
23On that day God defeated Jabin king of Canaan in the sight of Israel.
24Israel became stronger and stronger against Jabin king of Canaan until finally they destroyed him.
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Judges 4: NCV
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Judges 4
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. 7I 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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