⁴ Now Deborah,^(A) a prophet,^(B) the wife of Lappidoth, was leading^[a] Israel at that time. ⁵ She held court^(C) under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah^(D) and Bethel^(E) in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided. ⁶ She sent for Barak son of Abinoam^(F) from Kedesh^(G) in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali^(H) and Zebulun^(I) and lead them up to Mount Tabor.^{(J) 7} I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s^(K) army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River^(L) and give him into your hands.^(M)’”

⁸ Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”

⁹ “Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh.^{(N) 10} There Barak summoned^(O) Zebulun and Naphtali, and ten thousand men went up under his command. Deborah also went up with him.

¹¹ Now Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites,^(P) the descendants of Hobab,^(Q) Moses’ brother-in-law,^[b] and pitched his tent by the great tree^(R) in Zaanannim^(S) near Kedesh.

¹² When they told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor,^{(T) 13} Sisera summoned from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River^(U) all his men and his nine hundred chariots fitted with iron.^(V)

¹⁴ Then Deborah said to Barak, “Go! This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands.^(W) Has not the Lord gone ahead^(X) of you?” So Barak went down Mount Tabor, with ten thousand men following him. ¹⁵ At Barak’s advance, the Lord routed^(Y) Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera got down from his chariot and fled on foot.

¹⁶ Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth Haggoyim, and all Sisera’s troops fell by the sword; not a man was left.^{(Z) 17} Sisera, meanwhile, fled on foot to the tent of Jael,^(AA) the wife of Heber the Kenite,^(AB) because there was an alliance between Jabin king of Hazor^(AC) and the family of Heber the Kenite.

¹⁸ Jael^(AD) went out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Come, my lord, come right in. Don’t be afraid.” So he entered her tent, and she covered him with a blanket.

¹⁹ “I’m thirsty,” he said. “Please give me some water.” She opened a skin of milk,^(AE) gave him a drink, and covered him up.

²⁰ “Stand in the doorway of the tent,” he told her. “If someone comes by and asks you, ‘Is anyone in there?’ say ‘No.’”

²¹ But Jael,^(AF) Heber’s wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep,^(AG) exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.^(AH)

²² Just then Barak came by in pursuit of Sisera, and Jael^(AI) went out to meet him. “Come,” she said, “I will show you the man you’re looking for.” So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera with the tent peg through his temple—dead.^(AJ)

²³ On that day God subdued^(AK) Jabin^(AL) king of Canaan before the Israelites.

¹⁵ In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) ¹⁶ and said, “Brothers and sisters,^[a](A) the Scripture had to be fulfilled^(B) in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas,^(C) who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. ¹⁷ He was one of our number^(D) and shared in our ministry.”^(E)

¹⁸ (With the payment^(F) he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field;^(G) there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. ¹⁹ Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language^(H) Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

²⁰ “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms:

and,

²¹ Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, ²² beginning from John’s baptism^(K) to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness^(L) with us of his resurrection.”

²³ So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. ²⁴ Then they prayed,^(M) “Lord, you know everyone’s heart.^(N) Show us^(O) which of these two you have chosen ²⁵ to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” ²⁶ Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.^(P)

⁵⁵ Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs.^{(A) 56} Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph,^[a] and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.^(B)

The Burial of Jesus^(C)

⁵⁷ As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸ Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. ⁵⁹ Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, ⁶⁰ and placed it in his own new tomb^(D) that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. ⁶¹ Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

The Guard at the Tomb

⁶² The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. ⁶³ “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’^{(E) 64} So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body^(F) and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”

⁶⁵ “Take a guard,”^(G) Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” ⁶⁶ So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal^(H) on the stone^(I) and posting the guard.^(J)