Judges 4-5

Complete Jewish Bible

4 But after Ehud had died, the people of Isra’el again did what was evil from Adonai’s perspective. ²So Adonai handed them over to Yavin king of Kena‘an. He ruled from Hatzor; and the commander of his army was Sisra, who lived in Haroshet-HaGoyim. ³The people of Isra’el cried out to Adonai, because he had 900 iron chariots, and for twenty years he cruelly oppressed the people of Isra’el.

⁴Now D’vorah, a woman and a prophet, the wife of Lapidot, was judging Isra’el at that time. ⁵She used to sit under D’vorah’s Palm between Ramah and Beit-El, in the hills of Efrayim; and the people of Isra’el would come to her for judgment. ⁶She sent for Barak the son of Avino‘am, from Kedesh in Naftali, and said to him: “Adonai has given you this order: ‘Go, march to Mount Tavor, and take with you 10,000 men from the people of Naftali and Z’vulun. ⁷I will cause Sisra, the commander of Yavin’s army, to encounter you at the Kishon River with his chariots and troops; and I will hand him over to you.’”

⁸Barak answered her: “If you go with me, I’ll go; but if you won’t go with me, I won’t go.” ⁹She replied, “Yes, I will gladly go with you; but the way you are doing it will bring you no glory; because Adonai will hand Sisra over to a woman.” Then D’vorah set out and went with Barak to Kedesh. ¹⁰Barak summoned Z’vulun and Naftali to come to Kedesh. Ten thousand men followed him, and D’vorah went up with him.

¹¹Now Hever the Keini had cut himself off from the rest of Kayin, the descendants of Hovav Moshe’s father-in-law; he had pitched his tent near the oak at Tza‘ananim, which is close to Kedesh. ¹²Sisra was informed that Barak the son of Avino‘am had gone up to Mount Tavor. ¹³So Sisra rallied his chariots, all 900 iron chariots, and all the troops he had with him, from Haroshet-HaGoyim to the Kishon River.

¹⁴D’vorah said to Barak: “Get going! This is the day when Adonai will hand Sisra over to you! Adonai has gone out ahead of you!” So Barak went down from Mount Tavor with 10,000 men following him; ¹⁵and Adonai threw Sisra, all his chariots and his entire army into a panic before Barak’s sword; so that Sisra got down from his chariot and fled on foot. ¹⁶But Barak pursued the chariots and the army all the way to Haroshet-HaGoyim. Sisra’s entire army was put to the sword; not one man was left.

¹⁷However, Sisra ran on foot to the tent of Ya‘el the wife of Hever the Keini, because there was peace between Yavin the king of Hatzor and the family of Hever the Keini. ¹⁸Ya‘el went out to meet Sisra and said to him, “Come in, my lord; stay here with me; and don’t be afraid.” So he went into her tent, and she covered him with a blanket. ¹⁹He said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink — I’m thirsty.” She opened a goatskin of milk, gave him some to drink, and covered him up again. ²⁰He said to her, “Stand at the entrance to the tent; and if anyone asks you if somebody is here, say, ‘No.’” ²¹But when he was deeply asleep, Ya‘el the wife of Hever took a tent peg and a hammer in her hand, crept in to him quietly and drove the tent peg into his temple, right through to the ground; so that he died without waking up. ²²So here is Barak pursuing Sisra, and Ya‘el steps out to meet him and says, “Come, I will show you the man you are looking for.” He goes into her tent; and there is Sisra, lying dead with the tent peg through his temple.

²³Thus God on that day defeated Yavin the king of Kena‘an in the presence of the people of Isra’el. ²⁴The hand of the people of Isra’el came down more and more heavily against Yavin the king of Kena‘an, until they had completely destroyed Yavin the king of Kena‘an.

5 On that day D’vorah and Barak the son of Avino‘am sang this song:

²“When leaders in Isra’el dedicate themselves,
and the people volunteer,
you should all bless Adonai.
³Hear, kings; listen, princes;
I will sing to Adonai!
I will sing praise to Adonai
the God of Isra’el.

⁴“Adonai, when you went out from Se‘ir,
when you marched out from the field of Edom;
the earth quaked, and the sky shook;
yes, the clouds poured down torrents.
⁵The mountains melted at the presence of Adonai,
at Sinai, before Adonai the God of Isra’el.

⁶“In the days of Shamgar the son of ‘Anat,
in the days of Ya‘el, the main roads were deserted;
travelers walked the byways.
⁷The rulers ceased in Isra’el, they ceased,
until you arose, D’vorah,
arose a mother in Isra’el.

⁸“They chose new gods when war was at the gates.
Was there a shield or spear to be seen
among Isra’el’s forty thousand men?
⁹My heart goes out to Isra’el’s leaders
and to those among the people who volunteer.
All of you, bless Adonai.

¹⁰“You who ride white donkeys,
sitting on soft saddle-blankets,
and you walking on the road,
talk about it!
¹¹Louder than the sound of archers at the watering-holes
will they sound as they retell
the righteous acts of Adonai,
the righteous acts of his rulers in Isra’el.

“Then Adonai’s people marched down to the gates.

¹²“Awake, awake, D’vorah!
Awake, awake, break into song!
Arise, Barak! Lead away your captives,
son of Avino‘am!

¹³“Then a remnant of the nobles marched down;
the people of Adonai marched down to me like warriors.
¹⁴From Efrayim came those rooted in ‘Amalek.
Behind you, Binyamin is with your peoples.
From Makhir the commanders marched down,
and from Z’vulun those holding the musterer’s staff.
¹⁵The princes of Yissakhar were with D’vorah,
Yissakhar, along with Barak;
into the valley they rushed forth behind him.
Among the divisions of Re’uven
they made great resolutions in their hearts.
¹⁶But why did you stay at the pens for the sheep,
and listen to the shepherd’s flute playing for the flocks?
Concerning the divisions of Re’uven
there were great searchings of heart.
¹⁷Gil‘ad lives beyond the Yarden.
Dan — why does he stay by the ships?
Asher stayed by the shore of the sea,
remaining near its bays.
¹⁸The people of Z’vulun risked their lives,
Naftali too, on the open heights.

¹⁹“Kings came; they fought.
Yes, the kings of Kena‘an fought
at Ta‘anakh, by the waters of Megiddo;
but they took no spoil of silver.
²⁰They fought from heaven, the stars in their courses;
yes, they fought against Sisra.
²¹The Kishon River swept them away,
that ancient river, the Kishon River.
O my soul, march on with strength!
²²Then the horses’ hoofs pounded the ground,
their mighty steeds galloping at full speed.

²³“‘Curse Meroz!’ said the angel of Adonai,
‘Curse the people living there with a bitter punishment
for not coming to help Adonai,
to help Adonai against the mighty warriors.’

²⁴“Ya‘el will be blessed more than all women.
The wife of Hever the Keini
will be blessed more than any woman in the tent.
²⁵He asked for water, and she gave him milk;
In an elegant bowl she brought him curds.
²⁶Then she took a tent peg in her left hand
and a workman’s hammer in her right;
with the hammer she struck Sisra, pierced his skull,
yes, she shattered and crushed his temple.
²⁷He sank down at her feet, he fell and lay there;
he sank at her feet, he fell —
where he sank down, there he fell dead.

²⁸“Sisra’s mother looks out the window;
peering out through the lattice she wonders,
‘Why is his chariot so long in coming?
Why are his horses so slow to return?’
²⁹The wisest of her ladies answer her,
and she repeats it to herself,
³⁰‘Of course! They’re collecting and dividing the spoil —
a girl, two girls for every warrior,
for Sisra booty of dyed clothing,
a plunder of colorfully embroidered garments,
two embroidered scarves for every soldier’s neck.’

³¹“May all your enemies perish like this, Adonai;
but may those who love him be like the sun
going forth in its glory!”

Then the land had rest for forty years.

Psalm 39-41

Complete Jewish Bible

39 ⁽⁰⁾For the leader. Set in the style of Y’dutun. A psalm of David:

²⁽¹⁾I said, “I will watch how I behave,
so that I won’t sin with my tongue;
I will put a muzzle on my mouth
whenever the wicked confront me.”

³⁽²⁾I was silent, said nothing, not even good;
but my pain kept being stirred up.
⁴⁽³⁾My heart grew hot within me;
whenever I thought of it, the fire burned.
Then, [at last,] I let my tongue speak:

⁵⁽⁴⁾“Make me grasp, Adonai, what my end must be,
what it means that my days are numbered;
let me know what a transient creature I am.
⁶⁽⁵⁾You have made my days like handbreadths;
for you, the length of my life is like nothing.”

Yes, everyone, no matter how firmly he stands,
is merely a puff of wind. (Selah)
⁷⁽⁶⁾Humans go about like shadows;
their turmoil is all for nothing.
They accumulate wealth, not knowing
who will enjoy its benefits.

⁸⁽⁷⁾Now, Adonai, what am I waiting for?
You are my only hope.
⁹⁽⁸⁾Rescue me from all my transgressions;
don’t make me the butt of fools.
¹⁰⁽⁹⁾I am silent, I keep my mouth shut,
because it is you who have done it.

¹¹⁽¹⁰⁾Stop raining blows on me;
the pounding of your fist is wearing me down.
¹²⁽¹¹⁾With rebukes you discipline people for their guilt;
like a moth, you destroy what makes them attractive;
yes, everyone is merely a puff of wind. (Selah)

¹³⁽¹²⁾Hear my prayer, Adonai, listen to my cry,
don’t be deaf to my weeping;
for with you, I am just a traveler
passing through, like all my ancestors.
¹⁴⁽¹³⁾Turn your gaze from me, so I can smile again
before I depart and cease to exist.

40 ⁽⁰⁾For the leader. A psalm of David:

²⁽¹⁾I waited patiently for Adonai,
till he turned toward me and heard my cry.
³⁽²⁾He brought me up from the roaring pit,
up from the muddy ooze,
and set my feet on a rock,
making my footing firm.
⁴⁽³⁾He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will look on in awe
and put their trust in Adonai.

⁵⁽⁴⁾How blessed the man who trusts in Adonai
and does not look to the arrogant
or to those who rely on things that are false.

⁶⁽⁵⁾How much you have done, Adonai my God!
Your wonders and your thoughts toward us —
none can compare with you!
I would proclaim them, I would speak about them;
but there’s too much to tell!

⁷⁽⁶⁾Sacrifices and grain offerings you don’t want;
burnt offerings and sin offerings you don’t demand.
Instead, you have given me open ears;
⁸⁽⁷⁾so then I said, “Here I am! I’m coming!
In the scroll of a book it is written about me.
⁹⁽⁸⁾Doing your will, my God, is my joy;
your Torah is in my inmost being.
¹⁰⁽⁹⁾I have proclaimed what is right in the great assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, Adonai, as you know.
¹¹⁽¹⁰⁾I did not hide your righteousness in my heart
but declared your faithfulness and salvation;
I did not conceal your grace and truth
from the great assembly.”

¹²⁽¹¹⁾Adonai, don’t withhold your mercy from me.
Let your grace and truth preserve me always.
¹³⁽¹²⁾For numberless evils surround me;
my iniquities engulf me — I can’t even see;
there are more of them than hairs on my head,
so that my courage fails me.
¹⁴⁽¹³⁾Be pleased, Adonai, to rescue me!
Adonai, hurry and help me!
¹⁵⁽¹⁴⁾May those who seek to sweep me away
be disgraced and humiliated together.
May those who take pleasure in doing me harm
be turned back and put to confusion.
¹⁶⁽¹⁵⁾May those who jeer at me, “Aha! Aha!”
be aghast because of their shame.

¹⁷⁽¹⁶⁾But may all those who seek you
be glad and take joy in you.
May those who love your salvation say always,
“Adonai is great and glorious!”

¹⁸⁽¹⁷⁾But I am poor and needy;
may Adonai think of me.
You are my helper and rescuer;
my God, don’t delay!

41 ⁽⁰⁾For the leader. A psalm of David:

²⁽¹⁾How blessed are those who care for the poor!
When calamity comes, Adonai will save them.
³⁽²⁾Adonai will preserve them, keep them alive,
and make them happy in the land.
You will not hand them over
to the whims of their enemies.
⁴⁽³⁾Adonai sustains them on their sickbed;
when they lie ill, you make them recover.
⁵⁽⁴⁾I said, “Adonai, have pity on me!
Heal me, for I have sinned against you!”
⁶⁽⁵⁾My enemies say the worst about me:
“When will he die and his name disappear?”
⁷⁽⁶⁾When they come to see me they speak insincerely,
their hearts meanwhile gathering falsehoods;
then they go out and spread bad reports.
⁸⁽⁷⁾All who hate me whisper together against me,
imagining the worst about me.
⁹⁽⁸⁾“A fatal disease has attached itself to him;
now that he lies ill, he will never get up.”
¹⁰⁽⁹⁾Even my close friend, on whom I relied,
who shared my table, has turned against me.

¹¹⁽¹⁰⁾But you, Adonai, have pity on me,
put me on my feet, so I can pay them back.
¹²⁽¹¹⁾I will know you are pleased with me
if my enemy doesn’t defeat me.
¹³⁽¹²⁾You uphold me because of my innocence
you establish me in your presence forever.

¹⁴⁽¹³⁾Blessed be Adonai the God of Isra’el
from eternity past to eternity future.

Amen. Amen.

1 Corinthians 13

Complete Jewish Bible

13 I may speak in the tongues of men, even angels;
but if I lack love, I have become merely
blaring brass or a cymbal clanging.

²I may have the gift of prophecy,
I may fathom all mysteries, know all things,
have all faith — enough to move mountains;
but if I lack love, I am nothing.

³I may give away everything that I own,
I may even hand over my body to be burned;
but if I lack love, I gain nothing.
⁴Love is patient and kind, not jealous, not boastful,
⁵not proud, rude or selfish, not easily angered,
and it keeps no record of wrongs.
⁶Love does not gloat over other people’s sins
but takes its delight in the truth.
⁷Love always bears up, always trusts,
always hopes, always endures.

⁸Love never ends; but prophecies will pass,
tongues will cease, knowledge will pass.
⁹For our knowledge is partial, and our prophecy partial;
¹⁰but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass.

¹¹When I was a child, I spoke like a child,
thought like a child, argued like a child;
now that I have become a man,
I have finished with childish ways.

¹²For now we see obscurely in a mirror,
but then it will be face to face.
Now I know partly; then I will know fully,
just as God has fully known me.

¹³But for now, three things last —
trust, hope, love;
and the greatest of these is love.